What do u guys do for energy...?

[Scratch N' Brain]

I have so much to do during the day and im an animation student..DO u guys ever feel wiped out and wan to practice
or study a bit for drawing but you just dont feel like it. What do u guys do for energy? Im really trying to learn to draw and do studies especially for the head. Ugh any tips would be great on how to organize time between real life and drawing...thanx for the replies. Also, let me just as one more thing when you do feel tired or uninspired to come up with anything what do u do to utilize the time you have to make a drawing and learn something from it?

[nova]

hey scratch,

ha, i know exactly what you're talking about.. i work fulltime in games, and at the end of the evening and even though i want to draw so badly i'm wiped out i can't even start.

BUT

here's a few things that have helped me:
~ going to an inspiring place.. whatever gets you going, whether it's a club, a concert or a park, that can be the secret ingredient
~ set a goal.. practice a specific thing and don't stop til you get somewhere your're happy with

and when it gets really hard [this is me right now!]:
~ discipline. i set a specific time to get outta work and head to a specific place downtown. forcing myself and commiting to get out physically prevents me from piddling around
~ just go. draw whatever's around you and don't be afraid to start suddenly and see what happens
~ balance. after working on something really hard that isn't so fun, doing something interesting and easy. for me, it's drawing pretty trees outside :) you've got to reward yourself for your hard work [meeting little goals] with something good.
~ variety. bojee introduced me to the wonderful medium of coffee. that means you can use ANYTHING to paint/draw. i keep a pink crayon in my case for that reason. try different media!

haha, these all sound like some kind of weird office policy :O anyway good luck guy.. just keep going!

~ l

[Pesmerga]

I can't express how much I understand you! I study in Art so I have to draw a lot. I work my ass out every week and even on week-ends. I have so little free time. When I came home yesterday, I really wanted to study drapery and figure drawing. So I opened up my good old conceptart tutorial notes and took a piece of paper. After I drew the first 2 lines, I fell asleep! :[ Sometimes I feel like I'll never improve because I can't. Why can't I improve? BECAUSE I JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ENERGY TO PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!! No, it's not lazyness. It's a lack of energy!

I really wanna do some studies but I'm unable to actually do them. All I can "afford" to do is observe. Look at nature, colors and light sources.

Unfortunatly, I don't think I can help you a lot cuz I got the same prob. Just organize your time: Try to practice when you're usually wasting your time (like on the bus, the metro or even in school during a break).

When school is over, I'm tired so I don't FEEL like working more. So here's what I do: I wake up at 4 am, go get a cup of cofee and go back to my room (with no distractions of course) so I can study/practice at least 1 hour before I go to school (at least I try to).

[nova]

just wanted to drop in to say that observation is also necessary :) how can you apply what you've learned if you haven't seen how it works in real life? it's equally important to sit and look.. watch how light works, how people move, and remember the feeling you get when the leaves blow past you in the fall!

[faB]

Just an idea... definitely worth a try.

When you're back home, sit and meditate for ~15-20 mins. The simplest oldest technique is breathing meditation (http://www.wildmind.org/meditation/mindfulness/intro.html). It IS actually quite demanding in terms of being alert and focusing, but it's very rewarding with the right effort. Try to get away from noise and sitractions as much as possible for these 15 mins. Make it a real break between afternoon, and evening. Very likely if it's after work you'll find your mind wanering about all sort of things you have heard during the day, or things that you said or were told, or things that you do, or future projects and such, but for these 15 mins you need to stick your mind to your breath like your life depended on it, nothing else matters!

Another thing I did when I feel down is bodybuilding. Its not unlike meditation in that you have to really give yourself into it, and it feels so hard and demanding, and yet you gain so much energy from it, when you're back home after a good meal and a shower, you feel like a king ! :)

edit: here's a rather fitting recent talk given on 29-10-2004 by by 'Ven Ajahn Brahmavamso', entitled 'mental energy = happyness' (http://www.bswa.org/audio/mp3/Brahmavamso_2004_10_29.mp3) (mp3, free of rights etc.)
(source (http://www.bswa.org/audio/audio_search_author.php?searchterm=Brahmavamso))

He's a buddhist monk from UK, but he's really easy to listen to and very fun as well, he likes to joke around. One thing he said in that talk was that : 'to get physcally fit you need to exercise the body, but the mind is completely the opposite, to get mental energy you have to let it rest, completely, to not do anything'.

[Scratch N' Brain]

Thank you guys very much for the replies...these will help me out a lot and also fab thanx for the advice Im deffinetly taking it into consideration because I am trying to become a buddhist anyway...far from it atm though but i think what you gave me is going to really help me out thank you

[Returner]

I actually have to second what Fab was saying about the bodybuilding. It might sound weird to some people, but ever since I became really busy this semester and could not go to the gym( at all as a matter of fact), I became quite sluggish. When I'm there though, even after going to work beforehand or school, I grab something to eat right after and I can go for another few hours after that. Not to mention that when you fit it into your daily activities a few times a week, it gives you added energy in general. I truly do find I am at my best when I can balance my artwork work/school and the gym.

Coffee never really works for me, does caffeine really help you guys out?

[James Kei]

Two simple things,

1) drink a ton of water.
2) Breath deep every so often.

I swear by these two rules...especially the water.

If possible, do the following....
-Eat smaller balanced meals, 5-6 meals a day
-Exercise, lift weights

stay away fom the sodas and coffee,
although they give you a burst of energy, you crash hard after a couple of hours.
If you must have coffee, the drink a little at a time through the day.

Hope this helps!

