How do you balance Work/Life and Writing/Drawing?

[Cucito]

I'M BACK! It's been like almost a week since I've been on here but that brings me to why I started this thread. So I started writing/drawing my comic in 2021 and at that point I was working 2 jobs, running a semi-successful YT channel with 20,000+ subs, and writing/drawing my comic. (I still have no idea how I was doing it but burnout def kicks in here and there) Fast forward to today and I'm starting this new job and I'm getting scheduled 50+ hours a week. I'm trying my hardest to not fall behind and I know I can still manage both work loads but I want to know...

What are some ways you balance work and writing/drawing?

[Leyelle]

I'm a freelance writer, so writing is my job. As for balancing it with work. I get my house chores done in the morning usually and then do my writing afterward. sometimes I have to walk to the grocery store tho (which is like a four kilometer trek there and back) and i prefer to get at least some writing done before that, because it's so physically demanding that i have no energy to write well afterward most of the time.

I think my biggest tip is (if you can) to do your most mentally taxing work first, and then physical tasks later so that you'll be able to give as much focus to your writing and drawing as possible

[feuersichel]

I manage, as I see my comic and drawing as a hobby. Like, yeah I take forever to finish a page but that is ok. I draw whenever I feel like it and that sometimes means, no drawing in months or drawing days with no end. If I`d make this hobby a second job, I think I would go insane :,D

[kyupol]

I try to stick to a schedule. Even 30 mins a day if I'm really busy with my day job

[MelancholicOtaku]

I aim to write about three times a week . Usually in the night time and midnight. Adulting first then writing

[JoshRaed]

You know that scene from Ice age 2 where the long rocks are spinning around each other?

[remiquise]

Oh, what balance? I've been plagued with this disease (traumatic childhood) that makes it so if I'm not being productive I will spiral.
So if I'm not at my 9-5, generally caring for myself (cooking, cleaning, ect), I'm probably doing something creative. Or saying up late because in my mind I need to get more art done. Not even the bus ride to work is safe-- I have to be doing something. I would not recommend.

[Mohini9000]

If I had it my way, I'd be making comics 24/7. But unfortunately, I do not live in that world. I live in real life, so I have to deal with external problems. I have to deal with school, so I spend a great majority of my week doing that, and on the weekends, I get to update my comic - Haru and Tsukasa - hence, the updates every Sunday.

[ThunderChicken]

Working 45 hours a week fixing cars and then having other stuff to do after work makes it hard. Coming into winter, though, those ”other things” will not be so frequent, and so I should be able to start writing and drawing again.

[lotus_fire]

I work from home so that helps - I just take an hour or two after my shift to write and then go about my day. It's harder said than done tho lol

[LWriter]

I’m lucky in that I can write at work when it’s slow, but that’s uncommon circumstances. Most jobs won’t let you do that, especially in the U.S. Im in South America, and where I am at least is a bit more lax with those things, so I can squeeze a lil writing every other day, during the day, cause I’m always too tired by the time I get home

[vfaqvrf]

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[KevinReijnders]

Easy don't have a life

[Shanny8]

I'm STILL trying to figure all of it out- havent got a solution yet.

[Lensing]

That sounds tough, I wouldn´t be able to do that.
The 50+ hours job alone sounds like burn out for me.
The 2 jobs + youtube channel sounds like burn out for me too.

What about the weekends?

I personally don´t have trouble balancing work/life because I´m
self employed and I´m doing music/art as a job and as a hobby.

[Ayumi]

I work in homeoffice, so I can save the travelling time.
Previously I drew only at the weekends, but I'm a slow drawer, so I started to work on my comics at least 1 hour on 2-3 weekdays too.
Currently I'm working on some buffer chapters before I start to upload, and I'm planning to set an upload schedule which suits for my slow working style.