I find art easier than writing, actually

[smokesalty]

Well not exactly easier, but more relaxing.

I'm both a writer and artist and I love both!

With art, I can sit down, put on a video/music and work. However, when it comes to writing, I usually need to do it in silence, and it takes me a lot of energy to come up with dialogue and plot points. I need to think a lot about different elements in my writing, especially because I have a certain vision in the story for the plot and characters. A whole lot of brainpower.

While writing takes me less time, I find that sitting down and creating art is easier for me for the most part. I like watching things/ having background noise so that's likely why I find getting started on my art easier.

But overall, they're both hella difficult. Mad respect to both artforms.

[Kelheor]

This thread in 3 hours

[smokesalty]

If people start fighting I'm closing the thread. I just wanna have a discussion dammit!

[PapaDom]

Same. Writing dialog is not that hard for me, to be honest, but I have more fun in drawing than writing.
(Also, when I write, I try to listen to music without vocals in it. It's hard for me to focus when someone talks...)

[wispysing]

Yo, chill. I get what you mean. Writing is much more conceptualized -- in other words, it's abstract. Art feels a little more solid somehow. Its difficulty mostly lies in execution rather than conceptualization. With writing, I agree, it takes a lot of brainpower, and I can argue perhaps even more. Think of writing as making a solid blueprint from a piece of blank paper and making art as taking that blueprint and projecting it to real life.

I know both are hard -- hell, I struggle with both evenly all the time. But I understand the gist of what you're saying, since writing or building a story is a very abstract thing. In the end it's a game of where the effort is put: if you put more emphasis/quality on the story, then writing is undoubtedly more difficult. If you focus more on the artsy details than writing, then art is more difficult.

[smokesalty]

same! Usually if I'm going to listen to music while I write, they have to be instrumental or I'll get distracted.

[Kaydreamer]

I'm the opposite, I find writing just flows, but I do need to be particularly relaxed in order to do it well. I tend to brainstorm dialogue in the shower or car, and write it down as soon as I'm out. I've never had to put much effort into writing, so long as I let it come and go as inspiration strikes.

That said, I do understand what you mean. I can't write and do something else, it takes singular focus. Whereas with art, I can just get into a zone and let my mind go blank. Not sketching/thumbnailing, though! Those things take all my mental energy as well, which is why I tend to find them the hardest part of the creative process.

[smokesalty]

I agree! Both are difficult in their own ways. Either way the execution is most important. When making comics your art needs to be clear and understandable and your story needs to be engaging and interesting. The difficulty depends on the person and their preferences.

[smokesalty]

yeah! I've actually noticed that I can't have any distractions when working on composition thumbnails, because I usually need to see the pacing and layout clearly.

For me sometimes writing flows, sometimes it doesn't. However, after editing and reading through, seeing my characters/ vision come to life is really cool! It gets me excited to do the art portion of it later on.

[surenlicious]

I'm also both artist and writer, but for me writing comes ways easier. The flow of words, my plots, my character storylines-- they flow with such ease I barely have to do any trouble for it now. With art I feel the pressure of needing to deliver uh...well godly art. Like people going "wow this you make this??" and its quite something...hahaha.

I've noticed it most when recently having started a comic, that is some scary stuff but I won't learn until I do it.

[smokesalty]

I get that as well. There's always the pressure of making the story you envisioned in your head amazing 100% of the time. I tend to spend way too long fixing things, because I'm worried one off looking panel will deter people, but in the end people only really look at a panel for a few seconds. You can always make fixes and redo things later.

[coppermouflon]

hahaha

[fleurravenbooks]

i mean if you are good artist (i can't draw for the life of me) i agree drawing is easier because you can draw one panel and say more then you would in few paragraphs , after all "A picture is worth a thousand words" exist for a reason

[crimson_mystery_cake]

No, I get you. Writing prose is just such a drag for me. I also just feel like I can’t get the subtlety I want with my characters with writing prose either. Prose writing hinges on knowing EXACTLY what’s going on in a character’s head at all times. I don’t really want my audience to know exactly what’s going on in my character’s heads though. I want the audience to sort of guess.

[coppermouflon]

To me, drawing is witchcraft, magic, the DARK ARTS!

Seriously, think about it.
Someone starts drawing lines on a piece of paper, random incoherent lines that somehow, eventually down the road, magically transform into something you can understand.
Witchcraft I tell you!
Sorcerers all of them!
They made a deal with a being out of this world for that skill!

But no seriously, I love art, I love artists, and what all of you do just seems like magic to me.
I could never do it. I find it impossible and I am absolutely mesmerized when I have the rare opportunity to observe an artist as they work. I always pay close attention and look at every stroke, yet I always miss the moment the magic happens. That almost miraculous transformation from random squiggly lines to something my brain can interpret as something more.

Now writing, man writing is hell. Good writing is hard and it takes practice, like LOTS of it. And when you are done with that you have to edit

Creating stories on the other hand? I can do that in my sleep. Literally, l go to bed, wake up, and all these ideas and stories are swimming in my head. If I'm stuck on a story on how to progress, I go to bed, wake up, and the solution is there.

You see, in my opinion, good writing has nothing to do with creating stories. They are two separate skill sets and both are required in order to create something good that will have an audience (or at least I like to imagine so).

I find joy creating stories, figuring out unexpected twists, planning every detail, trying to outsmart the audience and at the same time entertain them. Give them something to remember.
But when it comes to trying to put it on paper, into sentences that don't bore you to death, that makes you want to keep reading, I basically scream in frustration and anger, doubt everything I know, and eventually I write down one half-decent sentence.

I'll leave you with one of my favourite quotes of all time from Alan Moore.
"Art is, like magic, the science of manipulating symbols, words, or images, to achieve changes in consciousness."

[Legendofgenii]

I usually need to do it in silence

Same here. It breaks me out of the zone if there’s any background noise or someone is shouting at me for attention. Lol!

I’ll get really mad and bad tempered.

I can see why some writers like to go off to a retreat.

[smokesalty]

There's also the problem of not wanting to tell instead of show, but worrying whether the audience will understand what's going on. I usually know what's going through my character's head but conveying it to the audience is A STRUGGLE

[smokesalty]

I get what you mean! For me, I love creating stories, so I think about my characters and ideas a lot. Music is especially inspiring for this. However, for me as cool as these ideas are and no matter how much of the story I know, structuring it on paper and making sure it's understandable to the audience is the harder part.

Art is such a relaxing yet frustrating hobby. It takes years to learn how to draw something decent, but when it comes to drawing something super complicated, oh boy is it a struggle. I'm always amazed when artists are able to make such complicated artworks so easily!

[surenlicious]

That actually puts me at ease, I really appreciate it.

[sushy00]

I personally like making the art more than the writing. But I can't make a comic without writing a bit.