2:14 I paused partly to look at the comic comparison but mostly because you said "these don't make me angry" and a lightbulb clicked. It's something I've been trying to explain to my boyfriend when he can't see the difference in my redraws, I can see it now that I'm looking at something that isn't mine. It's so subtle, it does read better but to the layman it's the same. To the artist however, the intention is much clearer in the redraw. I think we mainly art for other artists.
Great video for anyone who's experienced creative burnout. It's so easy to get swept up in the 'hustle', and if you don't recognize the early warning signs of burnout, you're gonna have a bad time lol. I figured out a year or two ago, that it's much better to work at a slower, more sustainable pace than it is to go balls out constantly and then feel wrecked when the burnout hits. To paraphrase a quote I heard, "People tend to overestimate how much they can get done in a day, and underestimate how much they can do in a year."
Thanks for the vid! That is very good news for you and the comic and the channel! In this exact order ^^ Also there may be a positive algorythmic effect about posting only when you have something to say or share instead of being on a schedule. This makes more of your videos more interesting to more people. I think? From a viewer’s perspective it’s like the “wake up babe” effect for 45-120 minutes video essays lol. When people see that you put something up they’ll want to watch it! Just like me lol.
Thank you for making this video. I definitely recognise my own behaviour here particularly getting restless and putting more back on my plate. I run two art Patreons on top of a day job and family life yet I’m still stopping to do ‘side quests’ personal art when I’ve already got a full schedule
Lots of good advice. When you listed all the 'platforms' that you have to deal with.....it's all cruft. Your main focus is your comic. All that other stuff does nothing but get in the way but we're told, as artists, that it's necessary to being successful artists. That's garbage. None of it has to do with being successful at our art. I am far from an expert when it comes to self promotion, but i'd suggest that any of those 'platforms' that help you share the process be the ones you stick with. Stay away from the ones create friction to you doing more work (ie. newsletters, socials, etc.). ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Anyway, that's my 2 cents! Algorithms be darned! Good work builds the audience. Ask anyone who made something you love before youtube or social media existed.
Quite right too. It's very easy to become distracted and I've fallen for it time and again, which only ever ends up serving as a distraction to what truly matters.
8:48 There's a guy here on RUclips, I forgot his name, who created his comic based on marketing research (I remember his story has a magic system based on psychological identity tests). After talking to people on forums, he made the concept, then hired some popular artists to draw his characters and post them on their social media. This guy could sell over 2,000 units of his comic easily. Sometimes we need to create what people want, not based on what we want. And to know what they want is just a matter of asking them and gathering information to manufacture something. Sad, but it wasn't the first artist doing that and building an audience super fast and efficiently. I want to be like these guys, but a large amount of cash is required to do that.
I think there's definitely a balance to be struck with this. Make what you want to make but you should always prioritise the experience of the audience.
Just going to jump in here... (great video if you read this @BrinkleyComics ) I think when people say, "this is the life I want to live..." they very rarely know what that life is actually like. They have a fantasy of what that life is like based around something they do as a passion and assuming that doing it full time will be some sort of dream life because it will be similar just with money. But as John touches on here, he's burnt out on working on this stuff (combined with a whole additional life that does play a part) and he is only doing it in his spare time. I have been a full time comic and concept artist for almost 30 years at this stage, making my entire income from it, and I can tell you some personal horror stories around mental health and burn out that I 100% attribute to the career. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely grateful for my career and the life it has given me, but its just to say the "life" youtube creators often show you in any field, including art, is a far cry from the reality of that life (as John also touches on here). Because there's a huge difference between having a passion and then turning that passion in to a career, those two lives are very very different. I see a lot of people saying they don't want a 9 to 5 these days, in favor of something "creative" like comics... When I am on deadline I can easily do 8 in the morning to 2 the following morning, 7 days a week for 3 months straight. I have literally done that multiple times in my career. And I am far from alone in that. Successful youtubers are burning out left, right and center for a similar reason. It is 100% possible to make money from comics or art, I am proof of that (along with many others) and it is probably more accessible now than it has ever been... And I am absolutely not discouraging you from pursuing that dream. Its just a warning that it is not quite the life most people expect it to be when they work toward that life. As the age old saying goes, be careful what you wish for, you might just get it. Best of luck on the journey, and keep tuning in to this guy, he has some great advice, especially at these early stages of your creative journey. :)
2:14 I paused partly to look at the comic comparison but mostly because you said "these don't make me angry" and a lightbulb clicked. It's something I've been trying to explain to my boyfriend when he can't see the difference in my redraws, I can see it now that I'm looking at something that isn't mine. It's so subtle, it does read better but to the layman it's the same. To the artist however, the intention is much clearer in the redraw. I think we mainly art for other artists.
