it’s so easy to find something you like and dive straight into it without knowing the costs and hard work it’s going to take.
Webcomics just happens to be like that too sometimes.
Sometimes you don’t know how much of a buffer is actually good, when you should start posting and how far you should plan ahead. There will be people to give you insight, even you can do your own research.
You will constantly be on the look out for improvement.
But you'll never tell yourself that it’s ok to take a break. - because if you do, you feel bad about doing it.
It’s completely normal to just stop what you’re doing and to lay down. You’re only human and it’s completely acceptable for you to just… stop. You want to take a break in the middle of a chapter? Do it. Hiatus out of the blue? That’s fine.
Shortcuts? Make them. Copy and paste panels? Go ahead.
There is absolutely no reason for you to break yourself over your webcomic. Make your little cheat sheets, make your models, save your backgrounds, copy and paste panels and make minor changes if need be, but make sure to take care of yourself.
Recently, I made about 4 or 5 pages from start to finish in a week because I was desperate to get ahead of my schedule for my patrons and I feel like working myself like that was a mistake, even though I don’t necessarily don’t want to work on my comic, I’m bored of the current scenario. I’ve looked at these thumbnails and sketches for so long that I just… I can’t wait to get it over with, I desperately want to work on it to stay ahead but I'm just not in the mood to do it. Since completing those pages I have yet to finish another one, I’m back down to 2 page buffer, basically one and it suuuuucks, but nothing like a good break doesn’t fix, right?
It’s healthy to take time for yourself and remind yourself you’re only human.
If you feel the need to stop, just stop. This isn’t a race, pick it up when you feel that rush of webcomic creativity and energy flow through you. :)
This is a very short article, in fact, this is kind of like my little break, a way to destress myself, but hey, what are ways you relax? How do you enjoy life without working on your webcomic and what advice can you give others, especially webcomic creators who can't stop working and feel bad if they take a break?
What You WON'T Tell Yourself
damehelsing at 12:00AM, Aug. 29, 2021
7 likes!
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ChipperChartreuse at 7:18AM, Aug. 30, 2021
Thank you for this, your timing for this message couldn't be better. Exactly that, this year I needed to lay down for a little while and unexpectedly take hiatus...about 1/3 of the way into a chapter I felt like I was late to start in the first place. And it's going to be okay. I keep promising I'll still have readers, and I do. And maybe it actually helped my art-though I totally feel you on the bored front. I'm desperately trying not to wander so I can keep this particular few pages going especially since I know there's a lot of things I'm looking forward to getting to:)
EssayBee at 6:09AM, Aug. 30, 2021
This is a very important point to make! I've taken several hiatuses the past year from real-life workload piling up so that I was getting stressed in making comic deadlines. Stress can lead to creative block, so it's best to take a step back and give yourself a chance to catch your breath. Thankfully, readers have always been very understanding. If at all possible, if the need for a hiatus does come up, be sure you communicate with your readers--just a simple text graphic update saying you're going on hiatus (you can explain more--or not--in the notes for the update) as a courtesy to your readers. If you feel comfortable, include a return date with your hiatus announcement so readers can know when to expect you back. (And if you end up unable to make that return date, post another text-only update explaining the hiatus has been extended.)
PaulEberhardt at 5:52AM, Aug. 29, 2021
Thanks for the uplifting article. I still think my breaks are taking way too long, because too much gets in the way, but - as Andreas says - stopping (or stalling, like me) is not the same as quitting. It's exactly why I'm still here: I still might produce comics less than once a year, but I've never quit and I'm not going to.
Andreas_Helixfinger at 2:52AM, Aug. 29, 2021
It's good to remember that the word "stop" does not have to mean the same as the word "quit". You're not quitter if you stop. You're not lesser the creator if you stop. You're just letting it go for now, and the ability to let go is as much important as the ability to hold on.
davidxolukoga at 2:35AM, Aug. 29, 2021
Thank you for this. Have been battling a fever for a week, and haven't had time for my comic. I felt bad, until I read your article.
hushicho at 2:22AM, Aug. 29, 2021
Thank you so much for this message! I tell everyone and their cat and dog this, but I often forget to be mindful of it myself.
plymayer at 1:31AM, Aug. 29, 2021
:)