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How many breaks do you take? by Caticus
I was wondering: How many breaks do you take in between drawing?
The reason I ask this is because I forget to take breaks... In actuality, I have a hard time taking breaks!
I know that in the past, when I do take breaks, it benefits my state of mind, my art, and everything... BUT I always feel so unproductive when I take breaks. xD; Is anyone else like this?
Also, are there any possible tips you could give to help remind myself to take breaks?
I'm a mom and a wife, and I have depression, so I think I am mostly afraid that if I take a break for a few minutes... a few minutes will turn into an hour... then an hour into a day... then a day into a week... then a week into a month.
It has happened before. :I
I think that's why I want to get as much done as possible in a certain amount of time so that I know stuff will get done before my brain poops out.
Derp.
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that sounds like what i'm going through; i havent done digital art in a long spell and only just got back. im trying to stay on task and come back each day but it it is difficult. same thing with the one straight sitting, i'll ignore so much including need to go to bathroom. even text messages from my gf!
the timer for a break is a really good idea, but a physical representation might help you to keep you coming back to the work. one idea is to put a sticky note with bright color on top of your work station with the time you should come BACK to it, like if you give yourself a 20 min break and it's 4pm, come back at 4:20. that way you don't "pack up" to take a break but its more of a "pause" that you can go back to. shrug i have attention issues until i get into the task but then i don't bring my head up for air at all, so to speak, unless i make myself take breaks.
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With me-- it depends on my drive to finish the picture currently.
If I /kinda/ want it done, then I take random hour long breaks-- BUT if I'm really into it then I could work late into the late with little to no breaks or regard for time until I start LOOKING FOR REASONS to just stop what I'm doing and my patients has run out.
If you're having problems getting started again when you have breaks-- You might just have to will yourself to do it! :C
I've done the same-- and usually I try to 'treat' myself for getting back to work. Like-- I'd have a nice dinner, or watch a movie that I really like afterwards or something. c: -
The idea of taking breaks from drawing kind of makes me think of how it is important to take breaks from studying. I just looked this up: I do two Pomodoros (50 minutes) of study and then "2 breaks" (10 minutes). After two or three sessions like this I take a 30 minutes long break. Its important that you really take a break when is time for it. No reading, no writing.
So I guess maybe work for 50 minutes, take a short break to go to the bathroom/stretch/get a snack or drink/just walk around a little to get your blood flowing again, and then do that once more. Then take a longer break maybe for dinner or watch an episode of a TV show or something like that. I figure that if that is the most productive way to get studying done it could probably apply to other things! I've also heard of this sort of time blocking to be used when you are cleaning your house too. I feel like you already have a great turnaround time for your commissions so I don't think that giving yourself a little extra time would make you any less productive. :)
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I will go like weeks without drawing and then literally sit down and draw for 7 hours straight... and I dont think that counts as "breaks" lol idk D':
I guess I'm the same way with having a hard time taking breaks.Then again for me drawing is a kind of release and all of my works are personal so when I'm in the mood to draw I just... draw. I can't stop.
I don't take commissions or anything so I don't know.
Either way, it's probably not good for my sciatica lol :\
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PixelHoot
Perhaps you could set some sort of alarm to go off after X amount of minutes of drawing, and set it to go off again once the break is over to signal you to start drawing again.
I always take super long breaks between drawings (days to weeks) as I don't have the motivation to draw often (I also have depression issues), but when I do draw I usually forget to take a break because I am also worried that if I stop mid-way I'll not want to come back to it for a long time. I like to get a drawing done in one straight sitting where I only stop to use the bathroom or something; I'll even forget to eat for a while. So you're not the only one! Maybe setting up a strict schedule for drawing and taking breaks can help you to stay productive while still taking the necessary time to relax.