Health Tips for Comic Creators

[GlanceLavender]

One of the main barriers to getting where I want to for me is a lack of energy, and poor health in general. I have a lot of motivation and drive, but my body doesn't keep up.

For a comic creator, it can be very time-consuming just trying to meet your deadlines. Other aspects of life are hard to remember, especially getting exercise or cooking healthy meals for yourself.

What are your daily activities that help you maintain a healthy lifestyle while also keeping up with your goals?

I'm actually underweight, which is not viewed as a "problem" by most people because it means I'm skinny. However, it means I burn through my energy very quickly. I'm always yawning and everyone gets the idea I don't sleep enough (but I do get plenty of sleep). I've been trying to gain healthy weight in muscle for a while now. I've gained only 10 lbs total. *fail* But I keep trying.

I like to exercise as a form of taking a break from the computer. I stretch and do aerobics, or go outside walking for 10-15 at least once a day. It isn't very much, but goes a long way.

I have always had trouble taking vitamins because it's difficult for me to swallow pills, and vitamin pills tend to be kinda huge. But they started making chewable vitamins for adults, so that's what I use.

Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day helped me a lot. I used to stay up as late as I could, and sleep until somebody made me wake up. I still sleep in pretty often, but in general my habits are better.

Cutting out caffeine is hard, because I always fall back on it when I run against a "do or die!" deadline. I feel energized when I drink something caffeinated, but after a while its effect runs out and suddenly I'm drinking it to avoid feeling bad, and not just to wake up. So I try to avoid it, and it seems to help.

My main problem is food. I like to cook, but when I'm doing comics I never have time to. I waste a lot of food too, because it goes bad before I can eat it all. A lot of healthy food seems pretty expensive. sweatdrop Comic creators are not known for possessing a lot of money.

What are your common problems and tips?

[k44zi]

As far as relation to health and comics... I walk. When I'm trying to think of something or work out a story or just anything along those lines I plug my headphones in and walk, outside if I can, otherwise I just pace my room or something like that. I don't know if that really qualifies as "healthy" but it's not nothing and if it's not helping me physically it helps LOADS with just trying to think

I also draw standing up...

That's pretty much the extent of my daily exercise lol

[GlanceLavender]

How do you draw standing up? xd You sir, are talented.

[k44zi]

xd I should actually probably invest in an easel... but, as it is, I tape my paper to the wall and draw on it that way. You should try it. It allows you to draw with your entire body instead of just your arm/hand

[Zee Coldwater]

I buggered up by hand pretty badly and ignored it for months, which just made it get worse (RSI, whee).

The solution was actually fairly painless -- I avoided drawing for two weeks and wore a supportive bandage. I also got a wrist support thingie for my keyboard. Hand's much better now.

[Empuska]

I've witched all my fountain pens (Microns, Pentels and such) to brushes, brush pens and more flexible pen nibs because I do press too hard, when I draw line art and my wrist start to ache pretty soon. Also, I try to keep 15 minute break every time I draw with Wacom to a point, when I notice that wrist is starting to act up, but thanks to using those more flexible tools, I've managed to know how to handle that Wacom's pen so that it doesn't ache...maybe after drawing 16 hours, but well, I rarely do that.
But then generally it's pretty much avoiding migraine, because it's just the number one thing, why I don't feel like working. Thought it's pretty easy to avoid it by eating, drinking, going outside and sleeping well.
Also sleeping well, in the bed, is good for back. Especially because I'm those people, who has really variable sleeping hours, and well, I don't know any awkward spot in my apartment, where I haven't found myself drowsing. And of course, you can get some annoying side effects because of that.

[Psycho Bunny Studio]

GlanceLavender

One of the main barriers to getting where I want to for me is a lack of energy, and poor health in general. I have a lot of motivation and drive, but my body doesn't keep up.

For a comic creator, it can be very time-consuming just trying to meet your deadlines. Other aspects of life are hard to remember, especially getting exercise or cooking healthy meals for yourself.

What are your daily activities that help you maintain a healthy lifestyle while also keeping up with your goals?

I'm actually underweight, which is not viewed as a "problem" by most people because it means I'm skinny. However, it means I burn through my energy very quickly. I'm always yawning and everyone gets the idea I don't sleep enough (but I do get plenty of sleep). I've been trying to gain healthy weight in muscle for a while now. I've gained only 10 lbs total. *fail* But I keep trying.

I like to exercise as a form of taking a break from the computer. I stretch and do aerobics, or go outside walking for 10-15 at least once a day. It isn't very much, but goes a long way.

I have always had trouble taking vitamins because it's difficult for me to swallow pills, and vitamin pills tend to be kinda huge. But they started making chewable vitamins for adults, so that's what I use.

Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day helped me a lot. I used to stay up as late as I could, and sleep until somebody made me wake up. I still sleep in pretty often, but in general my habits are better.

Cutting out caffeine is hard, because I always fall back on it when I run against a "do or die!" deadline. I feel energized when I drink something caffeinated, but after a while its effect runs out and suddenly I'm drinking it to avoid feeling bad, and not just to wake up. So I try to avoid it, and it seems to help.

