Have you ever looked at someone’s finished art and thought: “This looks awesome! I want to do that too!” You dive in and give it your all, only to find that your attempt is not as good as theirs and that it may take years to reach their level. At this point, you might consider giving up or going back to your comfort zone. But what if I told you that there’s another way? That you could reach their level by improving just a little bit at a time? Small progress of let’s say 1% at a time.
Sure, you might object that it will take years. But consider this: the years will pass anyway! The real question is whether or not you’ll get better every day as the years go by. The trick is to keep trying to get better. How do you do that? By aiming for just 1% improvement at a time.
Small Progress Until You Reach 100%
Start by identifying your weak areas and the things you want to focus on. What do you want to get better at? Here’s a personal example: I wanted to improve my ability to draw backgrounds. What was I doing? Whenever I drew a character, I spent extra time researching and studying what makes a good background. Then I applied that knowledge to my drawings. Was it a perfect background? No, of course not. But it was 1% better than the last one. And the next time I focused on backgrounds, it was 2% better. Then 3%, 4%, 5%, until I was 100% better than before.
Improvement Becomes Inevitable
The key is to keep doing your creative work and keep aiming for that 1% improvement. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to look good. But every time you try, you’ll learn far more than you would by simply repeating what you’ve always done. Improvement becomes inevitable. There is no need for specific goals or rigid habits. Just keep doing what you are doing and ask yourself: “How can I get 1% better?”
I can promise you this: as the years go by, you will reach a moment where you realize, “Wow, I’m actually good at this”. And someone will look at your art and say: “This looks awesome! I want to do that too!” So take this mindset and try it!
Still not convinced? Here’s a small list of the pros of the 1% improvement mindset:
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.
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…
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…
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…
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!…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
For months I felt numb to what I was doing, there was no fun anymore. I didn’t enjoy my dream job anymore. Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration because I didn’t hate my job. I just lost the passion for what I was doing and that was a little too much for me.
The problem with not having fun at work is that you automatically get less done and get bored quickly. In other words: I was no longer productive. So I asked myself how I was going to enjoy my creative work again, and actually, I was able to answer that question, and I managed to have fun again. My dream job was saved!
How I did it, and how you can do it too if you’ve become numb to your creative work, is what I’m going to tell you in this short blog post.
Things that are fun
One of the reasons I wasn’t having a good time wasn’t because of a boring work process or a stressful client. In those moments, it can be normal not to have fun, even when you have your dream job. My place of numbness was in doing things I used to enjoy a lot. Working on things I wanted to make, sketching wildly, and creating new creatures and worlds, to name just a few. None of it was as fun as it used to be. As a result, my own deadlines on all my projects were clearly dying.
How did I start to enjoy it again? And how do you get the fun back? By doing these three things today:
Thing 1: Make an effort.
Sometimes we do work that we can’t identify with. Less so when we are doing our own work, and more so when we are doing work for others. But even when we do it for ourselves, we may feel that it’s not our work. This happens when we put less effort into it.
According to Yu-Kai Chou in Actionable Gamification, it is important to own your work in order to enjoy it. We need to be in control of everything we do. When we put less effort into something, we own it less. Therefore, we enjoy it less. I have noticed this with my own work. This insight has helped me tremendously, and it is such a simple trick.
Practical action: Put more effort into your creative work and you’ll enjoy it more.
Thing 2: Telling yourself it’s fun.
Here comes a piece of behavioral therapy. Because we tell ourselves it’s not fun, our brains change (no joke) and we train ourselves not to enjoy it. Even if we don’t believe what we tell ourselves, our brain changes for the better (or worse)! This is another simple trick that has helped me so much.
Just tell yourself: This is fun! I love this work! Or even when it’s difficult: This is difficult work right now, but this is what I want to do and it’s fun. This will change the structure of your brain (I’m really not kidding) and after a while, you will automatically enjoy your creative work more.
Practical action: During a difficult phase of your work, tell yourself that you enjoy it and want to do it.
Thing 3: Create systems that celebrate your accomplishments.
Whether it’s checking off to-do items or something else, when you get something done, you should celebrate your accomplishments with systems created specifically for that purpose.
I created a level system where after 30 points I move up a level and get to draw a lottery ticket with rewards. A record system also helps: If you want to paint for an hour every day, keep track of it, and after a while, you can visually see that you have a winning streak. You will automatically try to keep this streak going. That way it’s more fun to stick with it when motivation isn’t there.
Practical action: Create systems for your successes that can make your creative work more fun.
