What inspires you to keep your comic going?

[StevenDacasin]

I don't know about you but i hear stories of comics that are dropped and even went on a clean up of my reading list. My question for those that have ongoing comics is what drives you to keep drawing/writing? For me it's just sharing my story with the world and the slim chance of garnering a fanbase.

[Ankur]

"For me it's just sharing my story with the world and the slim chance of garnering a fanbase."

Yeah, it's similar for me, but I also hope to improve the speed and technique of my art in this process.
Every time I draw a new pose or a scene, that I hadn't drawn before I feel gratified that I made some progress.

[Doubtcent]

For me, it's in the hope that I can make someone's day or get some reaction out of them. If I can make someone crack a smile, I've done my job. I create things that I would personally enjoy reading, and if others want to join in, they can. I'm on a journey of constant improvement, so I'm no professional. I'm not doing this for money, and I wish I would never have to. I will soon, just so that my effort could be worth a bit more.

As for a fanbase, I'm not trying to create one. Fans will create one on their own. I just hope of creating something worth a fan base. So I keep trying new things and improving my style.

I also keep creating so that I can change things. A lot of comics out there take advantage of the systems, using pop culture as their key to success, exploiting certain ideas to keep the flow of money or fans... it just keeps going. I want to point out that those things are not what comics are about, rather they are a waste of potential. So I will keep creating.

[stephensharpe707]

Personally, it's a culmination of feeling the need to get stories out of my head and onto a page, otherwise they just keep circling around up there, but also as a way to fill time between freelance work (developing skills and hopefully story telling ability, and staying in good practice), otherwise I'd be laying about the house procrastinating.
If the characters and stories do resonate with people, that's an added bonus.

[lizm]

Short answer: my comic is my life, that is all.

Really though, it's the digital embodiment of my childhood dreams, the way I've been dealing with hardships in my life, the things that are important to me now and the things that keep me going. It's what makes me want to get out of bed every morning. Life's too short to procrastinate or quit on something that means so much to me--and of course, knowing that people read it, enjoy it and connect with it in some way is an incredible bonus to that inspiration and motivation.

Basically, it's self-fulfillment for me. And then there's also that dream of turning the series into a franchise, and no matter how slim the chances may be, every new page is a small step in that direction, or at least in the direction of something bigger.

[Thesleepypencil]

Oh so many things get me going and energize me. What gets me started is a strong love for a story or character that i NEED to tell. Weather it's just to me or not. I want to tell this story.

What keeps me going is multiple things
-My continuing need to finish what i started
-The daydream of one day physically holding my own story in my hands
-That one day I'll be good enough to make money by doing what i love ((this includes my low key goal of doing a couple cons tables next year and selling the first episode print form. Gets me all nervous I've been to cons but never boothed at cons))
-And comments on my comics, just ONE person telling me they like my comic makes me excited and energized to do more because i want to tell the story

Though when it gets down to the nitty gritty of it it will always be the story. I need to love the story and really want to tell it. I have about 10 different stories I'm working on at once in my head and i keep switching it up. Which isn't good for the stories I'm working on now. OR i get hit badly with my depression and can't do a thing for a week. For that i put on my dedicated soundtrack, and go back a reread what i have done.This helps me fall in love stronger with the story and i just go at it again.

[Kayke]

I want to finish telling the story I started. I always get sad when I'm reading a webcomic that never got finished, so when I eventually stop making this comic, I'd like it to be complete.

[zetina]

Taking the reality in your head and placing it outside in a tangible way is freaky and exciting.
There are so many things I want to show and talk about?
I want to affect people. I want to feel like I'm here, like I matter. But all of that is why I draw in general.

To keep a specific story going... There are certain parts I wanna get to to see how people will respond. I can only pray I can keep coming up with such scenes as I get to them and need to keep going to the ending :'D

[AnnaLandin]

It's a story I really, really want to tell. I've been carrying it around in my head for years, and committing to finally DOING something with it actually felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders (though that might have just been the pre-decision anxiety evaporating).

Of course, telling this story involves telling it to someone, so in those moments when I don't feel super-enthusiastic about it - and there are a bunch of those! - the knowledge that there are people reading it and looking forward to the next update really helps keep my spirits up.

