#practice gesture drawing and learn 1 2 and 3 point perspective. You will be able to draw most things. promise.

[cattysapien]

It honestly bothers me when someone is struggling with specific things when drawing and people just say “just practice more” in response. Like. okay? What does that even mean. you can practice the same things for years and still get the same outcome if you don’t know what needs work in particular. At least recommend something specific.

my go to recommendation when people are struggling is to always recommend gesture drawing. it helps with line quality because you learn how to be confident and decisive with your lines… which to me is always the mark of inexperience. you can tell when an artist lacks confidence by their line work. It helps you have better intuition when it comes to proportions, and you start having a better understanding of pleasing silhouettes and poses. it also helps you to loosen up which in turn makes your poses less stiff (which is again the mark of an inexperienced artist to me). stiffness vs fluidity is how you can judge someone's skill level imo. and the best way to combat stiffness is learning how bodies move, which is the whole point of gesture drawing at its core. on top of all of this, you are learning from life instead of learning from other people's drawings. You are training your mind and your body to take in information and draw in extremely short periods of time. and you are learning how to observe a pose as a whole rather than think of them as body parts moving in a vacuum. And also (depending on how long you spend on a pose) you are learning the relationship of light and shadow by simplifying the values in the poses.

Basically you are killing like a hundred birds with one stone by doing maybe 30 mins to an hour of that every day. There are so many videos that explain the process of making great gesture drawings and it’s very accessible information. It’s a great place to start if you feel like you’re stumped with your skill level and in my opinion it’s very fun (in a challenging way).

Love life drawing has some great videos simplifying the elements of gesture drawing and new masters academy has an amazing playlist of timed poses to get you started. if you are struggling improving your skill, trust me on this!

[pi-cat000]

MSA: Take Two (part 6)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Part 7: here

Unsurprisingly, trying to stop 'feeling feelings' is easier said than done, leading to more frustration, which in turn results in more lightning. Arthur is practically a sentient ball of electricity,  bits and pieces of himself jumping uncontrollably all over the place, by the time he finally snaps in annoyance, "Can't you do that red-flashy-eye thing."

His voice is weirdly distorted, disembodied. How is he speaking? He doesn't even have a mouth! Not that he had had one before...but still! A wave of static ripples away, breaking against the van walls.

Mystery snorts, /I could, but this is a good learning experience. / All his fur is sticking upright, a response to the static in the air, puffing, giving the dog a rounded appearance. It would be funny if Arthur weren't so aggravated.

"Is this something I really have to learn right now." Shouldn't he first acquaint himself with the whole 'being dead' thing?

/Yes. The quicker you acclimatise, the happier you will be./

"Or…" Arthur retorts, drawing out the word, "how about I not acclimatise. Didn't want to be happy anyway. Problem solved."

Mystery, sitting at the centre of his mini electric infernal, gives him a critical, unimpressed stare over his tiny dog-sized glassed. Arthur thinks it's odd that he knows what Mystery is doing despite now being a collection of sentient, unformed, Arthur particles. He has no eyes. How is he seeing?

/Try clearing your mind. The less you think, the less you will find yourself preoccupied./ Mystery offers like it is that easy, still sitting, unaffected by the increasingly chaotic environment.

"Meditation," Arthur bemoans, disgruntled and growing increasingly stressed, "Why is the answer always meditation?" A lot of the therapists he'd seen recommended meditative activities and he always sucked at them all.

/Everything new is difficult at first. Trust me in this. / Mystery reiterates patiently, /Now. Clear your mind. /

"You know. 'Clearing your mind' is super vague. How is a person just supposed to stop thinking?"  

Mystery, a little exasperated now, is frowning at Arthur like he's missed the answer to a grade-school level question. Around them, the lightning grows increasingly sporadic and pronounced. He knows he is acting stubborn, but these last few minutes have been a rollercoaster of emotion and it's catching up to him all at once. The regret, sadness, fear, and now helpless frustration all mix together into a discordant mess.  The prospect of meeting Lewis again after so long apart, the realisation that this is his reality, dissatisfaction at not being able to do better. It all competes for his attention.  He wants it to stop. Visions of angry, dead, Lewis, flash past and his soul tightens. No. It's not his fault. Mystery said it was a 'parasitic entity.' He should trust Mystery. Doubt gnaws at this thoughts, festering, fluctuating to regret. Purple flame colours all mind.

/This is not going well./ He registers Mystery's offhand remark and doesn't respond. A  renewed wave of regret crashes into him, whipping away his mind.

/Arthur./ Mystery's voice is loud and intense, pulling him back from the haze of cacophonous emotion, /I know you believe that you hold fault for your recent misfortunes and merely telling you otherwise will not change your thoughts on the matter. However, I would like to say, from my own perspective, that you appear to be handling your circumstances remarkably well. Not many humans can say they transversed the currents of time for the simple purpose of saving a friend, while simultaneously keeping their will and sanity./

As far as pep talks go, it kind of sucks. But, it does give Arthur something else to focus on that's not his recent failures or regrets. He forces his attention back onto Mystery, waiting for whatever else he might say. Now, he finds himself too scattered and disembodied to talk, meaning he must remain in silence.

/Obviously, 'clearing the mind' was insufficient instruction./ Mystery states the obvious. /Instead, I would have you focus on a single point and envision yourself standing on said point. When you find your mind wondering to any distressing subject switch to a new position. /

Unbalanced, and now weirdly exhausted, Arthur follows the instruction. He picks a spot in the van and concentrates. Slowly, he pulls himself together. Bit by bit, the lightning condensed in one place, calming now Arthur's no longer fueling it with self-doubt.  It's a slow process which leaves him fatigued and completely done with everything. When he does manage piece himself together and reconstruct something vaguely human-shaped, he finds himself lying flat on his back, staring up at the van's roof. There are multiple darkened patches where it has been hit by the larger bolts of electricity. Everything is heavy like gravity's been dialled up to eleven.

