Backstage Pass #8 (Patreon)

Hey there! Catching up on some late backstage passes to talk about...

How I prevent artistic burnout! And what I do when I need to recharge.

Generally, I like to try avoiding burnout like the plague. After all, nothing stinks more than getting stuck right when you're supposed to be in the thick of working, and with a process that relies entirely on staying creative, it can grind work to a complete halt altogether. For me, I generally get burnt out when I spend too much time trying to chug through something that just isn't working. When I'm upset about something with my art, but either don't have time to address what's bothering me or just don't want to because it involves work, I end up not wanting to work on art altogether. Notable burnout phases for me while working on OBT were near the end of Chapter 2 (right when the team exited Drenched Bluff), and right before Chapter 3 (when I was still deciding on Rune's finalized design). During these phases I was stuck for months on how to continue forward with the comic because I had a couple of different things I was getting hung up on. Generally I try to work through the burnout to see what exactly I'm getting hung up on, but sometimes it's worth taking a step back to recharge and gain back some of my inspiration by consuming media I enjoy!

Usually for me this means kicking back and watching some favorite movies, playing games, and listening to podcasts that I enjoy. While I play these for enjoyment, I also appreciate breaking down exactly what about a piece of media gives me investment in it, and seeing how I can apply those elements to parts of my comic that I struggle with. Favorite movies and shows include Wolf Children, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Re: Zero! 

I'm also a fan of Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles when it comes to games. Crystal Chronicles especially has been a bit of an obsession of mine lately, it's a game I played a lot when I was younger, and now that I'm older and can actually play it I appreciate it a lot more.

My favorite sources of inspiration are from media that have interesting worldbuilding concepts, it really helps me get the creative juices flowing! And when I'm needing inspiration for comic layout and style, I'm a big fan of The Adventure Zone graphic novel.

The paneling, colors, and character designs are all gorgeous!

Though of course, the other way I like to deal with burnout is naps. Lots and lots of naps. After a few weeks of recharging, I'm good to go with working on my own art again!