So you may not have noticed but I have missed an update on WM.
I sorely feel that as a loss, because I've been so proud of not breaking my streak of regular updates for three years now.
It was hard telling myself not to pull a double all-nighter to juggle my day job deadlines (and two new puppies, and caring for my post-op mom) with my webcomic deadline (especially my Patreon one, for my patrons that are amazing troopers supporting me, and I really, really want to show them I value them) to make the webcomic update day.
But just as I was prepping up to sit at my desktop at around 8 pm, with prospects of finishing up a page easily at around 4 or 5 am, I realized that a) my desktop area was freezing cold and b) since I wasn't getting warm with my heater and water bottle, I was already well beyond my limit.
Like this guy. Bonus points if you get it.
So I told myself that I will make an announcement and take a week to finish my deadlines and get some semblance of control over my added responsibilities, and let WM get updated with fervor later.
I still feel terrible about it. But I am still overwhelmed. I still will need this weekend too, and work on the webcomic over the week with my lesser day job deadlines to make up for lost time.
I'm writing all of this out mainly because I recognize that this is not good for endurance, mental health, my readers, or the webcomic itself. Burning the candle at both ends will serve nobody nor will it remind me that I am human, and sometimes humans need to take a break.
I'm writing this because it's still incredibly hard to accept, because I really like being consistent and responsible and reliable.
I know I'll make up for lost time after, and I know WM readers will understand. It's imperative as creators that we remind ourselves we are not machines, and when sometimes work becomes overwhelming, we shouldn't let ourselves be overwhelmed.
We should take that short, short break. Catch our breath. Work some burden off without the extra stress.
And then come back renewed.
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When Work Becomes Overwhelming
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, March 26, 2022
9 likes!
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TheJagged at 2:12PM, March 29, 2022
Apropos of nothing, but that Kenshin gif catapulted me back in time roughly 20 years... that was one of the first manga i ever read. Good times.
skyangel at 1:50PM, March 29, 2022
Commitment to a weekly update is a wonderful thing but I sometimes wonder if it comes from seeing so many comics fail in the early days of webcomics where people would take a break,and then another, always promising to update again and finish their comic only to give up entirely. It was certainly worrying enough to me in the first couple of years to feel a need to keep a well balanced routine going to try and avoid hitting those walls too hard. You've proven over time to both yourself and your readers that you can and will always deliver regular updates but that doesn't mean you don't deserve a holiday. Taking breaks also helps remind us how much pleasure we get from making comics when we don't feel under pressure, it always shows in the new pages too.
kawaiidaigakusei at 11:28PM, March 27, 2022
The visuals had me in stitches. I appreciate your raw honesty. Taking a break now and then IS self-care. Thank you for your gift of writing.
plymayer at 9:38PM, March 26, 2022
It's all good.
Andreas_Helixfinger at 7:56AM, March 26, 2022
Taking a break now and then is certainly important. Not only do we all need it to regain our energy and sense of clarity, but some of us need it to give ourselves the time and oversight to figure out where we're even going with our stuff. I've been having a lot of breaks and hiatuses recently and I'm really glad to be updating now, because I've given myself the time before that to straighten things out with my script writing and world building. Had I not done that my stories may have gone a direction that I would later regret and then have a soul crushing job to rectify afterwards. And who knows, maybe thanks to that I can finally start to establish a more solidified constant of updates this time. I hope so anyway. Bottomline: Take breaks, exhale and relax, it's good for you👍
usedbooks at 4:52AM, March 26, 2022
I've been trying to be kinder to myself the last few years. That's why I miss updates sometimes. Also, sometimes the page isn't ready to be drawn yet. It's a better page if I let it materialize when it's ready. Ultimately, my deadline is fleeting and imaginary. The finished page will outlast it, and if it's rushed without the time and devotion it needs, it will bear those scars forever.
davidxolukoga at 3:29AM, March 26, 2022
Don't beat yourself up about this. A little time away from the drawing board never hurt anybody. I'm just shocked you went hard for three years straight.
cdmalcolm1 at 2:53AM, March 26, 2022
What you do is not easy to do. It like not taking a vacation for 3 years. But sometimes if you love what you do it may not be work. So enjoy this little break. It is understandable.