"Why can't I move?" Arthur asks tiredly, trying and failing to shift any of his limbs.  Just when he thinks he's getting used to one weird ghost quirk, another follows close behind.

/You expended a lot of energy. Do not fear. The paralysis is temporary./ Out the corner of his eye, he sees Mystery approach and proceed to sniff at Arthur's limp arm. 

/Though success can be partly attributed to exhaustion. It is still a success. Congratulations on not completely destabilising./ The sound of claws clicking on metal vibrates near his head. Arthur shoots Mystery a tired glare. A second later, a nose is prodding at his face, snuffling along his hairline.

"Stop that," Arthur finds the energy needed to limply bat at the dog with his arm, "You know it's super weird, right?" An amused snuff of air near his face tells him that Mystery does know and is definitely doing it on purpose.

"I don't think I can do this with Vivi or Lewis around," He comments after a beat, choosing to remain motionless on the ground, too spent to attempt any more movement.

"And I'm not saying it to get out of meeting them either. I really don't think I can control this right now."  If all it took were a few wayward emotions to turn him into an inferno of electric death, then there was no way would be able to safely see Lewis again.

"I'm amazed I didn't accidentality kill all three of them in the Cave." In his rush to save younger Arthur and Lewis, he hadn't even considered the possible adverse effects of lightning on his friends.

Mystery huffs, using a paw to flick the side of his head in a very human-like gesture,  /I will not take that complete lack of faith in my ability as the insult it would be, considering my poor track record. Rest assured, there will be no unsupervised human and ghost interactions until I am 100% satisfied with your control./

"Great," Arthur mutters, too tired to argue further. Maybe later, he would feel more thankful for Mystery's help and guidance. Right now he's exhausted on every level.

"Can I go back into the… my err…" He hesitates because saying the word 'anchor' feels weird and makes everything a little too real, "…thingamajig now.” Surely, he's done enough soul searching for one day.

Mystery doesn't correct his choice of phrasing, instead remarking, /I would ask you to wait a moment longer./

Arthur groans, "A moment longer? Why?"

The answer comes with a loud bang on the van doors. Arthur jolts, twitching, fatigue momentarily forgotten, eyes widening. That can't be who he thinks it is. A familiar voice yells from the other side of the door, immediately proving his suspicion correct.

"Hey. Are you done yet! Hospital visiting hours ended twenty minutes ago!"

That's Vivi.

NOTE: People seem to like this fic so here you go, more Ghost Arthur working through his shit and Mystery trying his best to be supportive.  

Part 7: here

[iolaajoey]

19 things I’ve learnt out of Internship.

To begin, this is from my own perspective and might not apply to individual encounter. Any resemblance to established life principle is purely coincidental.

1. Think before you talk.  Build structure that eventually leads to your object; The line has to be flowing and clear. Think of how you want to be justified; Begin from how it starts, up to the whole idea.

2. Stay interesting.  All the while, audience may get bored from your opinions. Stay in the line of topic at interest and speak of concerning matter only. Speak cohesively and watch your body language, such as tones, facial expression, gestures and language intensity.

3. Know what you’re doing.  Don’t blindly agree to your presumptions. People increase their confidence from numeracy evidence. Have that at the back of your hand as reason why you do what you’re doing. Validate reason in neutral.

4. Be observant and aware.  These two qualities are only to sum up as sensitivity. Asses possibilities and consequences before jumping to the real scenario. What has been done cannot be undone, therefore put thoughts into your action.

5. Be prepared and stay ahead of plan. Prevention is better than cure, just like how insurance exist in any type of form. Spare some space for buffer zone and draw up alternatives.

6. Go through what needs to be gone through. Take steps before levelling up, nothing comes in an instant. Focus and be patience, keep practicing repeatedly. Everything in this world is pretty mundane so bear with it.

7. Regular reflections to achieve consistency. Complacency is a tripping hazard. Check and recheck before making conclusion minimally twice. It is important to stay in control and far from prejudice.

8. Be authentic. Be genuine in words and expressing opinion, standing up for what you think is in your favour/best for any situation and having defence. 

9. Admit strength and work on imperfections.  Acknowledge your strength and use it when needed, work on your weaknesses and be more cautious of your act.

10. Undisturbed state of mind. Stay calm and steer yourself towards a clear path. Take steps and stick to the system that put you off from dangerous zone.

11. Free from prejudice. Be open to feedback and adjust to what deems a better fit but without tarnishing your value completely.

12. Set burning passion on with professionalism on point. Ask yourself what you value most. Set your motivation, draw up your expectations starting from short term to reach long term. Direct your focus to the big picture.

13. Keep sentimentality to yourself and show sympathy when necessary.  Human emotions are valid, it enriches experience and one that differentiates human from Artificial Intelligence (AI). It can also be destructive when it gets out-of-control. Brain on drugs or oxygen-deprived will only let the heart take the course on its whim. Keep matter private; let the mind lead the road you take and the heart to gear your way to the final destination. 

14. Connectivity and creativity. Social beings have a desire to connect. Breaking social barrier and overcoming fear beat the obstacle to express your need. Apply the correct amount of pressure to keep you dynamic and adjustable.