[Scratch N' Brain]

Yeh I feel the same way about coffee and energy drinks. I'm starting out on a work out routine...one that my dad has been beggin me to get on which is the body for life routine. anyway i drink and energy drink every morning when i get up because im sluggish without something, coffee makes me feel on edge and "shaky". Anyways Im going to bump this because now that i think about it and its never really been talked about before it's probably a very important subject for artists and the like. So feel free to give more advice.

[Art_Addict]

Red Bull all the way :wink:

[EVIL]

its cold here, and my mind was crammed and had almost no energy so I forced myself to take a run outside, really it gave me a healthy boost of energy to last the night.

[Ryu]

just wanted to give a bump, cause i'm in the same case than scratch n brain,
and i found this discussion really interesting...
more advices guy?
anyway thx already,

what i personnaly do
- Sport, Jeet kune do, once a week, you really feel good after this.
- I used to do body building, but not enough time, so i stopped,
now i sometime take a sleep of 20-30 min max, sometimes it boost me up.
what do u guys think?

[Returner]

How is JKD? I was seriously looking into it, love to know more about that and your experiences with it.

Right now, I'm taking six classes at school and things are pretty hairy so I find myself pulling the weirdest hours. I like Evil's idea to be honest, I think that's prolly a great way to get some energy fast. As far as sleeping goes, I try to stay away from naps, I find that they give you the ability to stay awake a little longer, but the pace at whicn you work afterwards is nowhere near as fast as before you slept. Don't get me wrong, I nap with the best of em, but it never really helps as much as staying in shape and keeping your intake full of necessary vitamins. Like I said earlier to, it always helps to get water close by as well. Staying hydrated gives you way more energy for a longer period of time than any cup of coffee in my opinion.

[OptimusDinkus]

yea, running really helps, also if you work at the computer I got an exercising generator. when you stop ridding your monitor turns off, preaty nifty lol

[WillSchnevel]

yea, running really helps, also if you work at the computer I got an exercising generator. when you stop ridding your monitor turns off, preaty nifty lol

lol that's rad, i could use one for sure! Does it make a lot of noise?

I think having a regular sleeping schedule and drinking enough water will do a lot of good. And exercising a bit each day.

[Ryu]

JKD is very nice, but the bad thing is, it all depends on who teach it !
find a nice teacher and nice guys and it's really cool,
helps relax, body build, stretch, and fight ( but if you are clever and interested in philosophy and taoism, i suggest you to read striking thought by Bruce lee himself, then you begin to understand, that you teach weapon to fight your own bad sides )

hope i helped :)
cya

[OptimusDinkus]

actually it doesnt make that much noise, most of the time I have my head phones on so it doesnt really make a difference in that aspect

[fattkid]

Here's some things that I do to get the most out of myself and to be as productive as possible, some of which has already been covered.......

Exercise Regularly - Some weights and cardio, and stretching. Yoga is awesome. Gives you a break from your studies/work, a chance to take a time out and think about what you might be working on, or not think about it at all. Endorphin and adrenaline spikes increase energy and feel good. Also, sticking to a program and accomplishing exercise goals is very motivational, which will increase your drive and confidence to accomplish things in other aspects of your life.

Proper Nutrition - as stated earlier, 4 -6 smaller meals a day. Balanced, with a fair amount of protien, a bit of carbs (preferrably unrefined, like veggies, oatmeal etc), and a little fat (poly or mono unsaturated, like in nuts, olive oil, fish oil etc) Try to avoid things with alot of sugar or refined carbs ( breads, pastas, and especially SODA) Basically, you want to keep blood sugar levels stable throughout the day for steady energy levels, things like pop and candy spike it too much, causing uneven energy levels, and increasing bodyfat storage due to higher insulin levels.

Water and Vitamins - Should always be drinking water throughout the day. Most people are dehydrated and they don't even know it because they've never been properly hydrated. As for vitamins, at least some multi vitamins and some vitamin c, every day. Glucosamine and Chrondriton are good for arthritis and joint conditions should you have any.

Time Management - Planning your days as best you can, sometimes a few days in advance, to make sure you have enough time for school, work, studies, exercise, and life in general. This can include cooking meals ahead of time. Also, Have a sketchbook or study materials handy at all times, so you can always be doing something productive should you wind up having to wait 20 minutes to get your haircut or get stuck in crazy traffic or something.

Misc. - Limit intake of coffes and stimulants etc, learn the art of power napping, (it's not about sleeping, it's about closing your eyes and relaxing your mind and body for a short period, like meditation I guess), read something that has nothing to do with work or school, like a biography on Theodore Roosevelt, listen to good music, and don't forget to enjoy life.

Thems some my advices.

[darth massacre]

Exercise.

No matter how tired you feel...its mental and not physical. Drawing saps a lot of mental stamina. So exercise to keep your body in a good physical condition....you'll feel like shit in the beginning but should see results in 2 months.



Another way I use is to work on many things. Your mind don't actually stop to rest...it never does. Some people meditate to reflect on ideas....its a good way if it works for you. I prefer to keep my mind occupied with something else. Like if you're really not productive on this project anymore, do something else. Watch a DVD, forward it to your favourite parts, read a book or magazine, rant on a forum (ie here) and so on. Focus your mind on other things and forget about the troublesome project....you'll be able to face it with a clearer mind later on.



I guess there's no definite way, but a combination of ways might work for you.

[EVIL]

fattkid, dude haha, you ever heard yourself speak, lol, how the hell do you know so mutch bout this stuff.

[fattkid]

Evil - I've been hitting the gym for like 14 years. I used to personal train and be a competitive strength athlete and all that stuff. Sorry for my bad english. I'm Canadian.