Updated Creative Work Problems Posts

Creative Work Problems failure
One of my Creative Work Problems Comics.

I have updated all of my Creative Work Problems Comics Posts on this blog!

I uploaded them for a while to Instagram and my blog as solo posts. When I did them, I mostly just posted the comic itself, and rarely some more information about it. Well, now I’ve updated them all and added additional help and knowledge for almost every topic. I’ve also updated the name of the post so that it’s no longer named after the comic. Each topic is now more easily identifiable by the title of the post. You can now search the hell out of this site if you are looking for a topic you need help with.

I have listed below every post I have made with these comics in it. So if you’re interested in more information about a topic you see at the bottom of the list, don’t hesitate to go there.

  • A Method for Better Ideas

    One way to get better ideas is to do a lot of different versions of your idea. With my mnemonic S.O. T.A.M.E. you will get a method to change up…

  • Afraid of Change

    Sometimes you are working on something till there comes this point where you can’t move on because you are afraid to destroy your current process. One way to tackle this…

  • Automatic Drawing

    With this method, you can start your creative work with ease. You can begin with no motivation at all, there is almost no resistance you encounter when you start working…

  • Be Aware of Problems

    Becoming aware of things is difficult. It is even more difficult to recognize your own problems. But this is often the case in creative work. Problematic things are taken for…

  • Break up Tasks

    Sometimes you procrastinate because a big task looks intimidating. If this happens break the task up. Do everything one by one and you will be less scared of the task!…

  • Change Your Mindset

    You may think that you are who you are. That you can’t change and will be like this forever. This is not true! You can change and will if you…

  • Creativity in Lockdown

    Sometimes we are in a creative lockdown. Maybe because we are in a real lockdown or because we experience a creative block. Then it is time to take a break…

  • Cycle of Fear

    Do you think you are not doing enough? Do you feel behind and everyone is more productive than you? This week’s topic of the Creative Work Problems comic series covers…

  • Destroy Your Work!

    Destroy your work! Yes, you heard it right. This is a way to get more confident about your creative work. The more you do this, the more you will be…

  • Dissatisfaction and Art

    This week’s topic of the Creative Work Problems comic series is the difference between Leonardo Da Vinci and you. You probably think that he was the best of all time…

  • Do Not Listen!

    You hear stuff everywhere that you have to do this or that. Criticism of your work or just how you should be creative. Maybe you are not productive enough and…

  • Do One Thing

    A big project or something else really big can be overwhelming sometimes. There are so many things to do that the whole project looks like a really big dangerous wave.…

Creative Work Problems old projects
One of the last comics I did of this series.

Ideas, Motivation, and The Best Thing You’ve Ever Done

This blog post brings you four of my latest Creative Work Problems comics and a tip for each topic.

The first one is about ideas and how they can take a little longer than we want them to. The second is about to-do lists and how overwhelming they can become. The third one is about motivation and how it comes and goes quickly. The last one is about how we like things we do, and after a while, we realize what a stupid thing we did (which is good).

Good Ideas Take Time

good ideas comic

Often we have more bad ideas than good ones. This can sometimes make us feel like we don’t have any good ideas. So we often give up too soon. What helps is not to lose hope and to work on the ideas again for a while. Make variations, brainstorm again, or maybe try a completely new approach. If we keep at it, then the good idea will be there at some point, which we can then improve little by little. An idea doesn’t come to us in a perfect form, but it has the potential to become great. We just have to keep working on it.

Here’s a post for getting good ideas: Getting Good Ideas


Too Many To-Do’s

To Do List Comic

Too many planned tasks can be disastrous. 🥵 I hear these little empty boxes screaming at me when I can’t tick them off. Let’s stop this so we can sleep better. We always want to do more than we can do. But in the end, our day only lasts 24 hours. And we have to divide the hours cleverly without overwhelming ourselves.

Here are some tips that you can use to better deal with to-do lists.

  1. Plan enough (buffer) time. Most of the time, your tasks last longer than you think.
  2. Never write more on your to-do list than you can do in one day. If you have to do so many things, then something is going wrong with your general planning.
  3. Do the most important task first.
  4. Have flexible things planned that don’t necessarily have to be done today. You’ll feel better if you still can’t finish them.
  5. Some people only put three tasks on their daily to-do list. Much less overwhelming than an endless list.
  6. Put your To-Do List where you can see it. I have a notebook just for my lists. It always stays open on my desk while I’m working.
  7. If you have problems doing anything at all, it is often helpful to have a To-Do list with just one task. It can be anything. For example, watering flowers. Gradually you can create more tasks when you feel like it.

If you follow some of these tips, it will be easier “to do” your to-do list! And your list won’t annihilate you with empty little boxes. 🔥

When Motivation Arrives

Motivation Comic

Motivation comes and goes. Sometimes it fades faster than you would like. Or in this case, faster out the window. 👉 💥

I can give you the following advice: Don’t wait until you are motivated to work on your creative project. Don’t wait for the muse that may never come. Start with the thing you don’t have the motivation for yet. It is tricky, but sometimes it helps to spend ten minutes working on the task you’re not motivated to do. The magic is that you can get inspired by sitting down and working. And the inspiration will also quickly give you the motivation you are lacking. Ten minutes can then quickly turn into an hour or more. Try this when you’re waiting for your motivation to appear (or when you see it jumping out of the window).

Funnily enough, I had no motivation to finish this little comic. But I kept sitting down and working on it for a few minutes. And lo and behold, something came out in the end.