15. Stay grounded. What you can and have, might not be what other can afford. The least you could do to mix around is to stoop down and get along. Understandably, attention is the first step to build relationship. Do so by connecting to be understood. Your need will eventually be spoken itself. Self-praise only says about insecurity. Plus, nobody likes a know-it-all.

16. Patience and being in control. Juveniles are not able to take charge of their emotions, and involve them in decision making. Growing up, set emotion aside and look at physical need first, then satisfy your emotional need.

17. A break when you need. Human is a flawed being whom is full of limitations. Recharge yourself when required through meditation. When tired, take break and never quit, unless the damage is beyond reasonable measure.

18. Stay committed. Take notice of the deadline and plan carefully; everyone has different learning pace so configure datelines to you favour and stick to it. Make sure your effort is up progressively each time you hit the subsequent timeslot.

19. Stay charming. Show respect to earn respect. Resist all temptations and distraction that might slow or delay your action to the end goal. Speak only when necessary because empty vessel speaks the loudest. Only advice when asked. Taking initiative at the wrong spot may send wrong signals and impressions. 

-For anything you wish to have, go for it while you still can with NO EXCUSES-

[oxcoxa]

Getting started

Hi everyone! My name’s Kate. It’s super nice to meet you! I’m an artist and this is my first blog post. I hope this blog will be focused on what I’ve been up to, and more importantly, sharing some of my process and experiences related to the world of illustration. 

Here’s a gif of me introducing myself...!

I thought I’d start out by talking about a fitting subject matter, how to get started on a drawing.

So, how do you get started? There can be a lot of roadblocks in creative work of any kind, and I want to share a few things that help me get going and/or bring a project to completion. When we get started on the process of creative work, we might have a ton of motivation, we might feel inspired, or we might not be feeling it but we are forced to start (either from self-discipline or usually in the case of a client project). 

Acknowledging that this can be a challenging process, there are a few strategies that I use to get through moments of hesitation. 

For me, using one or more of these 5 thought directives can help to jumpstart my imagination and get me through the workday.

1. Activate the blank page.

Some people might call this warming up, but since I may or may not take initial scribbles and sketches all the way to the end of the process, I like to describe it as “activation”. Since I like drawing characters, I’ll usually start by blocking in extremely general shapes and lines that describe a gesture for the character. Since I’m not overly committed to any of these marks at the start, it makes the starting approach a little more manageable. Using an eraser and light pencil marks that don’t push into and damage the paper (if you want really clean lines, don’t leave any dents as it will interrupt your surface), we can play around with emotive poses and postures that describe the body language of the character. If we find a series of lines that we feel work for the drawing, we can begin to commit to those lines and continue building up value over time. Eventually, this will lead to a more realized image that is built on expressive line and bold experimentation. And, added bonus, your hand will be all warmed up too!

2. Look through old sketchbooks and revive old ideas.

Though it can be somewhat painful to leaf through old sketchbooks, it can be worth it when we’ve hit a creative roadblock and need something to re-energize our process. Sometimes, we may find a past drawing that challenges us to re-create it from a - new and improved - present perspective. This can be really empowering because we can, point blank, see where we have improved over time and where we may be stagnant in our quest for artistic improvement. Since we have already had some experience with drawing the subject matter in our old sketch, we can reinforce the lessons we’ve learned since creating the initial drawing. The new drawing is bound to impress upon its completion, since you will be able to see all of your improvements, and this is super satisfying. Sharing the images on social media also promotes your progress as an artist, and will likely serve as inspiration to other artists who aspire to improve as well. Giving back to the community is always good, and you might get some pats on the back along the way!

3. Have faith that things will improve.

Making art is hard. That’s why it takes practice and discipline! As we bolster our skill through day-to-day drawing and painting and take the time to improve how we see the world, our progress may not always be so obvious. It is always really satisfying when a drawing just goes the way we want it to, but that is not always the reality of practice. When we have faith in ourselves and are determined not to give up on our work despite the challenges, we always come out learning something that we will use in the future, whether we like it or not. If a drawing isn’t going the way we planned, it doesn’t mean you won’t learn something along the way about how to achieve your goal in the future. In fact, persistent practice can be a way for us to learn about the specifics of our goals and motivation. Which leads me to my next point...!

4. You do you.

Sometimes people may have strong opinions about who they expect you to be as an artist. My advice is to draw what you want to draw and don’t let anybody bully you into creating work about something other than what you love. It’s great to take on challenges and open up your subject matter when you feel things might be getting stagnant, or if you want to improve on something that doesn’t come naturally to you. But, don’t be bullied into not drawing because someone believes you should only be making one kind of art. You’ll learn leagues more from drawing something, anything, that you are truly interested in, than if you try and force yourself into another person’s idea of who you are as an artist. Sketching can be a way of processing and understanding our thoughts, which otherwise only exist in our mental space. We can begin to understand ourselves, our goals, and our place in the world through this process, so don’t let anyone thwart you or bully you out of it! It’s too valuable and personal of an experience to let someone just take it away.

5.  You don’t always need a purpose or goal.

Related to point 4, we don’t always need a goal to get started. Sometimes creating artwork with a specific meaning behind it can be super motivating, such as in any kind of activist art. But, one of the magical parts of sketching and drawing is that it can reveal things about who we are and what we care about. It can be a way of determining what our goals are and how we might execute them in the future. Listen to your instincts while making work, and let yourself draw from many sources as you go. If we trust ourselves and have patience, we will sort out our goals over time, which can continue to serve us motivation.

Time to get started! Thank you for taking the time to read this blog, and I really hope these tips help you along in your illustration and art journey as much as they have helped me.

