A Creative Exercise Routine & Putting in the Work at the Gym
Just like physical muscles, creativity can strengthen with regular exercise. Some days it will take motivation and a bit of get-up-and-go to start. But overtime it will form more of an innate personal habit. If you want to see results in the world of illustration you have to put in the work and turn up. I like to think that I have reached that innate drawing habit. I’m rarely not drawing or thinking of ideas to illustrate. I have overtime put in the work and now the craft is as much part of me as my curly moustache is. In all honesty, I have been drawing man and boy and this “hobby” has never really left me. Of course, it’s more than just a hobby now. I actually get paid to illustrate as a job. But I still put in personal time to strengthen my skills and conceptual thinking and try to maintain a decent base level of creative health and fitness. It’s never a chore and if I don’t feel like drawing today then I won’t but quite often I can’t help myself. I’m constantly inspired and tuned-in to the world around me to feed my craft. I got here by obviously putting in the work. Just thinking about weights at the gym won’t make you stronger. You actually have to start lifting to see results. Start light though, don’t burn yourself out. To help get yourself started I have formulated a little “workout routine” to kick things off.
The Warmup
To get the old grey brain cells warmed up I quite often have a bit of a doodle and try to fill up a single blank page with random things. There’s no need to be precious about it. Personally, I would use a Sharpie and piece of paper. Work analogue. You won’t be tempted to double tap on your iPad drawing app or undo on your computer then. Let lines, mistakes and creativity flow. Keep it light.
One thing to note is that if we were at the gym we would be warming up our limbs. Obviously, we mostly use our hands to draw but we are not warming up our fingers, in case we pull a muscle. We are warming up our brains to help get us into a creative mindset. The good stuff for me is where illustration meets conceptual thinking.
The Main Workout
Once your brain has kicked into gear and you’re feeling limber, it’s then time for the main workout. This could mean working on a commission or a personal project. It doesn’t really matter. Regardless of what you’re working towards you can think of the process in sets of 3… just like when lifting weights.
Set 1 is all about thumbnail sketches. These for me are usually little scrappy drawings which only I could possibly decipher. There’s no right or wrong amount of thumbnails. I usually work until I have squeezed all the juice out of an idea and not a drop more will come.
Set 2 is all about drawing-up your favourite thumbnails to be more decipherable. This is especially important if you’re presenting to a client. It’s also integral to developing your ideas into more rounded and refined concepts.
Set 3 is all about drawing up the final chosen illustration in the desired way or in your unique style. The time between set 2 and set 3 might be days if you’re doing commission work. If it’s a personal project it might happen right away. In any case there’s no time limit to how long you should work out to how long you should rest between sets. As when physically working out at the gym, listen to your body and don’t over do it. The last thing anybody wants is a case of burnout.
The Cool Down
The cool down or relaxing part is one of the most important parts of the process of creating and any workout routine. It is very much part of the process. You may need to cool down during the warmup or after set two of the main workout. Just do it. Listen to your body. As much as you feel you might want to draw, if you’re tired and feel exhausted then just rest. It can wait. Afterall… it’s all part of the creative process. I learnt this pretty early on in my career when I was studying from an actual book on how to use Adobe After Effects, some 20 years ago during my student days. Half way through the author advised / insisted it was time to down tools and literally wrote, “go to the pub.” So what did I do? Being a student at the time, I obviously went to the pub for a pint. Whether it’s a pub or a little walk or calling a friend, it’s always a good idea to cool yourself down and stop. I recognise in myself when I’m beginning to feel a bit low or tired and only running on 40/50%... then I stop. Please don’t wait until your internal battery has a red bar before you break. It’s not worth it.
So remember… warm yourself up to get your creative adrenaline going. Break your main workout into 3 simple sets and remember to cool down and rest when needed. Also, keep up with the consistent work when you can.
Thanks for reading. Pete :)
