Subless is a new crowdfunding service based on an old idea. Users put money into a Subless account, and every time they visit a creator who also uses Subless, the service enacts a micropayment from the user’s account to the […] ↓ Read the rest of this article...
Cartoonist Dave Kellett has returned from Comic-Con International in San Diego, and talks about his first convention since the pandemic began. ON THIS WEEK’S SHOW… Dave Kellett reviews Comic-Con International in San Diego Live show at the Schulz Museum Nov. […] ↓ Read the rest of this article...
Merry Christmas — and Happy New Year! Set down the sunblock, and step away from the pool. It’s time to start planning for December and January. I know it’s hard to get into the spirit, but this is the time […] ↓ Read the rest of this article...
A fellow creator once shared that they were told that a comics page should have between 4 and 7 panels per page. Not only is this bad advice, but it removes the focus from where it ought to be.
Writing a good joke is a balancing act. There are so many ways to upset the delicate harmonies that work together to make something funny. Luckily, there are a few missteps that have recognizable patterns. One of them is telegraphing […] ↓ Read the rest of this article...
Manga-inspired word balloons — and why you might want to rethink them...
It’s pretty easy to see the influence of manga on comics being produced today. Scrolling through Webtoons, it’s obvious that an entire generation of young comics creators cut their teeth on comics originally made in Japan. In general, that’s tremendous! […] ↓ Read the rest of this article...
ComicLab Ep 241 — “My friends won’t buy my comics!”...
Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar give some advice to a cartoonist whose friends want his comics for free. Is this an entitlement issue? It is… but not in the way he thinks. ON THIS WEEK’S SHOW… My friends won’t […] ↓ Read the rest of this article...
Unnecessary tangents in an illustration can be distracting — and kill the composition in an otherwise great drawing. While sketching a page for his Evil Inc comic, cartoonist Brad Guigar discusses tangents and how to avoid them.
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It can be frustrating to “hit the wall” in your creative output, but — speaking from experience — that wall isn’t a wall. And once you realize what’s actually happening, you’ll feel a lot better about your journey as an artist.
We often feel exhilaration as creative people. When our brains are storming, when our synapses are firing, and when our output is exciting… these are the moments we live for!
But it’s not a constant. Sometimes, the creativity comes much slower. During those times, it feels as if we’re not progressing. And the excitement that comes from finding something new is a long-distant memory.
If you talk to many artists during those times, they’ll tell you that their creativity has “hit the wall.”
But, speaking from a position of experience and perspective, I can assure you that this is not the case. In fact, what you’re experiencing is not a wall, but rather, it’s a plateau. It feels as if you’ve come to a full stop because you’ve stopped experiencing that exhilarating upwards “whoosh” of creativity. But, in fact, you are now on a horizontal plane.
That’s an important distinction. You can move forward on a horizontal plane. It may not be as thrilling as a vertical “whoosh,” but it’s important that you move forward nonetheless.
After all, this is where you’re learning about yourself as an artist. This is where you build speed. And muscle memory. This is where you master all of those things that became apparent during your last explosion of creative energy.
Besides, moving forward is the only way to get to the next “whoosh” of creativity. And trust me, the burst of artistic energy that occurs after a long plateau is a satisfying experience indeed.
Don’t get frustrated about “hitting the wall.” See it for what it is — a preparation for the next big explosion of creativity.
Jumpstarting creativity
Here are some excellent strategies for getting your brain working again after you feel as if you’ve hit a wall:
PUT PENCIL TO PAPER
For many of us, creativity is intrinsically linked to the act of making marks — writing and/or drawing. When I look back on the times when I felt my creativity had stalled, there’s a common thread — I was unable (or unwilling) to start the physical process.
So snap out of it. If you’re trying to write, start a sentence. Or re-start the sentence that you’re working on a difference way. Use different words or put them in another character’s mouth.
If you haven’t even gotten that far, don’t underestimate the power of idle doodling. Start a sketch and follow it where it goes. Fill your page (or several pages) with nonsense, free-associative sketches. It’s amazing how much inspiration comes springing out of this process.
CHANGE YOUR PROCESS
If you write in one particular setting, find a new place. For example, if you write at home, go to the park — or a coffeeshop. If you write during the day, switch it up and write at night. But be careful: Make sure you’re still actively pursuing the writing process and not simply avoiding it. In other words, a trip to Starbucks can inspire your writing — but only if you actively try to write while you’re there. If you spend the entire time chatting up the barista or simply staring out the window, you’re doing more avoidance than actual writing.
DO SOMETHING MINDLESS
Clean your room. Fold the laundry. Rake the leaves.
But do these things without the usual headphones or background noise.
Allow yourself to do these things in total quiet. Once your hands are busy, your mind will wander.
GET BORED
I love it when my kids tell me that they’re bored. Because necessity may be the mother of invention, but boredom is the father of creativity.
So let yourself get good and bored. Turn off the music. Unplug the TV.
Oh, and get far, far away from anything that will deliver you the Internet.
Remove all the distractions and then get beautifully bored.
Your mind will find something to do. All you have to do is direct it.
GIVE UP
If you’ve spun your wheels for an hour or so — and I mean really, really tried to get some creativity happening — give up. For now. Do something else that makes productive use of your time. For me, that often means pencilling some of the strips I’ve already written. Or do something that needs to be addressed for your business (are your receipts organized and filed so you can find them during tax season?). Or make that improvement to your Web site that you’ve been putting off. Just make it a point to come back to writing at your first opportunity and try again.
EXERSIZE
Get your heart rate up and keep it up. Get a good, long, tiring workout in. And then, once your body is good and exhausted, sit yourself down and write.
SUGAR AND/OR CAFFEINE
Not a health nut? Stop by Dunkin Donuts and pick up a large coffee and a donut. The resulting buzz can propel you into a little chemical-induced creativity.
Before you take this as a license to write off bad eating habits as the cost of doing business, keep this in mind: This works best when the sugar/caffeine comes as a jolt to your system. If a coffee and a donut is part of your routine breakfast, it’s hardly going to be a jolt.
Yesterday, I posted about the importance of adopting the vertical-scroll format for your website and social media. That can be a little extra work. But there’s good news! You now have a new product to offer your readers — a vertical-scroll eComic!
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It might be tempting to avoid the vertical scroll in your web publishing and social media. But doing so is absolutely having an adverse effect on your growth. Here’s why.
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Many of us recognize that readership on the Web has shifted. Our audience spends most of their online time on social media and apps. However, we know it’s important to have our own website where we can own and control our own work. But that website? It’s straight out of 2005.
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