The past few weeks, as life has begun to settle down again, I have been trying to get back into the swing of things with our comic projects. However, despite having the best of intentions, it has been a struggle. In large part because we’re embarking on some reworking of our comics. One story needs new art and some plot holes mended and the other we are redoing from the ground up.
These projects are ones we love dearly but going back to the drawing board can leave one obsessing over every tiny detail until it's just right. Because if you’re redoing things again, you want to get it right this time. But sometimes, this quest for perfection can hold us back, resulting in nothing but a blank page.
Perfectionism is a double-edged sword. It can drive you to produce work that you’re proud of, in an attempt to make sure every panel, line, and dialogue bubble is flawless. And yet, this path can be a sure fire way to slow you down, or worse, lead to burnout. Spending countless hours perfecting a single panel can delay updates and, let’s face it, sometimes feels like an endless cycle. There’s never a day off as the bar is constantly shifting upwards.
The counter to perfectionism is a “good enough” mindset. “Good enough” is about recognising when your work can meet a high standard without the need for it to be absolutely flawless. By focusing on the overall progress of your webcomic rather than getting stuck on minor imperfections, you can continue your momentum and actually get somewhere.
For myself, I want to get the story perfect and have no plot holes whatsoever. However, I also find it creatively stifling when I have no room for improvisation. If I am following a series of steps then the fun is gone for me. Practising this “good enough” mindset allows me the room to approach our work as an organic process whilst getting work out on time.
I have to remind myself that done is better than perfect. At the end of the day I have to trust that the audience will appreciate consistent updates and a compelling story more than perfect art that never gets published. So, let go of the need for perfection and embrace the “good enough” mindset. Keep creating, keep sharing, and most importantly, keep having fun with your webcomic journey! Happy drawing, everyone!
Are you a perfectionist or do you prefer a “good enough” approach? Let us know in the comment section below! And join us on Sunday evening for our Quackchat at 5:30PM(EST)!
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Good Enough
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Aug. 3, 2024
8 likes!
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marcorossi at 10:32AM, Aug. 3, 2024
My general principle is to not go back to correct old stuff. Inside of a single page, it depends, there are times I feel I have to do my best and times I draw just to complete the page. In general it is bad to draw just to complete and it is better to take more time, but hey I already struggle to publish one page a week, at some point I have to go on. Probably setting a standard like one page a week helps force people to do stuff in a reasonable timeframe.
PaulEberhardt at 8:27AM, Aug. 3, 2024
If I ever think it's good enough, I might stop altogether. Even the pros always strive to keep improving, that's how they got where they are. Imho, for a self-taught amateur like myself it's all about being aware that the full responsibility for my learning curve is in my own hands and mine alone at all times, so the mindset you're talking about - which I think is the best there is - should really be called the delicate task of finding the sweet spot of "good enough FOR NOW". Although I'm the one who gets to make the call when this point is reached, I've always considered this the trickiest part of being self-taught, exactly because I'm the one who has to make the call when this point is reached.
dpat57 at 4:58AM, Aug. 3, 2024
Sure, I'd like to be a better artist and have wider appeal, but nothing we do is being hung in the Louvre. "Meh, this'll have to do" has been my approach since the get-go, they're only comics, in an ever-rising sea of comics. Different if someone offered to sponsor a complete re-do of a comic, I'd put more time and effort into things. I accept PayPal.
bravo1102 at 3:13AM, Aug. 3, 2024
The whole point is in not making mistakes. You'll never do that. It is in covering up the mistakes so no one notices or if they do, it's so good otherwise that they don't care.
Tantz_Aerine at 1:07AM, Aug. 3, 2024
I'm kinda on the fence. Being self taught I never really feel I can produce a perfect panel but I at least have to be not-embarrassed by it.
Andreas_Helixfinger at 12:26AM, Aug. 3, 2024
I have very much been a perfectionist with my comics when it comes to the writing and setup and I still kind of am. But I'm in the process of trying to realize and accept the fact that I'm basically just trying to outwit myself at this point for no good reason. I have to accept the fact that what I create is intrinscally kind of wonky and always will be intrinsically kind of wonky no matter how tight I try to string every single thing along plot-wise and worldbuilding-wise. Yes, these stories in this setting in particular should have a logic/practicallity to them, but that doesn't mean that every little thing has to make crystal clear sense, in fact it's better if a lot of things don't. It makes it all the more fun that way. I mean, would the british TV-show Midsommer Murders be as fun if you couldn't ask yourself "wait! how many crazy killers have been caught killing numerous people in this village now?! Why do people still live in this crazy village!?" and then laugh about it 😄😄😄