But the number of readers doesn't really matter, I guess? I mean, I'd still keep my comic going, whether I had 10 readers or 10 000. Someone's reading, is the point. Though having a big bunch of readers is obviously a really cool thing. I don't know why, but I've never gotten over the feeling of amazement that there are people other than my mom who thinks what I draw is cool. XD

Also, in purely selfish terms, there are bits of this comic that I really want to get to draw, coming up much later in the story, and if I quit now I'll never get to do that.

[blop]

I love listening to podcasts or watch videos where creators talk about their art and their projects, it boosts my motivation so much ! And What helps a lot too is reading some good shonen where the hero needs to work hard to make his dream come true, and if it's about comics makers or mangaka like Bakuman or Rin, it's even better.

[mg78]

most of the work it's done by the immagination, like a push to "say" something. then there s a will to draw bacause it's my way.
thats it.

[phen]

I'm hugely inspired to keep my comic going by other artists' comics. It's inspiring! You can really pick up momentum by watching and reading others' stories develop. It's a kind of spectator's sport, yeah? I've been drawing comics on my own since I was very young and it was rewarding enough just to get Mom or Dad to read it and send a little (obligatory, I'm sure!) parental praise my way.

I've been making comics for one specific story for about 11 years and... I've just recently started sharing it. It's mainly been a personal thing, something to discuss internally and use to document the different lenses I've been looking through over the years.

So... it's all actually quite vain, hah! I'll enjoy seeing this stuff many years later because I deeply enjoy looking back on the things I've done years ago. Kind of like an album old photos! I'm driven to keep the comic going so that I can continue to learn more about myself and how I see the world.

[joannekwan]

1. I want to finish what I have going on so I can start on more!
2. People's comments and reactions put a smile on my face every time! I'm happy to keep them entertained.

[mariusthered]

where else can I named Characters after people I don't like and kill them? ( And it distracts me from plotting world domination (NARF!) )

No in truth I just love thinking about the family's in my city and exploring ways to tell stories. the relationships and friendships, the sibling rivalry and plots by criminal masterminds ( no not me!) Love to explore the human condition and all the ups and downs that come with it.

[jmhenry]

1. Sheer stubbornness
2. I'm personally interested in the story( As in I'd still think it was cool even if no one else does)
3. More stubbornness
4. The few readers that do engage with my work and support me when I really need it(They're the best!)
5. Numbers 1&3

[Lapiz_Ztudio]

I want to tell the world about my stories and i want to improve my art. Through my comic i was able to express my feelings and my perspective about life, that's the reason why i want to keep drawing.

[shazzbaa]

"It's not about having the confidence to say HELLO WORLD and HERE IS MY IDEA THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE, it's about, this is in my brain, and unless I express it, it's going to stay in my brain. It's not about imposing my will on the world, it's about personal expression. It's about... if I don't get it all out, it's going to die with me."
- Lin-Manuel Miranda

[YamamotoRyuunosuke]

I want to tell stories to the world. I express myself in very subtle ways in my work. And I just like doing it.

At the moment, I just want to polish my skills (In writing and art) because I aim to someday work in the Japanese manga market (I know how almost impossible is that) to reach a wider audience. I don't really care about income as long as I have enough to live, I just want to reach more people with my work.

[LordVincent]

1. The love for my characters. They're my babies.
2. The love for the art of it in general
3. The way in which it enriches my life.... emotionally and in terms of feeling productive.
4. My ADHD. I can't take a longer break from my comics and just play videogames like normal people easily could... I would seriously get bored and feel understimulated. Eventually I'd lose motivation to do ANYTHING
5. The readers. I love them so much ;A;
6. The small income I get from it.

Everything from 1-5 keep changing spots in what motivates me most, but 6 stays on the low. I didn't begin drawing to earn money in the first place, I could never have imagined I'd make a single cent ever, and it's never going to be the main reason I do what I do.

[oliviasstephen]

1. I really love my story. That doesn't mean I always love working on it. There are times I'd rather do ANYTHING but work on my comic. So that's when I go for the second reason:

2. Other people read/like my story. I have a folder for my bad days called "Motivation". It's right next to the folders that contain everything for the comic. When I started my comic, I decided to keep track of all of the positive comments and feedback it received. Now I have possibly hundreds of screenshots of people commenting about how much they enjoy reading the comic, plus some fanart and other messages. Sometimes it is super easy to forget all of the positivity you've received about your project when a page or chapter isn't going well, so I've made sure to get a record of all these interactions to remind myself! <3