Working On Your Comic While Being Into Something Else

[VermillionWorks]

I have a feeling a topic like this has been made before, but what the heck.

What do you do when you need to work on your webcomic but are currently inspired by another idea or random thing? When this happens it tends to hurt not only my motivation to draw the comic but I also think it affects the quality of the page a little in the end. I still always push through during these weeks, but it makes the process feel that much....slower.

What do you when this happens? Do you do things to force yourself back into the 'mood' for your comic? Do you quickly doodle some other things based on your current inspiration? Do you just force your way through it while blasting music in your ears? Whatcha do that seems to help the most during those moments? XP

[zetina]

I've never overcome this. If I'm not in the mood, I won't do the thing. Then, I'll feel guilty and not do anything at all <'D
Ummm but I'll usually opt to doodle whatever ideas I have. It's good to take a break from one thing for a bit and then come back to it, maybe even with a fresh look. But it depends on how long that break is, ahahaha...;;;
I dunno.
I try to remain excited about it. Re-reading the comic actually kinda helps. If reader response isn't doing it for me, I tend to find my own inner motivation by enjoying my own work (though I enjoy it differently from how I normally enjoy stories. I mostly get excited over the fact that I'm making my own).

[jmhenry]

I'm there already, actually. When that happens, I just kinda workout the concept/ story bits in my head for a while until I'm back into a mood for my current comic. Drawing or writing ideas down can be pretty helpful at least to just get it out of your head so you can focus on the current.

[shazzbaa]

Do you quickly doodle some other things based on your current inspiration?

This one! I think a lot of times my brain desperately needs a change of pace, and that's part of why Undertale fanart new ideas pop up so strongly. So as soon as I'm able, I'll fiddle with the new idea, develop it in my free non-comic time. It's important for the same reason taking a break from work is important!

A concept my mom gave me was the idea of doing regular "sanity doodles." In the same way your body needs food and sleep, sometimes your brain needs to draw for fun. It's as important as making time to eat -- at least one little doodle that isn't work-related, for your sanity. It's probably not true for everyone, of course, but I think it can be helpful!

[joannekwan]

Sometimes I get the art itch and I really need to push out an illustration before doing anything else. So I do get that illustration done and then I resume my regular schedule, even if it's been pushed back some. I usually get stuff out on time.

[omarsassi88]

I think that I start to make my webtoon when all my indecision about what to do where gone...I got so many different ideas through the years, that For me doing something like a webtoon series was impossible. But I am used to do one work at time. I start it, I push my self through it. and If I see that the work doesn t go well or that I feel upset about my drawing I leave the work behind. Now I got the feeling that I will be able to do my comic (Volpino's adventures for at least 5/6 years. I don't feel that I have to thing about something else... that's the way I worked to avoid "random things". Even if I have any different idea, I know that I "add" the possibility to be able to put in my comic different ideas..is like if I have found a world in which I can play with everything...

[timinabox24]

I do what I want :'D

[ConradComics]

I make that thing my reward for working on my comic.

Edit: I suppose I should note, for me, that 'thing' is usually a one-off anyways. So, it won't completely derail my comic. A 'You don't get to work on that new character design until you finish a page, script, etc.' situation.

[Michelle]

I've been feeling this a lot lately as I'm nearing the end of chapter 2 of my comic ~^~ I've been working on it since February and only have a few pages left, which is exciting, but I'm also feeling a little burnt out.

I sometimes do little doodles to break up the grind, but the best thing for me is doing something totally unrelated to drawing. I run a fashion side-business with my partner, which is a great way for me to stay productive and be creative without drawing. :> And it's also profitable so hey. And if I really am not feeling like doing anything productive for my comic or business, sometimes I just need to play a video game for an evening.

Still, there are times where I just have to forge through the burnout, so yeah sometimes it's a matter of putting on music and just getting the work done. Having a readership and an established schedule really helps me to stay on task, even if I'm not feeling it that week. And it's nice knowing that once you get that update finished, you can relax a little bit.

[KSlinger]

If this happens to me I either buckle down as a matter of principal (short term pleasure = long term pain) or, if I actually know what is distracting me, go do it and get it out my system.

Alternatively, if I'm just being a baby and don't want to work, I stop and think about a scene/character/event that hasn't arrived yet but really excites me and do a bit of self indulgent drawing or writing for it. I think the key to happy work is being genuinely excited about what you're doing- a bit like in a relationship (ha)- and sometimes you have to remind yourself what it is that made you want to start your comic in the first place.

So, my advice: don't ever stop dating your spouse, don't ever stop gushing over your own story. These things take a lot of work and if you lose the carrot on the end of your stick all you're left with is a shitty stick and a half finished comic that'll make you cry.

[alaingrey]

Right now I'm in a sort of rut with my illustrations since for a year I've only been making comics and video games, so I'm taking a break to just try and make appealing pictures again. I want to start up my comic, but its a big effort currently and I think i want to mentally prepare for getting this next chapter right.
I think it's all about dividing up your time with different activities so nothing gets boring and everything stays fresh. One day have fun painting, the next, enjoy making comics.