Conclusion
These are my top three things that have put the fun back into my work. They’re so simple, it’s almost silly that I (and maybe you) haven’t done them before. If you’re not having fun, these things can help you put some fun back into your creative work. Give it a try, you’ve got nothing to lose!
While listening to the Draftsmen Podcast, I was struck by a line from guest Flint Dille about his experience writing a novel. Despite being advised to start with a short story, Dille decided to jump into a big project by writing a book. Although the resulting novel did not sell, he gained confidence in his ability to tackle ambitious projects and never again felt intimidated by their scope.
This idea is fascinating – I had previously thought of large projects as simply opportunities to learn but had never considered their potential to reduce the anxiety they often cause. Dille’s example of writing a novel without hesitation is a reminder that anyone can take on such a challenge. And so can you!
My new project
This podcast episode was one reason I decided to start drawing a graphic novel. But mostly because it has always been a personal goal of mine. However, I never felt ready to take on such a significant project. Following the advice of others, such as Moebius, I initially focused on some wacky short stories to improve my skills. However, I now feel that I’m at a stage in my artistic life where I’m ready to tackle something bigger. The wackiest comic I’ve ever done!
Last year I started a major project that required a considerable amount of pre-work, but I recently decided not to do it because I wasn’t feeling 100% committed to it. I decided to turn another idea into a full-fledged graphic novel. It was originally intended to be a sitcom-like webcomic, but with my newfound confidence, I am excited to take it to the next level!
Will it be a masterpiece? Of course not. But one thing is for sure, I am committed to seeing this project through to completion.
I will be showing some work in progress on Instagram in the not-too-distant future. Until then, stay tuned.
Tips for your big project
Working on your big project? Or are you still thinking about it? Then do it! Here are some tips on this topic:
Setting clear goals and identifying milestones is crucial when starting a big project. Celebrate these milestones when you reach them.
Break your project into smaller, more manageable tasks so that you don’t get overwhelmed. Think of it like building a car; you may only see the huge car you need to make all by yourself. But you only need to look and work on the one bolt somewhere deep in the engine. Focus on the damn bolt!
Creating a professional project plan and setting deadlines can also help you stay on track. With a clear plan in place, you’ll know exactly what needs to be done and when. This can also help create a sense of urgency to motivate you to meet your deadlines.
Remember to be okay with imperfection and avoid overwhelming yourself. Don’t strive for perfection (except your perfectionism is the good one), as this can lead to discouragement and stagnation. Accept that there may be mistakes along the way and just focus on making progress.
Most importantly: start! Starting a big project can be the most challenging part, but once you see progress and your project takes shape, you’ll be more motivated to continue. So, take that first step and keep moving forward toward your goal!
Now stop surfing (and reading) and start working on your big creative projects!
Since this blog post about “Why your work system needs to adapt” is a bit longer, here are three points you’ll learn from this post:
How to overhaul a broken work system from the ground up.
What my old creative process looked like and how it is now.
Why my work system had to change.
Imagine you are in a moving car and suddenly you have to get out. Why, you ask? The reason is that the car you are in cannot change its destination and you have realized that you need to go to another place. After you get out of the moving car, you expect to be able to continue your way at the same speed as before. But this is not the case, because no one can get out of a car and continue at the same pace. No, you fall at high speed on the bare ground (not fatal in this scenario), get up again after a short confusion (as you do after making mistakes), and look for a new way to get to your new destination.
This analogy applies to our own work system, as I had to experience it myself a few months ago.
For a long time, I took little time to work out most of my illustrations. 3 to 8 hours, sometimes more, rarely less. Over the past year, that has now changed. I’ve been focusing on longer stories now which I’ve always wanted to do. Most of the time I put them aside for these smaller illustrations I could produce almost daily. The problem now was that longer stories take … well … a long time. Doesn’t sound so bad at first, you might think. But that led to a change in my creative process, which meant I had to change my whole work system. To go back to the car analogy: For me, that change meant getting out of a car that was going pretty fast. And I didn’t even notice it.
A work process like an addiction
My brain learned an addiction. And it was those 3 to 8 hours of me doing an illustration. As an example, here’s how the process for my Monster Monday used to be:
I started sketching in the morning, developing ideas. A short time later, the addiction sets in: I have a good idea! The first highlight of the day. Once I have an idea, the first sketch is not far away. Then another sketch, with the light table. And then maybe another, until the drawing is ready for ink. Everything is traced with ink and most of the work is done, another highlight in my creative process. At this point, I’m in an extreme flow. Scanning, correcting the lines, and coloring the illustration is very easy after that. Because I’m in the zone and I like to get things done.
