Been there, done that. Working in the creative field, or anywhere really, it’s kind of unavoidable to experience burnout every now and then. By now, it comes around like clockwork for me to be honest.
I kind of learned to just let it pass, rather than try to fight it, do different things, play some games, watch a series, draw different things, and after a while, I start feel like I want to work again.
But I feel like I’ve been in a pretty big burnout slump for the past few -well, months. Last year, my webcomic that I worked on for 7 years, Cupido, ended. I did a print run, stressed over it, got screwed over with shipping, got over it. I was supposed to start working on my new comic after a short rest, but for some reason, I find it so hard to get myself to actually work on it … Part of it is money - I won’t get paid for it for a while, so I had to prioritize paying work, but I found that those, like character designs, while fun to work on, tired me out quite a bit, leaving me less energy to work on my comic. But I can’t blame it all on that.
I find myself doubting myself and my story at every step of the way - it’s funny to think, that having finished a fairly successful comic of 7 years, starting a new one I feel insecure about how to do things. But I want to do better.
I changed my art style, so it would be easier to work with, I streamlined the story compared to the initial version, so it would flow better, I’m trying to work smarter, not harder - but I’m hesitating on committing to it. I don’t know, it’s not like it’s a lifelong commitment to finish another comic (I hope), but then why am I so hesitant to start working on it in earnest?
When I think about how I want to do things for the comic, I’m excited. When it comes to working on it, I keep putting it off. Maybe it’s just my mind unable to settle. Maybe the doubt is there for a reason.
Last week, while I was on a short vacation, away from the usual monotony, which probably helped, I felt like working on my comic again, so I kind of concluded that I just have to start on it - I made a plan on how to do it, and I’ll try sticking to it (even though life does its best to derail me already) I’ll see how it goes.
I suppose it just goes to show, no matter how much you love something (I love webcomics, I love making them, and I love these characters and this story) it’s not always easy to put it down on “paper”. Sometimes you just need a break from it all.
But starting Monday, I’ll be working on Llost again full speed ahead.