Let me know what helps to get you started on an illustration or drawing!

Don’t forget to add me on instagram @oxcoxa, where I frequently post progress videos and finished drawings in all their glory! 

Let me know if you liked this post, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day. Until next time!

[stanprokopenko]

I want to start by saying that I’m not a master at drawing from imagination. Not yet. It’s something I’m working on improving. I spent the first decade as a student learning to draw from observation. Depicting reality as it is in front of me. I got to a point where I was very proud of my observational drawings. Then I tried to draw from imagination and it looked like shit. It’s very frustrating.

So, this is something I’ve been working on lately. I’ve improved a lot at it since I started trying. That’s important – actively trying to improve at it.

BTW, I’m not knocking drawing from observation. I think it’s actually the first step. The first thing we should learn. If we can’t draw our world, how can we expect to invent new ones? Learning to draw from observation will help you draw from imagination. Drawing from observation is very important, but it’s only a portion of what I want to be able to do.

Observation – Learn how to analyze and visualize. Learn how to represent reality.

Memory and Recall – When drawing from imagination, you can only use your memory. Improve your ability to memorize.

Imagination and Creativity – Develop your ability to imagine new things in your head AND to execute them successfully.

Drawing from imagination is kind of the final feat. You definitely can (and should!) practice it from the very beginning of your artistic development, but don’t expect it to fall into place instantly.

It’s hard!

In this video I’ll introduce some exercises that can help you if you’re also trying to develop your ability to draw from imagination.

Drawing from Observation

Understand the basics of art, like gesture, structure, perspective, light & shadow, color theory. Learn how to represent reality on a flat surface. You do this by looking at things, studying them, and trying to copy what you see. If you can’t draw it from reference, there’s no way you’re drawing it from your head.

Exercise #1 – Construct the drawing

When we draw from reference, we tend to use 2-dimensional observation-based drawing methods. We measure angles, compare proportions, observe the contour, observe the negative shapes. We look at the reference as a bunch of shapes, colors, and edges that come together to form a picture. We’re told to flip the photo upside down and pretend it’s not a specific object. Just copy what we see. This is great for developing our ability to see. I recommend doing it.

But this doesn’t help us when drawing from imagination. There’s nothing to measure. No negative shapes to observe. So for this exercise, let’s balance it out by also training with a construction-heavy method. We’re still drawing from observation, but instead of copying the 2-dimensional shapes, we’re breaking down the objects into their simple forms. Pretend the object isn’t there and construct your drawing from scratch, using simple forms as building blocks.

Exercise #2 – Draw it from another angle

Look at an object and try to draw it as if you were looking at it from another angle. This is half observation, half invention. It forces you to think critically and understand the 3D forms. It’s one step further than exercise #1 because now you can’t accidentally revert back to copying what you see. You are forced to construct.

When you’re done, walk around the reference to check your work and make corrections.

You can also do this exercise with 3d objects. Sketchfab has a huge library of 3d models uploaded by their community of artists. Draw an object from another angle and then rotate it to check your work.

Drawing from Memory

When you’re drawing from imagination, really you’re drawing from memory. Your memory of what the world looks like. For some people it’s natural, they’re born with their brain wired a certain way, and their visual memory is amazing. Most of us don’t have that luxury. We have to develop it.

Study subjects you want to draw. Intentionally remember them. If you want to draw people from imagination, you have to memorize anatomy and proportions.

But there’s also unintentional memorization. Your brain puts things into memory as you go through your day. If you strengthen retention, improve your ability to draw from imagination exponentially. One day you can see an interesting building, and a week later draw it from memory perfectly. Well, that’s the goal. Easier said than done. Let’s aim high.

Exercise #3 – Draw from another room

Set up reference in one room. Sit down to draw it in another room. Walk back and forth as you look at the subject and draw it. This forces you to retain angles and shapes for 30 seconds as you walk back and sit down.

Exercise #4 – Draw again from memory

Go on an adventure and find something to draw. Go to a local landmark, the zoo, a park, a burlesque show. Whatever… Draw an object from observation for 5 minutes. Turn away and draw it from memory. Compare it to the reference. Draw it again.

Exercise #5 – Study it then draw from memory

Stare at and study an object for about 3 minutes. Turn away or put your reference away and draw it from memory for about 5 minutes.

Exercise #6 – Quick recall

Try observing for only 5 seconds! Capture images in your head instantly. Then draw it for 1-2 minutes or until you don’t remember anything else. This is useful for drawing things that move.

Exercise #7 – Long-term recall

Study an object for 5 minutes. Draw something else for 10 minutes. Then draw the original object from memory.

Or another version of this exercise.. Go to a cafe and draw what you see. Draw it again from memory when you get home a few hours later. Draw it again the next day. Draw it again three days later, and again a week later. Once more a month later.

If there’s something you want to move from short term to long term memory for permanent storage (e.g. human proportions), you need to repeat the information at increasingly distant intervals. This takes discipline. Don’t look at the reference between intervals. Only after each drawing to check your work.

Drawing from Imagination

Imagination – combining known things in new ways. Coming up with new ideas.

Creativity – Using imagination to produce artistic work. Actually creating something. Not just thinking about it.

If imagination is just combining things in new way, the more you know and experience the more you can connect.

But there’s the problem of actually drawing the things you imagine. Being creative vs having a wild imagination. You’ll have a vivis image in your mind, but when you try to draw it, it looks like crap. What’s the point of a wild imagination if you can’t execute.

Exercise #8 – Draw simple forms

The first step is to be able to draw simple forms from imagination. Imagine boxes and cylinders and draw them from any angle.

