It seems worth mentioning when I get distracted and start procrastinating. A real-time update on why I HAVEN'T progressed in the day. To keep me accountable and, perhaps, if I look back at these entries, I may begin to notice a pattern that I can fix.
There are legitimate obstacles I'm faced with when trying to draw my comic after work. Limited time and limited energy.
These obstacles can't be removed, but they can be worked with. There are methods to overcome the challenges of their presence.
I think it would behoove me and this blog to list the kinds of things I've done in the past that have either worked or failed to work in getting me to draw.
Originally, I used to go out to a coffee shop, grab a coffee, read, and then come home and work. The stimulation of the coffee and the inspiration from what I was reading combined with the feeling of "going out" all worked together to make me want to sit down and draw when I arrived at home.
This worked for a good six months, perhaps longer. One day I decided it wasn't working. I'm not sure if it was because I became too jacked up on the coffee, or if it was because it took too much time from my day to sit and read for an hour, or if I started to procrastinate when I got home and the effectiveness of this ritual simply wore off, but I haven't done this in a good while.
I tried napping after work. Upon waking I felt fresh, full of life, and ready to draw. I'm still toying with this option. I've never implemented this daily.
I've watched an episode of a favorite show while eating lunch after work. This seemed to get my mind off of everything and simply relax before getting down to business. Seemed to work for a while.
I've taken walks before getting down to drawing. This seemed to give me a fresh outlook on things, allowed me to organize my thoughts, get the feeling of exercise, and generally want to sit down to work when I got back.
I've done none of these things today and I haven't even started on my comic page yet. I took a shower after I got home and surfed the internet, but I never completely disconnected from the idea that I needed to get some comic work done. Perhaps this is the reason why I'm still procrastinating? I'm chasing the feeling of freedom, but never quite detaching completely, which doesn't allow me to feel inspired to draw.
And that's the issue at hand. In order to draw, I need to feel SOMEWHAT inspired. I can make myself draw if I don't feel the absolute necessity to do so, but if I think about picking up my drawing paper and I feel a strong feeling of resistance, it's hard to overcome that with willpower alone. There usually has to be an environmental shift, as well.
The thing I keep coming back to when I draw is that I like to feel as though I'm in a social atmosphere while I'm drawing. This has caused me to keep IM chats open, listen to radio shows, and even draw out at coffee shops or at friends' houses. The primary dilemma always comes down to the struggle between gathering inspiration from the feeling of social unity without getting distracted by what's causing that feeling.
Penciling, inking, and coloring are all completely different beasts and each have their own specific environmental needs.
Penciling requires thought, planning, and focus. I need to think about the composition of the page, of each panel, of each pose, of each facial expression. An environment that has worked in the past is listening to music while a muted animation plays on my monitor. The animation serves for inspiration, and perhaps that feeling of socialization, without the dialogue and plot distracting me. The music is easily pushed into the subconscious as simply an inspirational source of creative energy. The only downside is that if I’m not in “the zone,” I can get distracted by restlessness.
Inking can be done while watching TV shows, documentaries, or hanging out with friends. Music doesn't seem to do it for inking. Even radio shows aren't quite enough creative stimulation.
Coloring requires something without visuals, but with intellectual content. Radio shows are perfect here.
So now that I've laid that all out, what should I do to get myself in the mode to draw page 11?
Well, one thing which I started to consider simply by writing all this out is that today I never did anything to break that feeling that I needed to get a page done. I think I need to take a walk, or get a coffee, and then come back with a fresh mind. And when I come back, I should put on an animation and something fun to listen to.
...now, to walk or get the coffee...
7eff Community Member 
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