5 reasons why I draw daily web comics
How drawing comics changed my life for better
Some time ago I started drawing web comics on a regular basis. My original intention was to do it for fun only, but this new habit gave me much more than just fun. It really changed me, my attitude to life, and the way I see things.
I want to share my experience with you because I believe that comics making can change you life for better, too.
Here are my top 5 reasons for drawing web comics daily:
1. Learning to be consistent
When I started drawing a comic strip every day, I developed a consistent habit.
To tell the truth, I really suck in being consistent, but somehow I’m managing to follow this routine for a month and a half already, and I feel I’m still able to go on.
I believe routines are very important, especially for creative (and not really well-organized) people.
My thoughts are normally really messy. I need an anchor to stay focused, that’s why I try to include at least some routines in my daily life since they don’t let me to fly away and get lost in thoughts.
2. Knowing myself better
I mostly draw comics about myself, so when I think over the situation I want to illustrate, I also have to analyze my feelings towards it.
I don’t pay much attention to analyzing my thoughts in regular life course, but sometimes it’s really worth doing.
Whoever is the main character of your comics, it’s be deeply related with your idea of yourself anyway.
No matter what an artist draws, they always draw themselves.
As you getting to know your character better, you’ll understand more about yourself. I’d even say it’s a sort of self therapy. It can help you to survive situations that worry you and find ways to solve them.
For me, comics are also a sort of a visual diary. I mostly draw situations that take place in my daily life. And keeping a diary is a very useful habit that can help you to achieve inner harmony and clean up your mind.
3. More conscious approach to life
If you draw comics on regular basis, you need a lot of ideas. Therefore you start observing people around you.
You start noticing thing you never noticed before. And which is more important — you pay attention to the events that normally remained out of your sight. So comics drawing can make your life brighter, and you definitely won’t live it on autopilot.
It may also improve your relationship with people around you — your family, your friends, your colleagues, as you’ll become more attentive to them.
Attention is the most expensive thing in the whole world.
Of course, it may also work vice versa if you add too much sarcasm to your comics or start mocking some habits or behavior of people you know. Comics are just a tool in your hands, and it’s you who decide how to use it.
4. Developing storytelling skills
Storytelling is a very important skill nowadays.
Everything becomes better with a story.
People really love stories, and they can improve anything. We like talking to people who tell exciting stories. We buy products that are advertised with a help of good stories.
Storytelling rules the world.
And of course a great story is the best basis for a comic strip. Even if it’s only a one-panel comics, there’s always a story. Drawing a piece of comics daily, you create more and more stories, and practice makes perfect. You both express yourself and develop an essential skill. Double benefit.
5. Seeing things in positive light
I don’t actually understand how it works, but somehow unconsciously I felt that every comics needs a happy end. And when I started adding the happy ends to my comics, I became more optimistic about the thing that happen to me in real life.
A consistent comics drawing habit also helped me to break my creative block and overcome another depression episode.
First, I had to force myself sitting down to draw another strip, but soon I noticed I do it naturally without pushing myself. Now, even the days when the only thing I do is drawing another piece of comics, I feel I don’t waste my life because I create something, and not consume only.
If you ever had an idea of creating your own comic series — you definitely should do it! Next Saturday I’ll tell you how you can develop your own regular comics series from scratch.
Thanks for reading and I’ll be happy if you join me in this journey. I post comics daily:
- In English — Sasha’s comics on Instagram
- In Ukrainian — Sasha’s comics on Facebook
- and in Russian — Telegram channel for Sasha’s comics
Follow me here on Medium, too. I’ll keep updating my story and share my discoveries and insights.