And ta-da: the illustration is done! I like it, I love it and my body is full of dopamine. Give me more!
The sense of accomplishment at each completed step in my old creative process motivated me to keep going. So was the urge to finish the whole illustration. However, when I decided to work on longer stories with correspondingly longer deadlines, this source of motivation was no longer present. The fire that had fueled me in the past was extinguished because the longer time frame for completing each step no longer provided the same sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. This change in my process resulted in a loss of motivation, and I no longer had food for the fire that fueled me.
So I had to change my entire work system. Find a new vehicle to take me to my new destination. I was mentally stressed and lost the fun in my creative work. Extreme pressure on myself led to weeks where I could barely work.
I had to find a way to make the work fun (and addicting) again. How I could be more comfortable with this new process of drawing. To do this, I had to adapt my work system.
Difference between a work system and the creative process.
The work system is a system in which you perform your creative work with the help of information, technology, and other resources. This includes work techniques (e.g., time stopping, To-Do’s, or time blocking).
The creative process is how you do your creative work. With critical thinking, you solve problems in creative ways. Simple as that. Your work system helps you do this work effectively. The vehicle of your creative process.
A step-by-step guide to an overhaul of your work system
As long as you can work, it is helpful to tinker with your work system from time to time. Regular reflection helps keep your system fresh and flexible. Where can something still be adjusted? Where are there difficulties in the work?
Big changes that involve a whole new approach or process however may require a major overhaul of your system. As was the case for me. And here’s the step-by-step guide for that:
Realize that your system needs to be adjusted due to a change (In my case, this realization took months).
Examine analytically how you worked. Check your creative process. What motivated you in the old process? What steps were the highlights?
How does it differ from your current creative process? Can things from the old process be incorporated? Can you transform some of it?
What can be a new motivator in the new work system? What can also be fun? Do your research and try to incorporate work techniques that you may not have needed before that.
All these questions will give you insights about a new work system.
Write down the new system you have made so it stays in your mind and you can make adjustments to it.
Use the new system and think about how you can adapt it every day.
Do a weekly review. What went well last week and what didn’t? Where can adjustments still be made?
With the help of this list, you can find out what your new vehicle will look like, which will take you to a different place than usual.
What helped me
What changes have I made? I’m still working on it and changing it a bit each week, but what has helped so far are the following changes:
I have stopped tracking time while at work, which I used to do for over two years. I’m currently having trouble working through “my hours” (without client work) and the number at the end of the week stresses me out too much. Therefore keeping track of time is counterproductive right now.
I now use Todoist (not sponsored (sadly)), which miraculously keeps me very motivated. Normally, I always wrote down my to-do lists on paper. With this app, I can intuitively enter my tasks with a date and then …. simply forget about them. This is incredibly helpful and calms me down. You can’t “forget” tasks till they are due if you are writing them on paper.
In addition, I write down the most important thing I want to get done during each day of the week. With time tracking, I knew I wanted X working hours every day, and I knew at the end of the week if I had accomplished that. With this change, I can measure if I did the most important task every day.
I’m trying to bring more gamification to my creative work. I no longer have my daily highlights to fuel my fire. Gamification brings me the motivation I need as I slowly approach the highlights. They’re still there, just much further apart.
I started with time-blocking. Every morning I write on a piece of paper what blocks of work I do throughout the day. I’ve found that it gets me into the flow incredibly quickly and makes me less distracted.
Weekly reviews on Monday morning. This is one of the best things I’ve started doing in the last few months. It’s crazy how much I forget, what is good for me. The weekly review reminds me to repeat good things and to do bad things less. It also gives me a kind of benchmark for how the week went. It motivates me and pushes me forward.
I try to do at least 4 hours of deep work every day. I usually listen to podcasts or live streams while I draw. But I’ve noticed that I get distracted very quickly these days. So I’ve changed that, and the background noise can come back in after I’ve done 4 hours of undisturbed deep work. I even consider this a reward.
Conclusion
Every work system is different. Maybe you just need to adjust it a little, or maybe, like me, you want to get out of a moving vehicle to get to a different destination. If that’s the case, I hope I was able to help you notice it and got you some ideas on how to approach it.
Would you like to hear from me? Well, I have a funny newsletter. Currently twice a year. I try to send it out at least four times a year (I’m working on this goal). In this newsletter, I give you tips and maybe plug something (if I have something good to show). Sign up here:
