Staying motivated and gaining motivation back: share your tricks!

[scythe]

Wow, you don't watch ANY TV? We're literally living through the television renaissance. I'm not talking about free to air rubbish, or so-called 'reality' television, but the myriad of incredible series being made by Netflix, HBo, Showtime, BBC etc.. As a writer of a graphic novel, I find these shows to be an invaluable source of inspiration for everything from character development, to cinematography, to pacing and dialogue.

Plus they're my primary source of entertainment and excellent way to release stress and wind down after a long day of drawing.

Anyway...

I find getting into a steady rhythm helps with motivational problems, simply because it takes away the sense that what you're doing is a choice rather than an obligation. Start and finish at regular times, and don't allow yourself to make excuses to break that appointment.

It's kind of cheesy, but I also find watching/listening to motivational speeches on youtube from time to time. It's kind of a band-aid fix, and it's nothing you don't already instinctively know or understand, but sometimes it just helpful to see passion and determination in others. It's a good way to recharge those batteries.

I think though the biggest motivator is positive feedback. People saying they like this or that about your comic. It's a great feedback loop. You work hard on something and get a great response, which pushes you to work harder next time, which in turn means more positive responses. That's what's so great about this medium as oppose to say, novels, which is more of a sink or swim situation.

Lastly, I think just accepting that you're human and you're not always going to want to draw another panel (especially when you know in the back of your mind there are thousands left before your story is done). There are times when I'd rather be doing just about anything than drawing, but they're usually after long stretches of just that. In fact, I can scarcely think of a single thing I feel motivated to do at all times. Learn to take the good with the bad, get into a good, steady rhythm, and just roll with it.

[scythe]

I don't have a specific song, but whenever I go to a movie or a gig, I get that feeling pretty intensely. I interpret it as I'm seeing a bunch of people who are creatively expressing themselves to a willing audience... emotions are felt, feelings are stirred, all because a group of people got together for the purpose of 'telling a story'. I think that's an instinct that I wholeheartedly share.

[scullpanda]

I just think its go time put up my hair spin around in my chair, fall out of chair, put on pandora and work
This is my motivation trick for my comic Forsaken

[AnnaLandin]

Honestly? Self-imposed deadlines.

Taking breaks, being nice to yourself, allowing yourself to work on other things than your main project, etc., etc. - all of that is well and good, and will keep you from burning out completely - but if we're talking about how to focus intently on one project and not quitting?

Then it's deadlines. If I set myself a deadline, I have to keep it. The only acceptable excuses are physical obstacles (illnesses, aching hands, my computer not working, I'm out of town, etc., etc.) or if some external crisis (sudden illness in the family, for example) stops me. Sticking to deadlines keeps me working even when I really don't feel like grabbing that pen, and it gets stuff done. That stuff isn't always brilliant, but it's done, and that's what matters.

... It also kind of helps that I'm a workaholic, who always feels kind of weird when I'm not drawing.

[fanyart]

Yeah, the support of readers is priceless! It's one of the basic human need to be acknowledged and feel that they aren't completely worthless to the world. It's simply great to put effort into something and then see that people enjoy it and feel something from it!

At the same time, I feel I'm kind of relying too much on the feedback, as @SandraMJ mentioned though a bit differently. When something doesn't get as much feedback as your previous page / episode / work, you search for a reason why. Right now I keep on trying to find the reason why my latest episode on capybaras wasn't as popular as the previous ones. I know it could have been just because people went on holidays or something that I really couldn't affect but in the striving to improve the next episode, I just can't stop thinking about it...

[Ayumi]

Once I made a... ahm tutorial (I'm not sure I can call it a tutorial) about it. Actually just wrote down my tricks. Sadly I have it only in hungarian. So... my mode for how to get some motivation is:
1. Listen music! It helps you to get inspirations.
2. Make deadlines for yourself. Sometimes I find myself just too lazy for do anything. These times I try to set up a deadline, for making my next chapter or pages to.
3. Think at the scenes what you're waiting so much. It can be an exciting action scene, a romantic scene, or anything what you really wanted to draw a long time ago. If you keep doing nothing, you can never be able to reach that chapter you have that scene in.
4. If you have other comic too, try to draw that other one for a while! Sooner or later you gonna miss the one you worked before.
5. Read comics from others! Reading others works helps you notice again how fantastic is to create something.
6. Look at the feedbacks you've got from your readers! That's the best motivator. Thank them with continueing what you've started!
7. If none of these helped you: Don't touch it! Just have some free time without being frustrated of unmotivation. After a pause your hands gonna itching for a pencil!

