Do you ever lose the will to draw your comic?

[FlutterbyBubbles]

Awwwww, are you ok? Do you need a hug?

[Jessisheron]

oh for sure, i'm a full time illustrator as my day job and i get blocked or lose the will all the time.
I do a couple things.
I take a walk. a lot of times i'm nervous and got too much aimless energy so walking helps me get some endorphins and get my blood pumping which seems to help me to get into the right headspace.
mostly i just open the page, save it as a NAMED FILE immediately like "mermaid page 32" and just make a line, any line, a big empty white page is terrifying. its too daunting! once i scribble on it I feel like, well, there's something.

[FlutterbyBubbles]

Yeah, I tend to sketch in my frames, go to start drawing in the first one, and die a little inside

[modrawmanga]

many times... that's why it's good to take a break from it sometimes, maybe on the weekend or more, and the break might jumpstart the motivation again sometimes

[indagold]

I set up a pretty big buffer so when I burn out (which is a lot) I get some vacation time to rethink. Now with a month or more to spare can finally practice anatomy and go back and figure out how to approach things differently without getting stressed that I have to finish something immediately.

[AmysGames]

Yep, I get that feeling all the time. In fact, I'm procrastinating on a comic page as we speak. (Like many other people here, apparently. ) Having a schedule is the only way I can ever get a comic finished, but boy is it exhausting to actually stick to it.

I think the hardest part for me is just getting myself to sit down and start drawing. Usually what helps me then is to have something playing in the background to keep my mind occupied, like music or a let's play. If you can draw while watching TV, it's a nice productive way to get through commercial breaks, haha.

Also, sometimes it helps to give yourself incentives, e.g. "okay I can watch an episode of my favorite show, but only after I finish this panel." Even small goals can be a big help!

But those are just a couple of ideas. Hope they help! (Now I need to put my own advice to work, haha.)

[N1ghtm4r3]

been there, at times it can be a daunting task to work on a comic,especially if it is a huge project, one coping method i like to do is get my mp3 with some of my favorite songs(rammstien,within temptations and etc) put in some ear buds and listen as i work on it, i find some energetic songs make it feel easy

[colonel_ressentiment]

I feel pretty much the same way - I definitely wouldn't give up my weekly comic schedule because it keeps me moving forward, but damn if it doesn't still feel like a lot of work.

I think one specific problem I have is perfectionism. I start getting anxious about whether I'll actually be able to do the awesome panel I storyboarded justice, whether I'll screw up somewhere and the final result won't look/feel good - and then waste a couple of hours freaking out when I could've just drawn the damn panel to start with. That's actually where the weekly schedule helps, since I can tell myself "who cares if it doesn't look perfect, just get a page done and post it and you can always edit later".

Incentivizing myself by saying "after I lineart this comic I get to play video games for an hour" also helps me, since taking breaks from drawing helps me reenergize, and having something to look forward to JUST AS SOON AS I FINISH THIS PANEL makes me more willing to keep putting in the work instead of slowing down or getting distracted.

[Mocha]

Only if I lose the will to live.

...That came out a lot more depressing than intended.

[geraldlgler]

Yeah i do lose will to draw my comic as well especially when it's not up to standard and it's not getting the reception i was expecting. But all in all, remind yourself of why you do ur comic in the first place. And discipline is the key, aint no motivation gonna help u in a long run

[zigmenthotep]

All the time, I just draw it anyway. The way I see it, writing a comic is a job (albeit one you might not necessarily get paid for) and you don't get to not do your job just because you don't feel like doing it.

[cleo_san]

Eeyup, had that the last few days without noticing it. I plotted on my story in written form but something was missing somehow >.<
So yesterday my best friend practically forced a sketchbook and a pencil into my hands and told me: "DRAW! NOW!"

...after sketching some stuff I feel better =) Sometimes you need a gentle nudge from someone who cares about you.

[FlutterbyBubbles]

I need a friend like that!

