Help with Overworking….Do you have tips on how not to overwork?

[Batman55]

For me there’s mostly just two modes of working (on any given piece of art, ink or not), there’s the “flow” when you’re in a kind of hyperfocus, and there’s everything else. For me, when I’m not in the flow, work is often very frustrating, boring, or both.

That’s not to say I don’t make mistakes in the “flow”–that still happens often and I will sometimes stop and assess, maybe even walk away.

It’s tough to answer your question, really.

The big problem for me is how to make the planning and the more banal, rote aspects of drawing more interesting. It’s like drawing is a chore any time I’m not in that highly focused state I mentioned above.

[dkk]

Pedlars Pen and Davkin………..thanks so MUCH!
The questions, “What does it need?”….”Does it need anything else?”…when in doubt leave it out.
and
“It’s the awareness that makes it’s own changes.”…….(like driving a car……..)

These will be very helpful! I’m gonna give myself some signs posted around me to remind me…….cause when I’m in the moment…..somehow nothing comes to mind to ask……..lol

[dkk]

For me there’s mostly just two modes of working (on any given piece of art, ink or not), there’s the “flow” when you’re in a kind of hyperfocus, and there’s everything else. For me, when I’m [I]not [/I]in the flow, work is often very frustrating, boring, or both.

That’s not to say I don’t make mistakes in the “flow”–that still happens often and I will sometimes stop and assess, maybe even walk away.

It’s tough to answer your question, really.

The big problem for me is how to make the planning and the more banal, rote aspects of drawing more interesting. It’s like drawing is a chore any time I’m not in that highly focused state I mentioned above.

“…..The big problem for me is how to make the planning and the more banal, rote aspects of drawing more interesting. It’s like drawing is a chore any time I’m not in that highly focused state I mentioned above..”

Batman……..so, perhaps the question would be, “how can I make this more interesting?” It feels like a question that would be helpful for me.
thanks.
di

[fritzie]

The question about making more routine parts more interesting brought to my mind a few ideas. It may be similar to other cases of one path leading to instant gratification and the other to a greater but delayed gratification. That is, if you cannot get through some of the earlier or middle stages of work, it can be hard to reach mastery and get to the most gratifying parts of the work.

Some people’s need for early and frequent gratification exceeds that of others and probably explains some of the variation in creative accomplishment among people in any field.

I have seen a couple of approaches that may work for people who naturally need effectively to be “paid back” more frequently. One is to give yourself actual small rewards for the the parts of the work that are not naturally motivating to you in themselves. Julia Cameron suggests making a list for yourself of small special treats you can dispense to yourself. This could be something you listen to or think about either during or after that phase of the work.

Steven Pressfield (Turning Pro, Do the Work, War of Art) would more suggest the “heroic approach.” That is, he would suggest that the decision to consider yourself truly a professional solves this problem. Every stage becomes part of your hero’s journey if you think of it that way.

Obviously this all depends on what your goals are. Many people who do art for fun only want to do what feels easy and gives them instant gratification and are really happy with that sort of life! People with more serious creative or professional aspirations need to be able to embrace the whole process, challenges and all.

[Davkin]

People with more serious creative or professional aspirations need to be able to embrace the whole process, challenges and all.

That’s often my challenge, I have a hard time finishing something that has become a bit of a chore and even worse if it’s not turning out like I’d like it to. I need to become more focused on the process rather than the result, that’s real hard to do!

David

David

[Batman55]

That’s often my challenge, I have a hard time finishing something that has become a bit of a chore and even worse if it’s not turning out like I’d like it to. I need to become more focused on the process rather than the result, that’s real hard to do!

David

True dat, yo…

[Anonymous]

The point made by Fritzie is really interesting.
I find that I must choose my subjects very carefully because I know it will take a long time. Sometimes I am faced with a couple of full days of the most careful hatching & it does get me down , I’m tempted to rush it at times but know I must not think that way, a coffee & a rest & I’m ready again.
Very often a 35 hour drawing does not come together into a whole effect until the final hour or so, until that point in time I’ve just persisted with the faith that it will come together.
By the time I’ve put in a day on a drawing I think ” all that time will be lost if I abandon it now.”
Ultimately it is living in the here & now which allows an artist to make such a sustained effort , anyway that is the only place where real art happens.
Thoughts of results, time spent or effort expended are obstacles to getting into the “zone”. Real art has its’ roots firmly in that “other place” of the transcendent eternal ,that’s why we love it, that’s why we do it.

[Davkin]

I find what helps me is to bring an area of the drawing to a finish or at least near finish, in other words treat a part of the drawing as a mini-drawing, something that can be completed in one session so I can feel a sense of accomplishment, then take a break and repeat for a different area of the drawing for the next session. It’s a little more tricky for painting though, I’ve found I need to do several passes as a whole before I focus too much on finishing and detailing a section. Even with a drawing you probably should establish the darkest dark and the lightest light as well as a mid-tone to establish your values before getting too much into detail. I guess you could make a game of it. Before you start decide what area of the drawing you can finish in the allotted time and work on it until you meet that mini-goal.

David

David

[Shanec]

Thanks for some wonderful insight into others way of thinking, very timely. I’m in the process of finishing a piece of work now and will post in a few days.

Shane

https://artbyshanec.com

[dkk]

I find what helps me is to bring an area of the drawing to a finish or at least near finish, in other words treat a part of the drawing as a mini-drawing, something that can be completed in one session so I can feel a sense of accomplishment, then take a break and repeat for a different area of the drawing for the next session. It’s a little more tricky for painting though, I’ve found I need to do several passes as a whole before I focus too much on finishing and detailing a section. Even with a drawing you probably should establish the darkest dark and the lightest light as well as a mid-tone to establish your values before getting too much into detail. I guess you could make a game of it. Before you start decide what area of the drawing you can finish in the allotted time and work on it until you meet that mini-goal.

David

………I really love this whole way of thinking and doing. Thanks for this! Especially the idea about making a game of it! This tends to keep me focused in the moment with the fun!
di

[dkk]

The question about making more routine parts more interesting brought to my mind a few ideas. It may be similar to other cases of one path leading to instant gratification and the other to a greater but delayed gratification. That is, if you cannot get through some of the earlier or middle stages of work, it can be hard to reach mastery and get to the most gratifying parts of the work.

Some people’s need for early and frequent gratification exceeds that of others and probably explains some of the variation in creative accomplishment among people in any field.

I have seen a couple of approaches that may work for people who naturally need effectively to be “paid back” more frequently. One is to give yourself actual small rewards for the the parts of the work that are not naturally motivating to you in themselves. Julia Cameron suggests making a list for yourself of small special treats you can dispense to yourself. This could be something you listen to or think about either during or after that phase of the work.

Steven Pressfield (Turning Pro, Do the Work, War of Art) would more suggest the “heroic approach.” That is, he would suggest that the decision to consider yourself truly a professional solves this problem. Every stage becomes part of your hero’s journey if you think of it that way.

Obviously this all depends on what your goals are. Many people who do art for fun only want to do what feels easy and gives them instant gratification and are really happy with that sort of life! People with more serious creative or professional aspirations need to be able to embrace the whole process, challenges and all.

Much good food for thought! Thanks Fritzie…….I think I struggle with wanting to do things like Steven Pressfield talks about and then wanting to go the opposite way and not feel the stress.
Interesting about the gratification……….I so back and forth on this. Sometimes I’d like more gratification and other times, I just don’t need it at all. Perhaps it has to do with my overall thinking and doing for any given day…..and not just about making art.

[Author]

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