Exercise #9 – Draw blobs

We can also try a more raw approach. Rather than drawing super simple boxes, we can start with blobs. Some things are very organic and can’t be reduced to a box. Add cross-contour lines to the blobs to make them 3-dimensional.

Exercise #10 – Invent Light

Invent light and shadow for your boxes and blobs. Decide where the light source is and imagine which planes would be in shadow and which in light. With blobs, imagine where the core shadow would be. Invent the the reflected light, halftones and highlights based on your cross-contour lines.

Practice everything with as much care as if it was what you truly want to draw, because you’re going to take those boxes and blobs and turn them into real things.

Exercise #11 – Find faces in random shapes

Draw a random shape with a fat marker. If you’re drawing digitally, make your brush big and draw a random shape. Turn that shape into a face.

Try drawing a different face with the same random shape.

[comicteaparty]

April 25th-May 1st, 2020 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble  chat that occurred from April 25th, 2020 to May 1st, 2020.  The chat focused on the following question:

What is your warm-up routine before you write or draw something related to your story?

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Honestly? I don’t have a formal warm-up, but I definitely like to have my fingers all warmed-up and ready for lots of typing! I really need to get in the mindspace for the particular image/idea being portrayed, though.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

1) Seek out music that matches the energy of the page, 2) Draw some circles/spirals/hatchmarks to loosen up, 3) Pick the easiest thing on the page and finish it first to build momentum, 4) Repeat Ad Infinitum

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

-listen to music from my playlist -read some fanfics -watch YouTube videos from my subscription -get some tea -stretch/workout -wear my comfiest clothes

CalimonGraal(Fenauriverse)

i'm also another one that listens to music before doing story stuff. (sometimes either is a favorite song/song i'm obsessed with atm or one that matches the current scene)

Eilidh (Lady Changeling)

I usually reread my comic so far and listen to some music I associate with it to get me in the mindset and excited for it

eli [a winged tale]

I have a warm up character to go to! Usually I try for some gestures before getting right back to the panels. It gets the rustiness out of the way for me!

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Ooh I love your warm ups, Eli!

eli [a winged tale]

Thank you! It’s easier for me to get into a routine when I have something fun to draw first (with zero expectations)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I don't always need a warm up, but doing panel borders for HoK makes for an excellent warm up. It gets my brain switch gears to comic mode. Music is great, but I only turn it on for important moments (or illustrations outside of comic). There are certain moods that... recur in important moments in my story, and I have playlists for those. e.g. 'sad emotional intimacy'

eli [a winged tale]

I love how music influences our work! I would love to hear all your playlists if you have them easy to share

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

ooooh @eli [a winged tale] i like the motion in your warmups! They're very fluid and nice to look at @keii’ii (Heart of Keol) Keii, I agree with separating playlists for moods! I usually just group them all in my favourites and mentally search for them

DanitheCarutor

Gosh I'm one of the most boring people. Lol I don't have a routine, I don't need one since I'm always in comic mode. Like, all I ever draw is comic pages. I don't have a script or anything that requires writing, so no need for a warm-up for that. I just jump right into it.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Sounds like you live on the edge which is the opposite of boring 8)

eli [a winged tale]

^

DanitheCarutor

I dunno, it would be cool to do warm-up drawing. That would sure help for gesture/color/anatomy practice. I just don't have the time, a page takes about 4 days to finish without outside distractions, so I have to get to work right away.

eli [a winged tale]

If you can jump right in, that’s great! For me otherwise I just stare at the inks and wish it would colour itself

DanitheCarutor

Ffff I'm like that with dynamic shots where the perspective points are off the page, and I have to tape scrap paper to it, and sometimes my ruler isn't long enough. Working in a traditional medium can be such a pain in the ass sometimes. Lol

This panel is a good example.

Top view perspective lines went way off the page, I hate it.

Anyways, that's my complaint for the day.

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

When I draw warm ups. This was of my 'for practice' comic art. I wanted to practice the vertical scroll storytelling. A lady gets her purse string cut, and the thief runs off. Whenever I want to figure out action scenes, I do little character interactions. It helps me learn more about certain character behavior(edited)

eli [a winged tale]

Nice! Practice comics are great!

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

yeah it's really good too!

it's also a great way to possibly have new stories/series

kinda like.....brainstorming, but applied

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Thank you Eli, Shadow. I try to combine my knowledge of storyboarding, since vertical scroll sequences, are similar to that in some regards.(edited)

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

I.... Don't do warm up. I just... Start drawing(edited)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

dang Holmea you living the risky life

that's brave

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

I am pretty sure of my skill. Should I warm up?? Could be super to start warm ups! I check my mail, find out how we are doing online with our comic and just begin to draw. I guess since I have done it professionally as a 2d animator, and there is not really time to warm up, that I have learned to just start

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

I do warm ups for everything! though what I define as warmups depend on each creator. For me, it begins with stretches and sketching, ill doodle things i need to get out of my head so i'm not distracted by those ideas- they usually involve studies, certain character interactions, or thumbing out pieces I want to tackle later! I may sure to draw everyday to flex that too, so its also important to be able to relax those creative muscles with some pre-work!

also! my warm ups vary with what medium i work in. if Im working in watercolours, i practice fine pencil work and get my lines as loose as possible. when it's comic (so mainly inking) i do what I described above with character studies and what not

kayotics

I’m really bad at remembering to do warm ups. I should.... actually do them more, but the time I have dedicated to drawing is usually pretty limited

Deo101 [Millennium]

Because I usually finish off whatever I had been working on the day before, warmups for me are kind of the process of starting a new piece. All the sketching and thumbing to get my next idea out work pretty well for warming me up, and then I feel ready to go by the time I'm needing to do things like lines. I also get music going that fits the mood of what I'm working on, like lots of people seem to do! I also need to remember to do stretches more :/ And I usually get myself some kind of drink, tea or something, to keep me company while I work ;)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Sounds like you are pretty busy, Kayotic. Yeah warm ups can be a good practice before diving into a big illustration

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Weirdly I don't think I've ever done warmups for illustrations. Only comic work!

