Productivity Plans Moving Forward (Patreon)

Thanks for the kind comments about this productivity experiment this month. Obviously, I have not been keeping up with it daily as planned - like many times this year, I started strong then quickly burnt out. However, this time I kept a more detailed record of what I was doing the past two weeks, when not arting. (Journaling, folks! It's a good tool!) Above is the images drawn the past couple weeks, and the Wall of Text below are my findings and plans for the new year.

For the past couple weeks I wrote down what was going through my head, what I was doing and why. And though it feels like my mind has been all over the place, there are a few key patterns that keep popping up:

-----------------------

I don't draw when I'm feeling stressed. Instead, I'll do something that doesn't require thinking about my situation - like escaping into a book. (I'm actually surprised by this - drawing has been my way to cope with stress for a long time.)

I keep over-scheduling what I can do in a day. Not only does it add a lot of stress while I'm arting, but also adds to feelings of failure at the end of the day if I don't check off everything on the list, and makes the next day all the more stressful as I try to play catch-up. And when the stress builds too much, I walk away and do something else for awhile. (This I've known for awhile, but it was harder to ignore seeing it written down over and over again.)

I keep wanting to do things outside of art. Visit new places, try new hobbies. But I never schedule time for anything new, because I'm always behind on my overstuffed schedule. Which leads to getting stressed, which leads to walking away, and it's suddenly much easier to convince myself to spend the rest of the day doing the not-art related thing I was wanting to do beforehand. 

-----------------------

My conclusions from this productivity experiment: Even though I still enjoy drawing, making art and FE is more stressful than it used to be. I keep using stress as an excuse to escape, instead of changing my habits that cause the stress in the first place. A lot of my self-worth is being measured not just by drawing, but how much I can draw in a short amount of time - and no other part of my personality is being explored.  

So what does this mean for the next year of FE? Well, not "take an internet break" or "take a break from drawing." Breaks can be helpful with burnout, but I personally think I've taken enough breaks in 2019. Instead, I'd rather tell myself: 

"Include hobby time in your schedule. It'll be easier to finish what you're working on if you know you'll get to play the ukulele afterwards." 

"That's a good to-do list you've written. Now, pick out the two most important items. That's what you're doing today."

"Before walking away, remember what got you excited about this project. Let's use the next hour to find that excitement again and finish this."  

I think this experiment was a good idea, it's put me in a better mindset for the new year. I'm excited to see what gets made in the new year, I hope you are as well. Thank you, as always, for your kindness and support - hope you have a happy holiday season and a great new year!