[indagold]

Right now i'm just updating old comics but struggling with holding off on the comic i'm currently having in the works. I need to work on my animation portfolio for jobs and stuff. I think I need to put off my comic as of now so I guess it's something that isn't as important as finding work.

[Shanny8]

For the most part, I've been pretty good about staying focused...but sometimes I get in that zone where I'm next to feeling burned out on coloring consecutive pages in a row, so I'll peek at the script for the next set of pages, and start thinking about how I can do the layouts- or I turn on some music and get lost in the tunes.

Every blue moon I'll break the monotony by drawing something else.

[J.Z.Castillo]

I've been feeling this a lot lately as I'm nearing the end of chapter 2 of my comic ~^~ I've been working on it since February and only have a few pages left, which is exciting, but I'm also feeling a little burnt out.

Gurl, me, too, da fuqq.

Yeah, right now I am a few pages away from finishing chapter 2 of my comic, and I am getting kind of bored with it. With the entire comic, really. I just wanna do some illustrations!! I long for the feel of a brush and the spread of ink on paper, I MISS it! Not only because I haven't done it in a while, but because that's my main medium. Digital art and me are still pretty badly acquainted and don't like each other all of the time. If I had the choice I would completely do BioHazard in a traditional way, but that would take way too long to finish one single page.

Anyway,school is almost here and I really can't spend time doing anything else other than the comic before then. I can get back to illustrating when school starts again. So I am really looking forward for that! I am pushing these pages out at the speed of light, because they have to get done. What's keeping me focused is being able to go back to ink and paper at the end of August!

[AnnaLandin]

This happens to me all the time, because my brain is like a magnet - if an unwary idea passes too close, it gets stuck. >.< I've been forced to work up a sense of dedication through practise; I'm disciplined enough to keep working on my main project no matter what, but it isn't always easy.

If it's just the brief beginning of an idea - a "hey wouldn't it be cool if [story idea]?" - then I write it down somewhere and leave it for later, and maybe doodle some art for it during breaks/spare time. If it's insistent and doesn't leave me alone, I sit down and do a chunk of planning for it, without starting the actual serious drawing. It's enough to keep the part of my brain where the idea lives happy and quiet, so I can focus on working on my main project.

.... and sometimes I just give in and end up working on all the things at once. Like now. ^_^; I'm working on Grassblades, I'm working on an unrelated Christmas oneshot (yes I know it's still only August), I'm thumbnailing a graphic novel to pitch for a grant opportunity, I'm working on my ongoing Tea Witch illustration-project, and I'm flatting pages for a friend.

The word you're looking for is "workaholic" and no, it's not a good idea, and it's not the healthiest behaviour. Don't be me, kids.

However - in general, it helps that I'm fairly disciplined. Even on days when I don't feel ~inspired~ or in the "mood" for drawing Grassblades, I still do it. It needs to be done; it's right there on the to-do list. So I sit down, I plug my ears with a podcast (right now working my way through Critical Role, but my list of podcasts is longer than my arm) and I work. Get up early in the morning, make a cup of tea, and draw.

[SpavVy]

Yeah, it happens to me a lot. Soul Ascendance is my dream project, but even then I get tired of it sometimes especially when I'm working on pages I don't like all that much. I have one other story I'm just itching to work on but it's still being planned out in my head.

So whenever I feel like working on two projects at once I tell myself that the current one is a handful already and that I shouldn't bite off more than I can chew.

[elaienar]

I use the other idea as a bribe - that is, I tell myself if I finish a page of/certain amount of work on Maria, then I can go and mess around with the other thing.

So far I've been successful in completing the work on Maria I need to do even when I want to do something else. The downside is that I often lose interest in the other thing before I get around to working on it, or end up without energy or time to work on the other thing after all. I think it's an okay trade-off.

[Nyamesis]

This is kind of my entire life ;__;
That's why I've only been starting to draw comics recently (as a kinda diary thing of random shit I want to remember or come up with)
Other than that my main focus is on character designs and concept art in the first place :> comics are just a tiny stress relief thing for me.

It kind of feels like everyone here comes from a different direction as to why they get into comics?

[nattbear]

I probably would doodle the idea (probably) or waste time doing something else until i can focus again... Thats a VERY bad idea to keep wasting my precious time like this... But sometimes it's the only way to get my motivation back D:..... Saaad, but true.

[twostriptechnicolor]

I try to stick to a schedule. Some days are devoted to art projects, studying and random drawings, others are devoted to the comic... and some are occasionally used for some sweet, sweet hobby time. Unless I have a paid job to do, in which case that takes top priority no matter what. And if a random idea pops into my head (which happens pretty often), I just scribble it into my calendar and get to it when the right time comes.

And yes, blasting music certainly helps!