It’s hot! I’ve been inside, online, and tossing back popsicles and iced coffee like it’s nobody’s business! Which can only mean one thing - too much thinking!
I’m in a between-project lull and feeling a bit stuck on what I want to sink my teeth into next. Not for lack of things to do, thankfully, but because I have a bunch of little sparks of ideas and not enough time to actually develop them all into something substantial (and so little wrist stamina - I have a referral to an occupational therapist for it (yay), I just need to make an appointment (oh no)).
I also hate catering to algorithms. And unfortunately, that makes it hard to get my work seen even after finally settling on something to work on. I’ve been trying a bunch of new things to remedy this. One of them you’re reading right now! I also recently joined Bluesky and was SO delighted by how active the children’s publishing community is there! Thank you for the warm welcomes, y’all! I was blown away!
So, in light of feeling like I’m spinning my wheels, I wanted to share some personal WIPs from the last few months that I got stuck on.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f50581f-238c-4b85-b875-f44c579c5310_1662x1200.jpeg)
My problem is that once I finally get started with an exciting idea, I get spooked by how it’s looking mid-progress (whether it’s looking good and I don’t want to mess it up, or rough and I get frustrated) and then I psych myself out.
Or, I suddenly realize that I’ve signed myself up for a really difficult drawing, and I’m not trusting my skills to get to the end.
Or, I get too focused on the outcome instead of enjoying the process.
Or, my wrists start to hurt.
Or, I get bored.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dbb5847-fca7-4677-a9d2-fa1371bd08b5_1056x1610.jpeg)
When it’s just personal work and there’s no deliverable for anyone beyond just me, it’s too easy to get worked up by all the mental chatter, and the only way out is to let it sit for a while. Maybe I’ll come back to these drawings, maybe I’ll recycle the idea into something else, or maybe they’ll sit forever. That’s being an artist, sometimes. Things get left in the drafts.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6dfb91bb-edbc-40fe-8472-c399e6cf8b5f_2048x2862.jpeg)
Putting this together I’ve actually realized a few things!
One, that I’ve actually done more work that I’ve been giving myself credit for just because I haven’t posted it on Instagram or elsewhere.
Two, that it’s when I work in a lineless, painterly style that I notice myself getting stuck despite the concept behind the drawings being solid.
I primarily think in line as opposed to shape and color, but since I started painting about a year ago, I’ve noticed myself starting to build pieces palette-first. This is exciting and cool and new, but unfamiliar and a bit scary. I think that means I can either translate these drawings into a more line-driven style, which is fine, or I can keep muscling through and maybe get more comfortable in a new workflow.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5787ddcf-66fa-408e-a36f-d0ba8bea577b_2048x2732.jpeg)
Doing new things is really daunting, especially with perfectionistic tendencies!
But! That’s the name of the game. Just gotta keep trying until something sticks.
Onward!!! (ugh)
-Julia