Come on you artists! Focus!

[FromFinn]

I don't know if macfreedom would work for me because I tend pace around thinking about something else instead of the task at hand. It's a tough battle I go though.

[ragraphx]

I've got ADD and probably should take medication but I don't.. Anywho, this may seem like an odd thing, but for me I think it's going to work pretty well.

Instead of doing one comic, I decided to do two comics. For me it breaks up the monotony (which is my Kryptonite) and keeps my ideas and -focus fresh when I jump back to the other comic..

We'll see if works anyway. My brain seems to like it so far.. : )

http://tapastic.com/series/MightyGlad
http://tapastic.com/series/DIODE

[Spinester]

I don't have ADD but I do have crazy chaos family distraction. I need some noise-cancelling headphones or something.

http://tapastic.com/series/pepperminthelmet

[balalaikayon]

It works for me too. I can't draw without watching movies on the background.

---

I have a depression. Because of this I stopped drawing and became a complete shut in - I went outside only to buy food, and only when I was starving. After visiting a doctor, I kinda sorta came back to functioning. Still can't draw comics tho.

[FromFinn]

Yeah, I could sympathize.

[MylCreates]

I don't have ADD, I usually manage to stay head-on focused and can do so for hours if need be. Although I will have a bad habit of jumping pages ahead because I start to get tired of the current scene. Then once I get to that page my artwork improves to the point I have to do the page over again. Also I have a bad habit of piling on more work when I get really stressed out because I'd rather be doing any other work than what I've been faced with. Nasty nasty habits.

[FromFinn]

Same here, I had a bad phase in my life too which lead to the comic I'm doing now.

[SpavVy]

I have some form of autism, anxiety and depression so staying focused can be difficult when dealing with all of that, my mind runs at like 90 miles an hour to the point I can't even keep up with it sometimes and after I write a script I tend to make second guesses xP

[Kura]

I find what helps with my ADD and inability to focus (my focus got really bad after I had a seizure and concussion) is working in hangout with screen share on.

I'll have noise from my friends to try and keep my mind from wandering too far, and when I do get distracted someone else in hangout will eventually notice that nothing is happening in my screen share, and they'll inform me that I have gotten distracted and stopped working (I'll just stop working and start doing something else without realizing, so them pointing it out is like a 'oh yeah I was doing that!' thing) This doesn't always work though as sometimes I will get distracted with conversation.

When friends are not available for hangout I try listen to music, that will sometimes help (but not always, half the time it will have the opposite effect and distract me) having notes or schedules around me so that I'll randomly spot them and think "Oh, that's right, I was working on a page/commission/whatever I am supposed to be working on at that moment... I guess I'll stop taking this pen apart now and get back to that"

Regardless you're constantly gonna get distracted. Nothing is going to work 100% of the time. Knowing that you lose focus and looking out for it so you can realize, stop and get back to work is honestly one of the best ways to 'deal' with it, ADD is something you live with, you can't ignore it, suppress it at your convenience with a simple trick or continually use your inability to not keep focused as an excuse, so you need to realize it's and issue and then learn how to work with and despite it.

[robertallenburns]

I use the Pomodoro technique! It's where you work for 25 Mins, and then take a 5 min break, continually alternating. After four 25 min sessions, then you take a 15 or 20 min break. If you adhere well enough to it, then it can keep you focused pretty much all day!

onmyhonorcomic.com

[FromFinn]

Sounds good I'm glad that helps you out, I do stuff similar to that such as watch a movie on the side or listen to a podcast. It seems like silence makes me lose myself and I get stuck in my thoughts. Sorry to hear about your seizure I hope you are not an epileptic.

[FromFinn]

Interesting, I think I will try that.

[Kura]

Naw no worries, it was a side effect from medication my doctors were having me take. After that I no longer take it (no surprise there) so I don't have to worry about that again.

Also I can back the short work sessions between small breaks thing, that will sometimes help a lot if your able to do that right (though sometimes I get distracted during the break and it ends up lasting a little bit longer than 5 mins ^^;;;) and alarm on you phone or something might help with that, but so will the temptation to throw your phone out the window for annoying you so often haha.

[ArtistHan]

Hey, I just reviewed your latest page on the other thread! haha (Great comic btw).

I...am currently feeling so freaking burnt out from just life in general. Consequently, more than the inability to focus, I just want to throw everything up in the air and never move again. I need to find ways to relax so I can work hard again T I think I tend to focus too much. Once I start something, I just throw myself into it obsessively and a lot of the times, when I emerge at the other end, I'm just dead even though I've completed what I set out to do 100%. So...yah. It would be nice to find middle ground in the focus arena more often.

And as long as we're promoting: The Underground

[purrlpankras]

Focusing isn't a word in my head.
It's DO IT NOW! Because I wont do it later.
Music helps me get on and do it though, And thinking of the possibilities of peoples reactions. (if I even get them)

but yeah it's normally that voice telling me to DO IT! :u

[danitasibert]

oh yeah now and then it feels that my attention spam rather be somewhere else other than on our comic Maximum Chaos, but i have to always push myself to stay focus, i have a little ADHD but not enough to need meds or anything i can focus better than other s I've known, but its still a struggle at times and its sucks >.< so bad

[tuesdayisms]

I have ADD and I tend to listen to music while I draw, sometimes even a podcast or something. I also break down my comic into separate pictures that I combine to make a comic.

[scarlet_wings_kaili]

I don't have ADD but sometimes my depression makes it really hard to do stuff.
I usually make a little box on every date on my calendar and put x number of hours on there (don't do something insane. Something small like 1 hour, 2 hours). Then I try to make an effort at least full fill that. I also listen to music that has some kind of a steady beat.

[TheRabbit]

Normaly I just work on my comic while listening to music or podcasts. If I'm in a really unfocused mood, then I leave internet and just listen to music I have on my pc.

[SleepingPoppy]

I have dyslexia, which can make proof reading difficult! My sister and dad are both dyslexic and have ADD. I'm grateful I only got one of two. My sister has found music or any kind of extra set of sound helps her think clearer. I believe she described it as feeling like it lets her brain slow down instead of going a mile a minute.

I tend to have very specific netflix shows that I like watching while doing my comic. Something entertaining but not so good that I watch instead of draw. Recently I'm really into listening to audio books while drawing.

Working on the comic has also helped me some with anxiety. It gives me something to focus on and feel productive, and thats a big deal for me.