Probably because illustrations, I just do them whenever I feel like it, so my brain is already ready (i.e. I don't start if my brain isn't ready)

whereas comic... I can't just wait for my brain to get ready. I need to keep updating it.

Page, Rambler Extraordinaire!

Pro-tip: if you decide to not do anything and procrastinate, you don't have to warm-up!

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

hmm, can't say i've really tried warming up for art before, but i've heard it can really help! What are you guys' art warm up routines?

Deo101 [Millennium]

For me it's just kinda mindless sketching til I hit what it is I wanna be doing

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Make panel borders (not really a routine though, at least I don't think it is)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

When I do watercolor, I usually don't do warm ups unless I'm planning from thumb-> sketch ->color thumbs and figuring out local colors for watercolor then doing my watercolor flats from there

Deo101 [Millennium]

Instead of staring at a blank screen and waiting, making little circles or scribbles or drawing like. Some arms or something til, eventually, my brain thinks we're working and then it's like "ah yes! Here we go!"

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

but digitalllyyyyy I shoullddddddddd

my brain when looking at my comic: "aight time to do the thingy lmao"

Deo101 [Millennium]

If I've already got a sketch waiting to go I can jump right in though

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

idk, I should but my time is usually limited so I haven't done a warm up in a while lmao.

now I have the time, I probably would

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

ohh i see

like some quick sketches

i see how that can help- whenever i'm figure drawing or drawing people in a cafe or something my later ones are always better

how is making panel borders a warm up? don't you have to do that anyways?

Deo101 [Millennium]

Lines with intent! Doesn't matter what the purpose is, same kinda thing as drawing a bunch of straight lines in a row or practicing ellipses a bit

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

It's something I can do with my brain turned off. While I do it, it wakes up the comic-making part of my brain

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

oh ye

Deo101 [Millennium]

Which I'd encourage doing things like drawing a ton of ellipses or straight lines, it gets your hand into the groove so you can draw stuff right the first time

Do I do it often? No But I do encourage it

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

ah i see keii

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

So for me, the panel borders can function like a warmup without being a "ritual." Kinda like if you're... say... hiking, walking from your parking spot to the trailhead can be a warmup even if it's not a ritual and is necessary anyway

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

ooo that's an interesting way of putting it

... man I really should consider warm ups often. I have been touching my sketchbook less and less so lmao

I do find making small thumbs and coloring them in relaxing for me, not sure that count as a warm up but its something I like doing when planning out watercolor illustrations lol

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Relaxing/chilling/ "reward after a long day" arting is also an interesting topic, though not 100% suitable for this week's question...

I find it interesting how a lot of people seem to like, make cute ship doodles, whereas I uhhh

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

lineart is the easiest for me to do though. I don't have to think much about it

maybe i should like line a page as warm up?

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I'll drop some examples in art share in a bit

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

ooh please do(edited)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

That sounds like a good idea! Worth trying

Feather J. Fern

I actually read in a artist self care comic "Draw Stronger: Self Care of Artist" that you are supposed to stretch and stuff before you art so your body is warmed up for long periods of sitting. Things i draw before getting into main art, the one line challenge where you draw something using one line, gesture drawing warm ups, and always becuase it's something I recently been doing, is drawing a thumbs up on a page that I can erase later or keep in a sketchbook as in like "Good job "(edited)

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I don't have a warm-up routine before I sit down and draw / write comics. Besides making a cup of coffee before I dive right in. (edited)

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

I don't follow rules

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

i don't really have any warm up routines. it helps that 3d art is less physically demanding than drawing. during/after my work, i try to look away from the screen and relax my eyes every so often, but i can't think of anything i specifically do before working.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Another dive-right-inner here. I mean, I do loose pencil sketches before putting down lineart, but it's not like a separate warmup drawing before the real one, it's just the start of the real one.

If my brain isn't in "comics mode" and I need to get a page done...I find a nice secluded spot, sit down with the blank sketchbook, and stare at the empty paper until ideas start clicking into place. Unrelated sketches would be a distraction at that point -- same as checking twitter, just one more excuse for my brain to focus on something other than the page.

Used to do the seclusion in local restaurants( whether it's a nice place or just a plastic fast-food table), but obviously that hasn't been an option for a while :/

varethane

My warmup is working eight hours at an unrelated job l-lol

eli [a winged tale]

Haha aw that’s a mood

Miranda

Oh boy do I feel that

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

oh that got real

[krisiunicornio]

For so many of us, it’s easy to show kindness, love, and compassion to others—and a totally different story when it comes being as lovely when we talk to ourselves. These 6 practices will change that.

These six exercises from psychologist Courtney E. Ackerman will help you cultivate and boost self-love, as well as find deeper compassion and appreciation for who you truly are.

One of the most important pieces of living a happy and healthy life is loving yourself. You’ve most likely heard the phrases, “If you can’t love yourself, how can you love anyone else?” and, “If you can’t love yourself, how can anyone else?”

