Have you gotten out of the creative habit?

Don’t beat yourself up. It happens to the best of us, even when we’re faced with deadlines! I'm very routine-oriented, and when my routine gets thrown off (which has happened a TON this past year) it's hard for me to “get back on the horse,” so to speak. Here's my advice on how to motivate yourself back into creative practices (I hope it's helpful and doesn't come across as too privilege-y. I know we're all dealing with our own mental and physical health situations, job requirements, quarantine protocols, etc.):

Pick a day in the future and designate it as CREATE DAY.

Don't set it too soon or too far out. The point is to not make it feel IMMEDIATE, but you don't want to put it off forever, either. Try to get any other projects done by that day (freelance gigs, day job crap, household chores, etc.). If you have a family, communicate with them the importance of this day so they leave you alone while you work.

Make the day feel special.

If you can go to an alternate work space safely, do it. If not, do something to make your work space at home feel special. Order something good for lunch. Have your favorite tea or coffee on hand. Take a nice shower before setting to work. Wear comfy clothes that you wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen wearing at the grocery store.

Try to work for 4 to 8 hours.

We all have different levels of creative energy, but there comes a point when you're just DONE. Push yourself to get to that DONE feeling.

At the end of the day, reward yourself with your favorite distraction.

Video games, books, movies, food, WHATEVER. It's time to cool down.

Repeat.

Try to set up CREATE DAYS once or twice a month (or more frequently if you can swing it). Communicate with your family and/or roommate(s) to make sure your needs don't poop all over their needs. COMPROMISE.

Set up miniature goals in between CREATE DAYS and don't beat yourself up if you don't accomplish the goal. As of this writing, I have a goal of inking 3 pages a day. I rarely achieve that goal. The other day, I literally inked PART of ONE PANEL. But it felt like SOMETHING.

Keep your head up.

Your creative voice matters. The voices in your head that say you suck? They don't matter. Ignore them.

Written March 17, 2021
Originally posted on Discord