If you're interested in the original tutorial I made, you can watch it, but it's hungarian ^^;
Tutorial

[hedgehogtier]

Shia LaBeouf

lmao but seriously, when I come on tapastic or smackjeeves and read other people's comics I'm usually wired with motivation to work on my own stuff (not that I have anything to show right now but I'm getting there...!!). It's like "wow these people really put themselves out there and have gotten all this support, imagine what'll be like once my story gets up!!" It helps a lot more when the story I'm reading is very similar to the kind I'm trying to make or like to come up with.

Music helps me focus but so does just putting up random videos from YouTube and just listening like an impromptu podcast. Right now my fix has been GameGrumps.

Also just thinking of my story helps too. Thinking about what I want to tell and how I'll do it really gets me going. Also my characters. Love em.

...Unfortunately most of my motivation hits me when I'm actually unable to work on my comic (like when I'm at work or just generally away from my computer orz ).

[DeadAccount]

Not being able to draw whenever I want makes the times I do get to work on art rewarding and something to look forward to.

This! Starting a full-time job was a real eye opener in that regard. Helped me develop that "now or never" attitude towards drawing.

[bedmoss]

A little while ago, I only drew when I felt like it and honestly, it wasn't much (when the conditions were right, when I wasn't too tired, when the planets aligned in the perfect shape of a pencil). After one piece, I'd be satisfied for weeks and obviously, it's not a very good work ethic for someone who wants to be a full-time artist. It was strange since all I did when I was school before college was pull story ideas out of my butt and draw finished pieces every other day but I realize it was probably because I had other stuff in my mind that wasn't drawing/art-related.

So my trick for myself, and for those who aren't the types of artists who can't breathe without drawing everyday, would be just to always keep your mind open and exposed to inspiration for drawing. Look at art books, follow blogs with an aesthetic that you like, read other people's comics, and always be open-minded about experiences! Eventually, if you have any drive to make art in your bones, you will plop yourself down and draw!

[Doubtcent]

There are a few things that I've done to increase my productivity:

1. Cut the fat
   Stop watching TV, YouTube, Netflix, and really anything else that is a time waster. The only time I ever watch anything is after I've finished a comic, and that's stuff like anime and mystery shows to help improve my writing and drawing. I've also limited my videogame consumption to only the weekends. This way, there is plenty of time left over for things you REALLY want to do.

2. Routine
   Even if it's just a little bit, start a routine of doing that something every day. Draw every day, write every day, do that thing you want to do every day until it becomes habit, and once it becomes routine, it can become easier to do. You'll find that you can push yourself further, that you've improved, and that there are techniques to do things quicker. The more you do it, the more you'll find enjoyment, heck, entertainment out of it.

3. Push yourself
   Even if you don't feel like doing that something (maybe it's become a chore for you) keep going. This is a stage in creativity where the creation can be overwhelming or feel worthless. It's only when you keep moving and keep pushing yourself further that the creation starts to have its value. The more you push yourself, the better you'll get and the ability you once had will explode out of the box, reaching greater heights even you never knew it could. Once you break past your limit, that's when you see your new limit.

4. Set a goal
   Make a time limit for how long you have to finish a project. Be it a month, two months, a week or three days. Be brutal to yourself. Tell yourself that you have to do it, no matter what, even if you go mad. Sometimes we just need to be mad in order to stand out a bit more. (just don't over do it or sacrifice your health. It all should be in the realms of your ability, or maybe just a bit more than what you can do, again see #3)

5. Multi-task
   Sometimes we feel that our productivity is taking away from other things we want to do or enjoy. I personally listen to music while I draw or write to sustain the silence, and take a few breaks when I reach certain goals like finishing the inking of a page or the coloring.

6. Don't stop for too long
   The problem we often find while working on a skill is that when we're away from it for too long, say a week for vacation or a weekend for a convention, our skills break down. They somehow lose their touch, their original splendor. This can lead to lack of motivation, which can lead to dropping the project altogether! So unless the project is done, keep working at it even during your extended time away from it, just to keep your skills in tact. Just do less amounts of it.

7. Step away for a second.
   Sometimes a project can feel overwhelming to the point of breaking your sanity (this can be a good thing sometimes, if you know what I mean) but not everyone enjoys insanity like I do, so sometimes we need a breather in order to look at the project with a better set of eyes. A good way of doing this is starting a new project, a smaller one, for a while. This can open the mind to new possibilities or just refresh the feeling of something new.