"we mainly art for other artists."
Yeah I think you're onto something there. I never really considered that before.
Great video for anyone who's experienced creative burnout. It's so easy to get swept up in the 'hustle', and if you don't recognize the early warning signs of burnout, you're gonna have a bad time lol. I figured out a year or two ago, that it's much better to work at a slower, more sustainable pace than it is to go balls out constantly and then feel wrecked when the burnout hits. To paraphrase a quote I heard, "People tend to overestimate how much they can get done in a day, and underestimate how much they can do in a year."
Really great quote and it's absolutely bang on.
Hey, I noticed that this video exists, and I appreciate it.
Thanks for the vid! That is very good news for you and the comic and the channel! In this exact order ^^
Also there may be a positive algorythmic effect about posting only when you have something to say or share instead of being on a schedule. This makes more of your videos more interesting to more people. I think? From a viewer’s perspective it’s like the “wake up babe” effect for 45-120 minutes video essays lol.
When people see that you put something up they’ll want to watch it! Just like me lol.
Thank you for making this video. I definitely recognise my own behaviour here particularly getting restless and putting more back on my plate. I run two art Patreons on top of a day job and family life yet I’m still stopping to do ‘side quests’ personal art when I’ve already got a full schedule
The temptation is real! I still find that I'm having to reel myself in and not get distracted with side quests.
Lots of good advice. When you listed all the 'platforms' that you have to deal with.....it's all cruft. Your main focus is your comic. All that other stuff does nothing but get in the way but we're told, as artists, that it's necessary to being successful artists. That's garbage. None of it has to do with being successful at our art. I am far from an expert when it comes to self promotion, but i'd suggest that any of those 'platforms' that help you share the process be the ones you stick with. Stay away from the ones create friction to you doing more work (ie. newsletters, socials, etc.).
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Anyway, that's my 2 cents! Algorithms be darned! Good work builds the audience. Ask anyone who made something you love before youtube or social media existed.
Quite right too. It's very easy to become distracted and I've fallen for it time and again, which only ever ends up serving as a distraction to what truly matters.
8:48 There's a guy here on RUclips, I forgot his name, who created his comic based on marketing research (I remember his story has a magic system based on psychological identity tests). After talking to people on forums, he made the concept, then hired some popular artists to draw his characters and post them on their social media. This guy could sell over 2,000 units of his comic easily.
Sometimes we need to create what people want, not based on what we want. And to know what they want is just a matter of asking them and gathering information to manufacture something. Sad, but it wasn't the first artist doing that and building an audience super fast and efficiently. I want to be like these guys, but a large amount of cash is required to do that.
I think there's definitely a balance to be struck with this. Make what you want to make but you should always prioritise the experience of the audience.
@@BrinkleyComics True!
This is the life I want to live, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to support myself financially. How do you make your income?
I'm a graphic designer. It's a full 9-5.
Just going to jump in here... (great video if you read this @BrinkleyComics ) I think when people say, "this is the life I want to live..." they very rarely know what that life is actually like.
They have a fantasy of what that life is like based around something they do as a passion and assuming that doing it full time will be some sort of dream life because it will be similar just with money. But as John touches on here, he's burnt out on working on this stuff (combined with a whole additional life that does play a part) and he is only doing it in his spare time. I have been a full time comic and concept artist for almost 30 years at this stage, making my entire income from it, and I can tell you some personal horror stories around mental health and burn out that I 100% attribute to the career.
Don't get me wrong, I am extremely grateful for my career and the life it has given me, but its just to say the "life" youtube creators often show you in any field, including art, is a far cry from the reality of that life (as John also touches on here). Because there's a huge difference between having a passion and then turning that passion in to a career, those two lives are very very different.
I see a lot of people saying they don't want a 9 to 5 these days, in favor of something "creative" like comics... When I am on deadline I can easily do 8 in the morning to 2 the following morning, 7 days a week for 3 months straight. I have literally done that multiple times in my career. And I am far from alone in that. Successful youtubers are burning out left, right and center for a similar reason.
It is 100% possible to make money from comics or art, I am proof of that (along with many others) and it is probably more accessible now than it has ever been... And I am absolutely not discouraging you from pursuing that dream. Its just a warning that it is not quite the life most people expect it to be when they work toward that life. As the age old saying goes, be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.
Best of luck on the journey, and keep tuning in to this guy, he has some great advice, especially at these early stages of your creative journey. :)
10:36 The cusion is there for vacations & sick days.