Of course, the implied meaning of these phrases is not entirely accurate, but there is a kernel of truth: It’s hard to have a healthy relationship with anyone else when you don’t have a healthy relationship with yourself.

See also 10 Ways to Love Yourself (More) in the Modern World

6 Ways to Boost Self-Love

If you’ve struggled with showing yourself love, the following exercises will help you boost your self-love and extend understanding, compassion, and forgiveness to yourself. Keep an open mind and give these exercises a try—they just might have a profound effect on how you relate to yourself and to others.

1. Differentiate your inner critic from your authentic self

A key step toward enhancing your self-compassion and self-love is acknowledging your inner critic. This may sound counterintuitive, but it really is very important to be able to determine when your inner critic is speaking and when your optimistic and confident inner self is speaking.

Grab a journal or notebook and open it to a fresh page. Draw a small self-portrait in the center of the page. Don’t worry—it doesn’t matter if it’s good! Next, draw several thought bubbles sprouting out from your portrait. In these thought bubbles, write down your most frequent negative thoughts about yourself. This might be a little painful, but try to push through it. Once you’ve filled in all the bubbles, take a moment to recognize that all of these thoughts come from your inner critic. Label the portrait “My Inner Critic.”

Next, flip the page and do the exercise again, but with a focus on alternate ways to think about each bit of self-criticism. Label the portrait “My Authentic Self.”

Whenever your negative thoughts start crowding out the good ones, return to these two pages to remind yourself that you are not your negative thoughts and that they don’t need to define you.

See also 4 Ways to Take Down Your Inner Critic

2. Start a positive focus group

This may be the most difficult of these exercises, because it requires the commitment of several people; however, it is also one of the most impactful. A “positive focus group” is a group activity that involves each member taking turns as the subject of a discussion of their strengths and positive qualities. Here’s how you do it:

Enlist a group of friends and family members. If you have trouble getting people to agree to it, try reminding them that they will benefit from this exercise as well. Set aside an hour or so (depending on how big your group is) and gather in a comfortable and private space, such as someone’s living room. Choose someone to take the first turn, then engage in a discussion of everything you like about him or her: their strengths, their skills and talents, the qualities that make them a good friend or family member, and anything else you appreciate about them. Repeat until each group member has been the subject of the discussion.

If this sounds uncomfortable to you, then you’re probably one of those who stands to benefit the most from it! When you have low self-esteem and don’t show yourself enough love, it’s vital that you learn to recognize the good in yourself and believe in the positive things others say about you.

Create and write down self-love affirmations to create more compassion for yourself.

3. Create self-love affirmations

You may have already come up with some affirmations to boost your confidence, but you can also come up with some additional affirmations to enhance your self-love. Follow these guidelines to create effective self-love affirmations.

Write your affirmation in the present tense. Focus on accepting yourself for who you are, right here and now. Show yourself love in your current state.

Use a first-person perspective. Don’t write statements about yourself as if you were someone else; write them from your own point of view. Here are a few good examples of self-love affirmations:

I am a good person.

I am worthy of love and respect.

I accept and love myself exactly as I am.

Repeat your affirmations at least once a day. It can be helpful to set a time of day for your affirmations to make sure you always remember to do them. Many people repeat their affirmations in the morning to get a boost of self-love for the rest of their day. If at any point you feel yourself lagging in self-love during the day, go ahead and repeat them again. Don’t worry about overdoing it—you’re in no danger of developing too much self-love.

See also 4 Ways to Practice Compassion in a Pinch

4. Commit to the equality principle

If someone asked you whether you believe that all people are equal, what would you say? You’d probably say yes, right? But you’ve also probably had plenty of negative thoughts about yourself, like, “I’m not as good as her,” or “They’re so much better than I am,” or even, “I don’t deserve to have what she has.” Everyone has these thoughts at some point, but it’s unhealthy to think them too often.

To neutralize these negative thoughts and shift how you see yourself, try committing to the equality principle wholeheartedly. The equality principle is the principle that we are all equally human and deserving of dignity, love, and happiness—including you!

On days when you’re feeling particularly down, it might be tempting to make an exception for yourself—but remember that the equality principle has no exceptions. If everyone is deserving of love and happiness, you are deserving too.

If you’re having trouble embracing this principle and accepting that there are no exceptions, try this technique: picture a dear friend or beloved family member, and remind yourself that since there are no exceptions, you are just as deserving of good things as they are. It’s harder to keep up the negative thoughts when you have to apply them to someone you love!

See also 5 Ways to Infuse Your Self-Talk with Self-Love

Place your hands over your heart and rest them for a few deep breaths.

5. Give yourself a loving touch

We often show others we love them through touch. We give our friends and family members hugs, kiss them on the cheek, hold hands with our significant other, and give back rubs or neck massages when we’re feeling especially generous. This physical gesture of love can be extended to yourself too!

The next time you’re feeling upset, sad, or worried, soothe yourself with a loving touch. Try any of the following, or go with whatever works best for you:

• Place one or both hands over your heart and rest them there for a few deep breaths.

• Give yourself a hug by placing your hands on your shoulders.

• Use one hand to gently hold the other.

• Stroke one arm with your opposite hand for a few minutes.

• Place a hand on each cheek and gently cradle your face.

• Wrap your hands around your belly and give a gentle squeeze.

• Run your nails lightly down your neck and/or over your shoulders.

You may feel a little silly or self-conscious at first, but these are excellent ways to show yourself a little bit of love.

