Career (non-art) Creators Thread

[ashriott]

Agree with above, I think those who are non-creatives are a majority here on Tapastic. I work a 9-6 job and it sometimes goes to 7 or 8pm depending on how busy it gets. I'll mostly work at night or on the weekends, since I have no life :]

I'm a couple chapters ahead of my comic atm, and I like to keep it that way. So I always to try to churn out twice as many pages as I upload with regular breaks now and then.

[MGO]

Nice thread!
In my case I'm working fulltime as a lawyer assistant at a lawyer's firm, so I draw at night. I don't have much time on weekends since I usually have family stuff, but I'd love to have more hours :/

As for the script, I think about it everywere. Usually on the bus/train or when taking a shower :')

[cyanste]

It always felt like there were more students and art folks doing comics nowadays. Started to feel a little lonely out here, haha!

[brunoharm3]

I'm In the same boat. I work 9 hours a day, 5days a week. got a wife and kid and cat, I own a house that requires a ton of work. don't get me started on the lawn. How I get a strip out every week is a miracle that I barely understand. I draw a little every night, and jam out the coloring on the weekends.

[scythe]

Do designers/illustrators count as art folk? Because they mostly work 9-5 schedules too.

I know I do. I have to get up early to work on my comic. Between work and that, most days I'm putting in at least 14 hours. It's a grind, but what else am I going to do?

[cyanste]

Do you guys count as art folk? I don't know -- I imagined the use of art skills and concepts in design and illustrating, so I shuffled it towards that. If I'm wrong, just let me know.

So with everyone working on comics, does anyone else try to schedule time to just practice, practice practice? Yeah, it kinda seems silly to post, but uh... yeah, work and everything else makes everything difficult.

[Wolven_Sister]

I'm in the same boat. It's really exhausting juggling an overbearing work schedule, everyday life/house maintenance routines, working on comics, and a social life. I've had to practically give up reading and video games. Currently saving up for a Cintiq Companion 2 so I can work on art during my lunch breaks XD

[scythe]

I had to give up video games just so I could partake in life. Giving up reading books, or I should say, postponing reading books has been one of the hardest things.

[ErithEl]

I had to give up video games just so I could partake in life.

This is the reason I never got into video games - because I knew it would end up taking up all my extra time! I also have to be careful about starting any new TV series (especially on netflix where you have the option to binge watch the whole thing!).

The reading thing was easy for me to solve. I've never been a good reader (I get distracted too easily), so I started getting audiobooks, and I can listen to them while I work on my comic!

[GlanceReviver]

If I go into a full time career, I won't be able to fulfill my quotas for comic sites I work for. But, what I get paid doing that doesn't pay all my bills either. It's kind of a no win situation. For a while I lived with my parents and I was able to support myself just from art, but after moving out and needing to make rent, I had to take a part-time job as a cashier. I wish I could do something more respectable (or better paid), but it's the only job I could find that allows me to work flexible hours and take off time for conventions and such.

[Wolven_Sister]

Giving up reading books, or I should say, postponing reading books has been one of the hardest things.

I totally agree. If I catch myself looking at books, I want to dive in nose first for a good, long reading session but then reality calls back and I have to put it away :c I cut down to reading manga since they take less time to read, but even then I only have time to read them during my 15 minute breaks at work and I have to choose between a quick nap or indulging in a good story :/

The reading thing was easy for me to solve. I've never been a good reader (I get distracted too easily), so I started getting audiobooks, and I can listen to them while I work on my comic!

I did this too for a while! :'D I went on an audibook binge and got several from my library, I got through 2 stories: Dracula (personal favorite, never get tired of that story) and the Thirteenth Tale though i started realizing if I got too immersed into art I "tune out" the audio and I'll have missed a whole chapter LOL!

[scythe]

Yep, I found this too. I gave the audiobooks a go, but found I was tuning out too much as well. I'd probably do an autobiography or something of that nature while drawing, but I wouldn't waste a good fiction on an audiobook while drawing. In the car sure, but I'd also be worried that by pulling my mind in two different directions both my drawing could suffer, and I'd miss the connection with the book.

I do this all the time when I get in the zone while drawing and I'm listening to music. I'll often blast through a whole album without really remembering what I've been listening to.

[GlanceReviver]

I watch way more TV than I ever used to, because that's the only activity I can do while I'm drawing. And I can't watch anything with subtitles or a heavy visual narrative while I'm drawing or I'll miss the whole story. I wish I had more time to read books, but I only get in about. 20 minutes or something before bed to do anything like that.

In addition to that, I find that keeping up with housework is troubling when I'm working like 50+ hours a week between my job and comics. The sink gets piled up with dishes and I forget to fold laundry or put things away. I don't really enjoy keeping a messy place, but all my family thinks I am a slob due to this problem, haha.

[ErithEl]

i started realizing if I got too immersed into art I "tune out" the audio and I'll have missed a whole chapter

Interesting...if it's a good story, it helps me concentrate more because then I want to just keep listening, and I end up drawing for hours! I've found I actually listen and concentrate better when I'm doing something with my hands, so it's interesting to hear how you guys are the opposite!

@scythe and @Wolven_Sister do you have music playing while you work, or do you end up getting so engrossed in your art you don't even need background noise?

[scythe]

I often start with music, but then the album stops and I don't realise. Then I do realise, and think, I'll put something on again after I finish this part... then another hour passes and I realise I really need to go pee.

[xibang]

I just procrastinate real work and draw until the threat of being fired becomes very real.

[cyanste]

Urrrgh. I just look back at being a grade schooler and kind of miss it... cause I'd play all the games I want. Or even college. LOL

[JigokuNeko]

With an update schedule of 3 pages/week I usually aim for 2 pages during the weekend and one or two for weekdays. I do a lot of thumbnails and script details on coffee breaks or when I arrive early.
Because I'm such an introvert, I hardly waste any time on social activities so it's more of an "how much energy you have left for art at the end of the day" rather than an "how much time you have left for art" issue. Moreover, I'm single and childfree (and by Cthulhu I intend to keep it that way!) so I have more time/energy to spend on hobbies by default.

[Wolven_Sister]

@ErithEl I'm along the same lines with scythe. I also forget to eat or sleep because I get too consumed by concentration. It can be helpful in some cases but debilitating in others since I frequently don't hear my husband talking to me, or I don't hear my phone sound when someone calls/texts me :/ I blame it on my aspergers lmao!!!

[hunterblackwriter]

My "day-job" is actually a NIGHT job...I work as a bartender in my other life.

My creative day usually consists of writing from about 11 until about 3, with interruptions to take care of daily stuff for me and my wife, who actually has a day job.

It's actually a pretty good creative schedule, except that the phone is always ringing.