[blastryoku]

I just usually hum some song while i'm drawing to stay motivated also i draw my main character when i'm doing the thumbnails and she says something to me in-character trying to get me going, that usually does the trick.

[abbastudios]

And all of that is the best advice of all. No tips, no tricks, just simple discipline

[RiverKai]

These are all amazing ideas!! I have to add that having an artist/comic author friend to draw with REALLY helps. I draw "with" an internet friend using google hangouts, and we just screenshare and work on comics/illustrations together. Since we can both see each other's screens and chat and listen to the same music, we kinda force each other to stay motivated and be focused because the other obviously notices if you stop drawing or get sidetracked. We usually stream about 3h a night and I get more done in those 3 hours than I would drawing for 3h alone, and I can still take mini breaks to talk about simple things. There's not a night I don't complete or come close to completing a page or something.

[Jrej]

I was never more productive than when I was in school.
I do believe creativity comes from boredom in a way.

You just have to trick your brain into thinking your bored!
You can either do nothing for an hour or draw... What will you choose!

[SandraMJ]

Unfortunately, my problem is not related to productivity -- those are perfect for people who can't force themselves to draw however, and I follow all of them! My problem is that I can complete a page quite fast, and keep working easily, but I end up hating working on it because... well, it becomes yet another job for me.

[Doubtcent]

I see. Then the best thing I can tell you is to try something new.

Either start something else that is wildly and completely different, even if it's just a page or so, to spice things up.

Or try something outside your field. If you like computers, try making your designs if they were for a videogame. If you write, try a light graphic novel in the same world as your project. If you like music, make a theme song for your project. Animations, live action, plushies, anything!. Expand your horizons and find the fun again.

But if that becomes a chore, which all of this can become, I often try to look back to the beginning, see where I've come from, find the roots of why I've even started. Look back at old designs, old projects, old anything. I like to remember where I've started to experience those feelings of creativity again.

In the end, anything we love can become a chore. We just have to think a bit, wonder why we do things. If it's all for naught, then why are we doing it? Personal gain? Personal fulfillment? Or, as I like to think, if I can make one person find some enjoyment, get some reaction, either a giggle or a sneer, they looked at my stuff and found an experience. If I can make one person smile through my work, then it's all worth it.

[fanyart]

@vincentprendick wrote it beautifully!

I don't think there's ever been a comic artist who never though of their comic as "just another job" even for a little moment.

Try to explore new things and when you like something, you'll know it! You can start by thinking like "what comic I would like to read the most?"

Or go over things you like and select those you like the most and combine them into something! It could be anything - some people draw cats because they love them.

I believe loving your characters is extremely important. If you don't love them, they won't love you back and won't let you tell their stories.

What has been mentioned, but I want to stress it, is looking at other people's works. It will inspire you you won't even realize it. Hey, just recently I found a comic and from the first glance I thought "That idea and plot is awesome!" - but when I actually read the comic, it wasn't about that AT ALL! Now, that "great idea" is practically mine - I fabricated it upon seeing a bit of someone's work
....hm now that I think about it, maybe a good tactic is trying to guess from a page/artwork what someone's story is about - you'll create your own story that way and if you then read the comic and it's different than what you though about, the story is yours

[bluefairy]

I know what you mean! When we are really young, we were naturally filled with enthusiasm... I have read a book about the inspiration, and this is what I learned about it - you don't wait for it. You make it happen! How do I explain that ... Mmmm... May be your way is a good one - just start from somewhere. Just do the drawing and inspiration will come along. I have the ability and habit to turn every single thing that happen to me into an inspiration. I feel unhappy - I imagine my character in a similar situation, also unhappy. The best thing is when you are really busy with other stuff and have no time for drawing - OH! Then my head is full wit ideas and I am burning with desire to start to draw them right away! So I think that it is like the fire - it may be sometimes difficult to light it up, but if you keep feeding it, it will grow.

[Aspie_Gamer]

Honestly, I just get to it and draw until I'm satisfied with what I've drawn for that day. I take small breaks here and there like if I'm working on a new page of my comic Life of an Aspie. Other than that, I try to get as much done as I can in a few hours so that I can later relax for the rest of the day until I go to bed.

[trevormckee31]

My comic is largely an anti-depression mechanism. My motivation is not wanting to slip into a deep depressed funk.