Excited and a Little Nervous About Starting Visual Storytelling

Guhvy

Hi everyone,

My name is Gabriel. I just joined, and I have to say, I’m both excited and a bit nervous about diving into visual storytelling. I’ve been wanting to explore this creative path for a long time, but it’s been quite a challenge for me.

I currently work in construction as a laborer, and as you can imagine, my job is physically demanding. By the time I get home, I’m often exhausted. I’ve tried to create after work, but I usually find myself too tired to concentrate. When I do manage to start something, I tend to give up easily because I feel like my work doesn’t turn out the way I envisioned.

I’m really hoping that by joining this community, I’ll find some motivation and guidance. I’d love to hear any advice you might have for balancing a full-time job with pursuing creative projects. Also, tips on how to push through those initial hurdles when your work doesn’t seem to meet your expectations would be greatly appreciated.

Looking forward to learning from all of you and hopefully sharing my progress along the way!

Thanks for having me here.

Gabriel

menalkhan

@Guhvy - Welcome, Gabriel! I’m fairly new to kidlit and SVS too, and I just finished my portfolio after a year of working on it whilst balancing my FT Project Management job.
Here’s what helped me:
-I only drew when I had the energy. Forcing myself to work when I wasn’t inspired often led to results I wasn’t happy with. Balancing a full-time job and art is tough, especially if your job is physically demanding. Give yourself the time you need without pressure. If that means working on your portfolio only on weekends, or every other weekend, go for it. Find a pace that works for you without causing you to burn out.
-I totally get what it’s like when your art doesn’t turn out how you envisioned! If that's happening, start another piece and come back to it later. Fresh eyes after a break can help you pinpoint what needs fixing. I did this with two of my pieces, changed a few things around, and now they’re in my portfolio!
Hope this helps.
Cheering you on—you’ve got this!

Guhvy

@menalkhan Thanks so much for the warm welcome and the advice! It's really encouraging to hear from someone who’s been in a similar situation. I like the idea of only working on my art when I have the energy, rather than pushing myself when I’m already drained. It’s true—forcing it just leads to frustration and work that I’m not happy with.

I’ll definitely try to find a pace that works for me, even if that means just focusing on art during the weekends. I also love your suggestion about coming back to pieces with fresh eyes. It’s reassuring to know that even you had to tweak things around to get them portfolio-ready.

Your tips have definitely given me a better perspective on how to balance everything. Thanks again for the encouragement—it means a lot! Looking forward to learning more from everyone here.

makekong

@Guhvy welcome! Congrats for giving yourself this opportunity. I have a bit of things to share but please take them just as motivation not as a rule or something you must do as we all have different amounts of energy and time.

I used to work a 9-5 at a shop and usually as I am in support I end up filling up all the remaining time and weekends with more work.
So what I did was to wake up just 30 minutes earlier and just doodle and type down my ideas.
I then sometimes during the week nights or weekends I didnt do anything at home just got ready to rest after dinner and then also got a couple 30 extra minutes.

There is a wonderful saying that goes “0.1% everyday amounts to 36.5% by the end of the year” so anything you would like to start building you can, just like they mention in]t, enjoy it, take a good rest and whenever you feel ok go for it, you can always do sketches layouts etc and all those will bundle up to experience and practice.

Guhvy

@makekong Thanks so much for the warm welcome and the advice! I really appreciate you sharing your experience. Waking up just 30 minutes earlier to doodle or jot down ideas sounds like a great way to start the day on a creative note without feeling overwhelmed.

That saying about 0.1% every day really puts things into perspective. Even small efforts can add up over time, and I’m going to keep that in mind as I work on my visual storytelling. It’s reassuring to know that I don’t have to do it all at once, and that every little bit counts.

Thanks again for the encouragement and tips! I’m looking forward to putting them into practice and seeing where they take me.

AustinShurtliff

@Guhvy, I'm so happy you're here! Trying to do art while working a demanding fulltime job is tough. I've found Makekong's advice to get up a little earlier to work on a project really helpful in the past. I know some people recommend doing the creative goal first thing before you do anything else (like checking your phone or eating breakfast). I'm actually trying to get back into that again. I'm excited to hear how things are going for you! Share your progress here (even if it still needs work) so we can help encourage you and to keep yourself accountable. And please let me know if there is any way I can help out! You can always message me on the forum or send me an email at austin@svslearn.com.

Guhvy

@AustinShurtliff Thanks so much! I appreciate the advice and encouragement. I’ll definitely try to make creativity my first priority in the morning. I’ll keep everyone posted on my progress, and it’s great to know I can reach out if I need any help. Thanks again!