[cleo_san]

Unfortunately she's not for sale or rent ;_; Otherwise I'd send her to you, armed with sketchbook and pencil as well =)

[thomasfallaeriksen]

Yes. It affects almost all my projects. Sometimes I just want to throw it all away and do something completely different. Something that I've never done before.
I'm there right now. Sometimes I just need to put them away for a while.
At this point I usually do some writing or start drawing something else.
Now I'm having a "break" by drawing a story written by somebody else for the very first time. It is a good challenge to visualize another persons fantasy. Make both the writer and myself shine through.

I've also wanted to try a slightly different approach for a while. Most of my stories are rooted in relatively abstract science fiction mostly suited for adults. For the last few weeks I have been thinking about making a weird science fiction comic/picture book for children. The kind of book I wanted to read way back when I was a little kid.
I don't know if this is a good idea, but at least it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. And it distracts me until I get ready to work on my other projects again.

[OgonoArtFamily]

I feel what helps people is reminding themselves why they started in the first place--their passion. But at the same time, you don't want it to feel forced.

Me Personally, I can't say I have for drawing, but other areas yes.
.
I've gotten into a warrior mindset. To be willing to die for the passion. I got rid of habits, friends that hindered my personal devlopment into accomplishing my goals.

Since I was 5 or 6, I had nothing else but my vision of Osca . And various other forms of storytelling from other authors. If it wasn't for this I wouldn't be motivated for life, personal development, knowledge. & I'd probably be in prison, or depressed.

This is highly therapeutic for me and I enjoy helping others see drawing as therapeutic; hence, I make Youtube Videos specifically to help mentally and emotionally struggling artists.

Osca :: Osca: Chapter 1 | Tapas

[FlutterbyBubbles]

It sounds like a good idea, it would be really cool if you kept me posted on whether or not you're doing it, and if you are, maybe keep me up to date with stuff? I dunno, I get a bit too hyped up for things than what might be considered healthy!

[Inspector_Spinda]

Whenever I get to a dull section of the story which isn't bad when you're just reading, but is boring as hell to draw, I feel lazy. I feel there's hope how for me to ever get to the good parts im actually excited to draw. Plus I don't have many readers.

What makes me feel better is the fact that I really love my characters and the story as a whole and after a short break I get back at it.

Ghost of Charles Bridge | Tapas

[FlutterbyBubbles]

Thanks to everyone posting here!!! I have gained the motivation to draw the next page of my comic!!! Thank you all so much!!! I hope anyone suffering an art block (as I still am) will get over it soon!!!

[scarlet_wings_kaili]

It definitely happens and it's probably a pretty common reality. Even if I do enjoy drawing and making stories, but it doesn't mean all the work will be enjoyable. In that case you got to think of your end goal and power through it. Sometimes, it happens because constantly working on the same project isn't always as simulating as doing something new. In that case, do something different for fun. Other times, self doubt and crippling artist insecurities happen. Is it any good? Does anyone actually like it? etc. In that case, remember that your job is simply doing the best you can right now.

So conclusion, some tips on what helps me:
1)
Set a certain amount of hours (ex. 3 hours) to work on your comic each day. If you feel like drawing more one day, great, but if not, you still have x amount of hours done. Plus, you won't feel the weight of doing x amount of work by the update time when you can focus on a time goal each day. Does that make sense?

2) If you feel like drawing something else, go for it. As long as you remember to go back to your comic, it's good to stretch your wings.

3)Remember why you decided to make your comic in the first place. Why is it important that you make this comic? Even if it seems only important to yourself, that's just as a valid reason as anything else (like world domination lol)

On a personal note, tip 3 is the one I have the most trouble with since the content of my comic, Halfsoul can be quite dark and depressing at times. So instead of worrying whether or not people are enjoying the comic or not, remembering that I'm writing this story because I want to think (and others to think) about what it means to lose a part of yourself and what recovery can mean, helps.