What kind of zone do you go in when you’re creating?

[Rhonder]

My zone is kind of a mish-mash, I myself get locked in and am pretty quiet while creating (although I'm totally guilty of being that guy that'll do sound effects sometimes while trying to get a pose or story board just right lol!) but I also almost always work while having loud music playing so my work environment is actually quite noisy and energetic (I listen to a lot of like Punk Rock and Alternative Rock haha).

I mostly just work alone although I do have a few friends who I bounce ideas off of from time to time often they'll just ask about what I'm working on and I take advantage of that platform to verbally talk through my ideas. They often don't have a lot of actual input, but sometimes just talking about something can help you see the strengths and weaknesses in an idea or story plot so I'm thankful for those opportunities.

[Maps]

A healthy balance of all, I see!

The sound effects

I can listen to music when I’m creating but it usually has to be foreign or I get distracted by lyrics. But that is when I’m actually writing out dialogue.
I love listening to lyrics while I drive because I’ve gotten a lot of story inspiration that way!

[Rhonder]

Ah yeah I've heard about a lot of people who can't do lyrical music while trying to focus! Part of it is probably my upbringing- my parents are into similar genres as I am so i grew up on rocking out like that xD They considered it a great parenting success that they acclimated me to being able to fall asleep and nap while the radio was playing while I was a baby lmaoo A lot of their friends are like "ah yeah we can have any loud noises while we're trying to put the kid down for bed. Doorbell goes off? It's all over.". My folks: "Fuck yeah, Metallica!!" Me: "zzzz"

[WOSTR]

The early morning is a decent time as that's the only time I feel somewhat relaxed and rested, other than that I work whenever and wherever I can, I'm distracted too easily to set any mood and whenever I have a bit of quiet time, I end up sleeping.

[Shanny8]

I only go into zones like this when actually working on pages. I will forget to eat, get up and stretch, and lose some sense of time. I've had days where I started working on pages in the afternoon and raise my head up to actually notice it's night; I've had days where I'm sitting for 4 hrs before I notice joints are feeling stiff so I'll get up and stretch out for about an hour...

I try to curve those tendencies now- especially since they're not good and have damaged me over the course of a couple of yrs. I'll work on stuff for about an hour and a half then get up and stretch for about 20 minutes- so that way my arms dont go to shit and have me sidelined for months.

[Maps]

That’s kinda where I’m heading and wrote the topic because of it! I was like, this can’t be too good? Snapping at people for interrupting me being quiet
I probably do need to set a timer and just give myself a break to walk around and snap out of it for a while.

[pilot-obvious]

Sometimes when I'm thinking of ideas and stories, I completely zone out of real life and don't do anything. The swing set at my parent's house was my thinking spot. I would be on there for hours every day with my iPod just imagining stories. People would always comment how they would see me swinging and I'd be so embarrassed! But I couldn't stop because it was my only place of peace and creativity. (sorry I'm being nostalgic!)

When I'm drawing now, it's hard to get in the zone like I did as a teenager. If I'm in the right mood, the perfect playlist can help me get in the zone! Sometimes I can go 3-5 hours without noticing a thing around me. Sometimes I'm too fidgety and distracted. Either way, it has to happen solo. Occasionally I'll bounce ideas off of a friend but it has to be over chat or text.

[teacup_creations]

I'm a bit of a weirdo in that when I'm really deep into drawing or making something I stop thinking entirely and when I finally come back to my senses the thing is already done.

[IdiotWithPencil]

I go to the pencil and paper zone, you have to drive till you see the marker zone and turn left from chalk zone, if you are in the internet zone you went to far...

bad jokes aside, usually I sleep and dream about what the story should be about, next morning I write it and ask my sister and family what they think and they give me advice/pointers :0 so I guess sleep and family zone?

[magnavarra]

I go in hell XD why look for fancy name lol

[Maps]

Ah yes, I’ve been there a few times myself.

[allenT]

[DukeOfOool]

I like to repeatedly thinking about epic scenes and start walking in circles, trying to emphasise the power and legendlike energy of my thoughts, then I beat myself back into reality and finish whatever smaller scene I was woking on. I have a strict do not think policy; I only think while I do other things like showering or eating, never when I´m working.

So I´ll say I go into the land of dreams and farytales while thinking and go to the land of pain when I´m drawing.

[nathanKmcwilliams]

I crank up the jams as loud as my ears can tolerate. Shut my office door. And crush it.

Boundless (Time To Murder It)

(I prefer working alone...but, if I'm in a room with others I can still draw, but I usually need to have loud music to get the creativity flowing.)

[Maps]

When I first read this and got to, "And then I beat myself back into reality" I was really expecting it to say "And then I beat my chest" and I was thinking, I love the passion
Oh yeah! The shower is definitely a good place to get the thoughts swarming.

[Maps]

Now share your favorites off your playlist!

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Oh boy xD I've got like 25 and counting playlists. And about half of them are my favorite albums from each year going back from now to 2005.

I have too many favorites to list. And when I'm drawing I tend to listen to things on shuffle.

I'll just share my Spotify profile instead

Nathan McWilliams

[Anihime]

I enter the Twilight Zone.

...

...

Just kidding!

But in all seriousness, when I get into the creative zone I'm hyper focused on what I'm drawing, writing, or whatever else I'm doing in that moment. Sometimes I listen to music to keep myself in that zone. Once I'm out of that zone, it can be hard getting back into it. Especially after a day or two of being out of it.

[C_o]

I tend to brainstorm while I'm exercising and don't like being interrupted. When I'm actually drawing, I will put on hours and hours of "Unsolved Mysteries" episodes that play in the background and kind of vanish into my own private little mind hole where I oscillate between feeling really excited and really pissed off with the results.

[DukeOfOool]

xD I havent gone this far yet. But I do stomp (only slightly as my neighbour downstairs is very noise sensitive);, when the tone of the story changes strongly; like when the hero slays a dragon, I try to emphasise the power of this strike with motion, thus the stomping.

Oh and my hand motions are sometimes quite outlandish