Ever had the time when it took every ounce of your being to get you up out of bed, sit at the drawing table or writing board, you plug away all day, and can’t seem to get anything to come out right?

The ideas aren’t flowing, the artwork isn’t coming together, the language isn’t working, and you can’t get your hand and your brain to cooperate. It’s time like this you should really not be working on comics. (What?!? not work on comics, but I’ve got a deadline! I must create!)

Ok, well if you must you must, but at least take a break, clear your head, get some lunch, or go outside and play for 30 minutes. Look, I went out running and ended up coming to this huge hill I had to go up. It must have been at least 60 degree incline. I was running with all my might, but I was tired (for this was late in my run). After about 3 minutes I looked around and wasn’t moving anywhere. So I decided to walk up the hill. I spread my stride a little more, slowed my pace and made twice as much progress as I did when I was running up that monster. I made it up the hill by just slowing down and working less.

I know it seems counter-intuitive, I know, but it works.

Running With Comics Lesson: Flow with your work. Find the level that works with you. Once you get your groove back, get over that one hill, things will flatten out again, and you can get back to work at your normal pace.