15 Minutes
I was getting really pissed off at myself for not working on my comic book, PHASE 7. I am only 10 pages away from having #006 totally done, yet I have basically stopped working on it. And it's been more than a YEAR since the last issue came out. Granted, my life is INSANELY busy right now. I'm living in NEW YORK, which is stressful and hard in its own way, plus I'm going to school full time (taking EIGHT classes at Pratt Intstitute this semester). That means I have A LOT of homework, plus I have a healthy stack of side projects and freelance work that I need to keep up on. (Also trying to budget some time for friends, etc. to stay SANE!)
So here is my new idea: I WILL work on my comic book a BARE MINIMUM of 15 minutes per day, EVERY DAY, NO MATTER WHAT, until it is done. I've been at it for about a week now and it has been going pretty well. Usually I have been doing it at the very end of my day, after I've brushed my teeth and right before I get into bed. Because really, what is 15 minutes? (Nothing!) There is no ammount of sleep I'm going to get that I wouldn't give up 15 minutes of it to work on my self-published comic book (read: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW). And twice this week, I got 4 hours and 45 minutes of sleep instead of 5 hours, and it was totally worth it. There is something to be said for just "checking in" with my story once every day, even if it's just to touch the page, tape it down, draw a figure, erase it and then draw it again. Every four nights is another hour of work done!
Anyways, I thought that might be helpful for some people who are SUPER BUSY like me, and are getting frustrated that they never work on their Comics. Taking a small step each day will get you there eventually!
posted by Alec Longstreth @ 7:16 PM
5 Comments:
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Totally what I needed to hear Alec! I'm one of those guys struggling with time. Too much going on at once. It makes sense. Even if its only 15 minutes-- it is still SO MUCH better than nothin'
I agree... even if the fifteen minutes feel wasted. Even if at the end you erase everything and end up with nothing... you have to touch your paper and get something out of you. that way you can go back the next day and not make that same mistake again.
This is a great exercise for both writers and artists. And sometimes, you may find those 15 min stretch into a bit longer. The hardest part for me, often, is just getting myself to sit still long enough to do art.
Great advice as always Alec. It is sad that comics getting reduced to FIFTEEN MINUTES a day above all of life's other trivial elements (eating? bah!), is something to strive for. But I'm right there, and I'll take this advice to heart.
I might toss in writing for 15 minutes, too, since it's another neglected area in my creative output that needs daily attention lest it get a dull edge.
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