When you just don't want do it

Game Misconduct · Post by **Game Misconduct** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 1:29 am

Ever got to the point you just don't want do your comic anymore? I'm at that stage right now. My site haven't been updated for week and half. Looking at past work and criticizing it going "I did this?" to "Why did I draw this?" I still sketch and do have storylines but don't feel like putting it all on paper. At one point I didn't bother pick up a pencil for over a week. Hopefully it comes back to me maybe its just a minor burnout. Shoot I haven't finish watching half of the NASCAR races I taped but playing those XBox/PS2 games for first time months after buying it can sure take up the time.

Tarts · Post by **Tarts** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 3:59 am

Meh, it'll pass. Don't think about your comic for a while, and I bet you'll start missing it. If you keep thinking about it, the more you get sick of it.

Relax for a while.

Largopredator · Post by **Largopredator** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:24 am

I think almost everybody goes through the same thing at one point, where you start to have doubts and just don't feel like drawing anymore. But you should just take a break and don't think about comics for a while and it'll come back to you. For me, reading McCloud's books really brought it back.

LibertyCabbage · Post by **LibertyCabbage** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 6:31 am

Take a break.

Fesworks · Post by **Fesworks** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 6:47 am

YES! Oh very much YES!

well, not for the same reasons you list though...

...

Eve Z. · Post by **Eve Z.** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:31 am

Yeah, it happens to me as well sometimes when I have too many things to do, or I want to hang out with me friends instead of drawing. If I force myself, I'll get tired and if I'll get tired I get depressed and I have nothing else to do than just think about how unpopular my comic is and that I waste my time too much and that at some points I'm thinking of giving up and bring it down or something.

But lately I'm in such a great drawing mood that I'm thinking about some periodic schedule, if I can keep up with it, of course. And I'll do it for myself to see if I can.

My advice is: take a break and draw when you feel like it.

Yeahduff · Post by **Yeahduff** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:47 am

Burn it all to the ground now, before you change your mind.

TheSuburbanLetdown · Post by **TheSuburbanLetdown** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:57 am

yeahduff wrote:Burn it all to the ground now, before you change your mind.

I know a guy that did that. Literally too. He regrets it.

Tdev · Post by **Tdev** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:52 am

For me, I'm not sure if you would call it burn out, but just looking for full time work for a really long period of time, you would think spending so much time at home, I could update 7x days a week, but these days it's a struggle to find the motivation to draw anything...

Fabio Ciccone · Post by **Fabio Ciccone** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 11:48 am

OR you can start another comic...

Fesworks · Post by **Fesworks** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 11:57 am

Fabio Ciccone wrote:OR you can start another comic...

just... just don't start other projects AND try to continue your other projects at the same time.... trust me.... despite how insane you might be....

*looks around*

what?

Yeahduff · Post by **Yeahduff** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:15 pm

theSuburbanLetdown wrote:
yeahduff wrote:Burn it all to the ground now, before you change your mind.
I know a guy that did that. Literally too. He regrets it.

Yeah, that's not a good idea.

Bustertheclown · Post by **Bustertheclown** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 1:27 pm

Yeah, that sounds like classic burnout. After I dropped out of art school, o those many years ago, I didn't pick up a pencil for nearly a year. If the desire to create is a real motivation in your life, though, it'll come back, and probably with a vengeance.

NakedElf · Post by **NakedElf** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 7:12 pm

There are occasional days or times when I don't feel like working. And sometimes I get sick of a particular project and just abandon it entirely.

Sometimes you realize that the project you're working on just sucks.

I've never become sick of creating stories--comics, novels, whatever. I always have something I want to be creating. It's just not always the one I'm currently working on.

I'd say take a break, work on something else, and see if you feel like coming back to it later. After all, unless you're making money off of it, it's not like you're going to suffer.

Vulpeslibertas · Post by **Vulpeslibertas** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 7:22 pm

Maybe you should do a marathon of work. I usually don't like getting started working on my comic, but once I'm in the groove I catch my momentum.

Maybe you should try experimenting with a different style, or do a side storyline for a while.

Black Sparrow · Post by **Black Sparrow** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:02 pm

NakedElf wrote:There are occasional days or times when I don't feel like working. And sometimes I get sick of a particular project and just abandon it entirely.

Sometimes you realize that the project you're working on just sucks.

I've never become sick of creating stories--comics, novels, whatever. I always have something I want to be creating. It's just not always the one I'm currently working on.

Quoted for truth, and a huge "Ditto!" to that.

I had a massive burnout on my first comic. I fought it for quite a while, but forcing myself to work on it just made me hate the project more.

Instead, do what everyone else is saying, and take a break. If you find you want to pick it up again a couple months down the road, that's fine. If you find that you still hate it a month down the road, that's fine too. Webcomicking is for personal enjoyment. Period. The only exception is when you're making a living off of it. So, either find a way to make it more enjoyable or let it stew on its own for a little while.

RobertBlake · Post by **RobertBlake** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:12 pm

Stuff like this comes and goes. Sometimes the best thing is to take a break from it all, but try to stay in practice even when you aren't working on the project. The drive will eventually come back and your stuff won't suck when/if you decide to return.

LotharHex · Post by **LotharHex** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:18 pm

At the moment for me it's just not being able to write in general. Been like that for a while now.

LibertyCabbage · Post by **LibertyCabbage** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:32 pm

LotharHex wrote:At the moment for me it's just not being able to write in general. Been like that for a while now.

http://forums.comicgenesis.com/viewtopic.php?t=71385

Turnsky · Post by **Turnsky** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:32 pm

LotharHex wrote:At the moment for me it's just not being able to write in general. Been like that for a while now.

a general creativity block is the scourge of any webcomic, i feel for ya in that respect.