Michi Mathias. illustration & comics.
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What's so bad about procrastinating all week?

26/6/2014

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Well, it happened again.  It took an entire week to finish some illustration work, which really only needed several hours and which was mostly done on the final day.
   
I was pretty busy all week long not doing it, though, which meant there wasn't much time to do lots of other things I wanted to be doing. Like, for instance, the window frame that is long overdue for painting, while the weather was good, but it felt too wrong to start a new time-consuming project until the other was finished.  Naturally, then,  days went by with neither getting done. 
 
So what's going on?  I LOVE doing this stuff.  I now realise it's what I've been secretly wanting to do for most of my life!  But sometimes the fear kicks in, especially when it's commissioned work.  I don't miss deadlines, but could be having a much more productive and enjoyable time.  Some people do say this is quite normal, but does it have to be?

Time to seriously try some anti-procrastination tricks.  Telling oneself to do just ten minutes (and then, apparently, wanting to carry on after time is up).  Setting a time in the diary, like a real appointment.  Firmly resolving not to look at any social media until after a certain amount of work is done.  Any other ideas?  Please tell me in the comments!  

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What are you most afraid of?

21/6/2014

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I've been attending an evening manga course, not because I necessarily want to draw that style but because I'm keen to learn everything about this whole new universe of comics I've fallen in to.  

Last night was about horror manga, which - to be honest - I wasn't looking forward to. I don't watch scary films, I'm frightened of ghost stories, I shy away from gross scenes of violence.   But it was fascinating to learn how, like all the manga we've looked at so far,  the genre is divided into numerous categories and sub-categories: demons from ancient times, horrendous gory stuff,  subtle psychological scariness, modern surreal situations and much more.   

Then it was time for the drawing part.  First we all had to list three things we were most scared of; our tutor wrote 1) darkness 2) solitude 3) dolls and told us about her doll phobia as well as some even more amusing phobias from her friends including tubes and moss!   She drew a quick four-panel strip about how dolls scare her.   

My worst was too horrible to write down on paper,  but I made myself do it: eyes being stabbed.  It's hard to even type that. My second one, noises in the dark, is as nothing by comparison. For the drawing,  we could just use the tutor's  examples if we wanted,  so I tried to think of a four panel sequence about anything scary or awful.  

But I couldn't.  The other seven students were scribbling furiously away  while I stared at my blank page.  All I could imagine was the eye business, and I certainly did NOT want to draw that!  But still nothing else would come to mind.  

So I had to draw the dreadful thing I imagine every time I see umbrellas near faces.  And I survived.  (My son told me later "I didn't think you would be able to draw that.") My hope is that this will have taken away some of its power.  But I still don't feel like inking it in, so this is just the rough pencil sketch. 

What are you most afraid of?  What would you not like to draw?
 
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A father's day comic

15/6/2014

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for my dad, who imparted a lot in a very few words.  In case this is obscure -- is it? I can't tell, of course! -- there's a bit about it over on the Comics page. 
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three more comics

9/6/2014

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Following my first-ever comic in February, three more followed in March, April, and June.  They can be seen over on the Comics page, and my plan is to carry on with more -- weirdly, I've got lots of ideas! -- but to increase the production rate to something better than an average of five weeks each.  If you'd like to see how I'm doing with that, please do check back soon.  Or better yet, subscribe to this blog - that'll really help put the pressure on me! 
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    Click to see: What am I doing right NOW?
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    ​Note: Two Shillings per Day graphic novel-related posts now appear over here on their own page. 

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Michi Mathias     illustration & comics    

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