My main problem is food. I like to cook, but when I'm doing comics I never have time to. I waste a lot of food too, because it goes bad before I can eat it all. A lot of healthy food seems pretty expensive. sweatdrop Comic creators are not known for possessing a lot of money.

What are your common problems and tips?

Just as a pointer for you, the amount of vitamins that are in an adult vitamin are actually unneeded and all they do is colour your pee. In fact so long as you are eating healthy taking them may just damage your kidneys.

So I recommend just getting a Flintstones chewable and not worrying to much about them. (or those no name brand gummy ones since they're pretty tasty too. And cheaper)

If you have a freezer then having a big cooking day and then freezing stuff for a few weeks is always something I liked to do. (Tho now that my fridge is the size of a loaf of bread that idea fails a lot.)
Portioned out meals in tupperwear containers that you can just slide out and warm up are wonderful. Veggie stirfry, spaghetti with meatsauce, corn, carrots and peas, stew, chilli, soft shell bean tacos or chicken chilupas are all pre-makeable and freezable.

mashed potatoes never warm up right but if you can make pie then using mashed potatoes, gravies, chicken and veg to make chicken pot pies are great.
If you want it healthier you can make my Mom's Mrs, Sheppards Pie and have a little caserole dish with a layer of meat, veg, gravy, potatoes and cus we're fatties, cheese is great and just takes 15 min in the oven to cook up nice. You can make dozens in advance and they last fer fricking EVER. (It's what we do with all the thanksgiving turkey, usually eat the last one by next thanksgiving.)

homemade veggie pizza's
mmmm

god I could just recipie share if you want.


EDIT:

ha ha ha as I was writing this, I was eating a spoonful of icing from the jar. I'm such a hypocrite but no really I am quite healthy.

[Panic At The NuclearPlant]

....Does getting mauled by walking three dogs count as exercise? Other wise I'm probably not gonna be doing much of that.....

Ima go do push ups out of guilt...

[Sanguine Balladist]

ɩ ʟσvҽ τнҽ wɑʏ ʏσυ ʟɩҽ
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What are your daily activities that help you maintain a healthy lifestyle while also keeping up with your goals?

Martial arts, mostly. I use to take classes but now that I'm out on my own and quite obviously can't afford them anymore, I practice in my spare time.

Playing with the dog is another way just to burn out some quick energy. Bringing him outside, tossing the ball, playing hide n' seek with him. He's a boundless source of energy so it works.

I have a similar problem. Underweight and when I draw I zone out everything except the task at hand because I want to finish it without distractions. I usually just set a timer on my laptop now so that when it goes off I grab a snack to eat, regardless of what I'm doing.

[Panic At The NuclearPlant]

Thought of another way to get exercise: Kung Fu swapping a fly for half an hour because someone left the outside door open >:l

[Chinko-chan]

Farmer's market. All the veggies are farm grown (most practice organic farming) and alot cheaper than grocery store veggies. Some of the farms will even have a program where you pay around 30$ a month and you get a box of assorted in season veggies/fruits/herbs bi-weekly. It's kinda fun because you don't know what you're going to get (edible flowers ended up in one box =p) and all the veggies are tasy because they're in season.

Also you can always go visit the farms to see your food before it's picked.

As for exercize I play roller derby, gets out frustration and it's good for the body. xd

[Seijaku_Ishida]

Chinko-chan

Farmer's market. All the veggies are farm grown (most practice organic farming) and alot cheaper than grocery store veggies. Some of the farms will even have a program where you pay around 30$ a month and you get a box of assorted in season veggies/fruits/herbs bi-weekly. It's kinda fun because you don't know what you're going to get (edible flowers ended up in one box =p) and all the veggies are tasy because they're in season.

Also you can always go visit the farms to see your food before it's picked.

As for exercize I play roller derby, gets out frustration and it's good for the body. xd

Not to mention they often keep for longer since they're not carted across the goddamn country. heart

(and heirloom tomatoes are soooooo tasty)

[GlanceLavender]

GAH... That's an excellent idea, but I don't even know where the nearest farmer's market IS. There used to be one pretty close, but it went out of business.

Fresh Market (a grocery store) always has extremely fresh produce and great meat, but it's uber expensive.

[ElfinNissa]

Chinko-chan

Farmer's market. All the veggies are farm grown (most practice organic farming) and alot cheaper than grocery store veggies. Some of the farms will even have a program where you pay around 30$ a month and you get a box of assorted in season veggies/fruits/herbs bi-weekly. It's kinda fun because you don't know what you're going to get (edible flowers ended up in one box =p) and all the veggies are tasy because they're in season.

Also you can always go visit the farms to see your food before it's picked.

As for exercize I play roller derby, gets out frustration and it's good for the body. xd

The farmer's markets around where I live are really expensive. Granted, the products are worth the money, but it's not any cheaper. I should look into CSAs in the area though.

[Chinko-chan]

Seijaku_Ishida

Not to mention they often keep for longer since they're not carted across the goddamn country. heart

(and heirloom tomatoes are soooooo tasty)

And they're left on the vine to ripen longer for the same reason. Also you're supporting local farmers yay good deed!

(Mmm heirloom tomatoes...Mmmm farm fresh baby spinach *Homer drool*)

http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

Glance - You can pop in your zipcode and find a CSA near you. =p