Some Good Work At Last …?

Good Work Comic

We sometimes have the feeling that we can’t produce anything good. But then the moment comes when we create something we like so much that we think it can’t get any better.

Yet things change after a while.

We look back on it years later and realize what we created back then is just crap. That’s a good sign. It means we have grown in our passion and made progress in our creative life. Those are the moments we need to remember! When we think we’re not moving forward. A thing in the past that we can grab onto when we are in creative despair.

But even if you don’t have those moments where you think you’ve made something great, you can still see how you’ve gotten better.

That’s why I advise you to look at your old work to see how much progress you have made. And use this as a weapon of creativity if you need it.


Those four comics are one of the last ones of my “Creative Work Problems” comic. You will find the new ones I do on Instagram if I start them again. If you have ideas for comic topics you can reach me here.

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Reflect, Get In The Flow and Endure

In these Creative Work Problems comics, I give you tips on three topics. The first is about reflection and how it helps us get the creative juice out of ourselves. The second is about flow, and how we can use it to work better and even lose track of time. The last comic in this series is about endurance and how we need to train it to become better and stronger artists and designers.

Reflect

 Creative Work Problems comic reflect

Even if you can work: Reflecting on the things you are doing in your creative process from time to time is always a good idea! You will see problems that you did not even anticipate.

How you can do it:

  1. Schedule weekly time for reflection
    • Set aside time in your schedule for weekly reflection. This will establish a routine and ensure that you regularly evaluate your creative process and learn from your experiences. I do this every Monday morning for an hour.
  2. Identify challenges
    • Focus on distinguishing between challenges you anticipated and those that caught you off guard. Understanding unexpected issues is important to develop strategies for addressing them in future projects.
  3. Set goals for improvement
    • Based on your reflections, set clear, actionable goals for improvement. These goals should be specific to areas where you have identified challenges or opportunities for improvement.

Get In The Flow

 Creative Work Problems comic flow

Flow is my addiction and the reason why I do all this stuff. It’s so nice when you’re in the flow and I’m always very relaxed in the evening after my creative work when I’ve been in the flow all day. Ask the questions in panel three to get better at flow!

To do it you need to answer these questions if you have problems getting in the flow:

  1. Do I know how to succeed in this task? Do I know the goal?
  2. Do I know how to get immediate feedback?
  3. Do I have the right amount of challenge?

If you want to know more about flow I recommend you to read this book.

Endure

 Creative Work Problems comic endure

You have to endure something now and then to make it easier later. That’s why it’s often helpful to get out of your comfort zone and do things you need to overcome.

So how do you overcome it? Just do it! Yes, I know. You heard it somewhere already. But this is the key to endurance. There is a time when your emotions are overwhelming you. Don’t stop! Keep going! You will learn to endure it. It is like exercising: It hurts at the moment, but over time you will get better.


Those three comics are the last of the first series of my “Creative Work Problems” comic. You will find the new ones I do on Instagram. The second series is already three comics in! I will post them soon here too. Stay tuned!

Afraid of Change

afraid of change comic

Are you afraid of change? Afraid to change your artwork, afraid you might ruin it? There’s a liberating approach to overcoming this fear – creating variations.

Extract lessons from variations
Every variation is a lesson waiting to be learned. Analyze what works and what doesn’t. Through this process, you gain insights that contribute to your artistic evolution.

Explore incremental adjustments
Start by making small, incremental changes. Whether it’s adjusting colors, experimenting with textures, or adding subtle details, these small adjustments can gradually build your comfort with the idea of change.

Think of change as an exploration
Think of change as exploration rather than modification. This shift in thinking allows you to approach your artwork with curiosity, encouraging you to discover new possibilities and unlock hidden potential.

Embrace the unpredictable
Art thrives on spontaneity. Instead of fearing the unknown, welcome the unpredictability of variation. Unexpected adjustments can lead to unexpected beauty and creative breakthroughs.

This topic was suggested by Ostersocke.

Keep going!

Keep going comic

Keep going! Creativity is like an adventure. It’s not a fast race, but a steady walk toward something amazing. So here’s the deal: with every brushstroke, keystroke, or musical note, you’re not just creating art; you’re creating your own story of growth and improvement.

Sure, there are days when the creative juices seem to be on vacation and doubt tries to sneak in. But let me tell you something important – don’t give up. Remember why you began this journey. Each stroke is like a mini-victory, a little lesson that makes you better and brighter.

Your creative journey is not just about what you put on paper or canvas. It’s about becoming the great artist you want to be. Think of each stroke as a small but powerful step toward mastering your craft. Don’t worry about perfection; mistakes are your friends. They’re the secret sauce that adds flavor to your creative recipe.

Look back at where you started. See the progress? Keep going! You’re not just an artist: you’re a magician who works miracles with every creative endeavor. Remember, even the pros weren’t born pros-they worked hard, learned, and kept going.

Never stop, because your potential is limitless. You’re not defined by the challenges you face. You’re defined by your ability to overcome them in your own creative journey. Embrace the bumps, celebrate the victories, and enjoy the whole creative process.

Your journey is unique, and the world needs your creative voice. Each stroke adds a chapter to your life’s masterpiece. So embrace the process, don’t fear imperfection, and keep going. Your creativity knows no bounds, and with each stroke, you’re creating something extraordinary. Remember, the journey may be long, but the joy of creating is endless.

Keep going and let your creativity flow!