6. Repeat self-love mantras

To carry your sense of self-love with you all day, wherever you go, try coming up with a mantra—words, phrases, or short sentences that help keep you focused on the things that matter to you. They’re similar to affirmations, except affirmations are about boosting self-love through self-acceptance. Mantras generally come from a doing perspective—they are focused on what you’re capable of—while affirmations come from more of a being perspective.

When coming up with your mantra, follow these simple guidelines: Your mantra can be anything from one word to several sentences, but generally the shorter the better. Your mantra should remind you of something you’ve accomplished or something you are good at. It should also make you feel good about yourself. For example, if you’re proud of your success in beating a drug addiction or healing from a major injury, you might choose a mantra like, I have overcome obstacles before. I will overcome obstacles again—or even just Overcome.

Keep this mantra a secret tool for your use only, a special thing that you share only with yourself. Bring it out whenever you’re struggling with fear, anxiety, anger, restlessness, or any other difficult situation or emotion, and allow it to remind you of where you’ve come from, where you’ve been, and where you’re going.

See also 5 Ways To Practice Compassion—and Get Better at It

My Pocket Positivity by Courtney Ackerman.

Excerpted from My Pocket Positivity by Courtney Ackerman Copyright © 2018 Adams Media, a division of Simon and Schuster. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Courtney E. Ackerman is a researcher and author of 5-Minute Bliss and My Pocket Positivity. She has a master’s degree in positive organizational psychology and evaluation from Claremont Graduate University in California. When she’s not working, she’s usually spending time with her dogs, reading books, visiting a nearby winery, or playing video games with her husband.

[amyddaniels]

These 6 Simple Exercises Can Help You Cultivate More Compassion For Yourself

For so many of us, it’s easy to show kindness, love, and compassion to others—and a totally different story when it comes being as lovely when we talk to ourselves. These 6 practices will change that.

These six exercises from psychologist Courtney E. Ackerman will help you cultivate and boost self-love, as well as find deeper compassion and appreciation for who you truly are.

One of the most important pieces of living a happy and healthy life is loving yourself. You’ve most likely heard the phrases, “If you can’t love yourself, how can you love anyone else?” and, “If you can’t love yourself, how can anyone else?”

Of course, the implied meaning of these phrases is not entirely accurate, but there is a kernel of truth: It’s hard to have a healthy relationship with anyone else when you don’t have a healthy relationship with yourself.

See also 10 Ways to Love Yourself (More) in the Modern World

6 Ways to Boost Self-Love

If you’ve struggled with showing yourself love, the following exercises will help you boost your self-love and extend understanding, compassion, and forgiveness to yourself. Keep an open mind and give these exercises a try—they just might have a profound effect on how you relate to yourself and to others.

1. Differentiate your inner critic from your authentic self

A key step toward enhancing your self-compassion and self-love is acknowledging your inner critic. This may sound counterintuitive, but it really is very important to be able to determine when your inner critic is speaking and when your optimistic and confident inner self is speaking.

Grab a journal or notebook and open it to a fresh page. Draw a small self-portrait in the center of the page. Don’t worry—it doesn’t matter if it’s good! Next, draw several thought bubbles sprouting out from your portrait. In these thought bubbles, write down your most frequent negative thoughts about yourself. This might be a little painful, but try to push through it. Once you’ve filled in all the bubbles, take a moment to recognize that all of these thoughts come from your inner critic. Label the portrait “My Inner Critic.”

Next, flip the page and do the exercise again, but with a focus on alternate ways to think about each bit of self-criticism. Label the portrait “My Authentic Self.”

Whenever your negative thoughts start crowding out the good ones, return to these two pages to remind yourself that you are not your negative thoughts and that they don’t need to define you.

See also 4 Ways to Take Down Your Inner Critic

2. Start a positive focus group

This may be the most difficult of these exercises, because it requires the commitment of several people; however, it is also one of the most impactful. A “positive focus group” is a group activity that involves each member taking turns as the subject of a discussion of their strengths and positive qualities. Here’s how you do it:

Enlist a group of friends and family members. If you have trouble getting people to agree to it, try reminding them that they will benefit from this exercise as well. Set aside an hour or so (depending on how big your group is) and gather in a comfortable and private space, such as someone’s living room. Choose someone to take the first turn, then engage in a discussion of everything you like about him or her: their strengths, their skills and talents, the qualities that make them a good friend or family member, and anything else you appreciate about them. Repeat until each group member has been the subject of the discussion.

If this sounds uncomfortable to you, then you’re probably one of those who stands to benefit the most from it! When you have low self-esteem and don’t show yourself enough love, it’s vital that you learn to recognize the good in yourself and believe in the positive things others say about you.

Create and write down self-love affirmations to create more compassion for yourself.

3. Create self-love affirmations

You may have already come up with some affirmations to boost your confidence, but you can also come up with some additional affirmations to enhance your self-love. Follow these guidelines to create effective self-love affirmations.

Write your affirmation in the present tense. Focus on accepting yourself for who you are, right here and now. Show yourself love in your current state.

Use a first-person perspective. Don’t write statements about yourself as if you were someone else; write them from your own point of view. Here are a few good examples of self-love affirmations:

I am a good person.

I am worthy of love and respect.

I accept and love myself exactly as I am.

Repeat your affirmations at least once a day. It can be helpful to set a time of day for your affirmations to make sure you always remember to do them. Many people repeat their affirmations in the morning to get a boost of self-love for the rest of their day. If at any point you feel yourself lagging in self-love during the day, go ahead and repeat them again. Don’t worry about overdoing it—you’re in no danger of developing too much self-love.

See also 4 Ways to Practice Compassion in a Pinch

4. Commit to the equality principle

If someone asked you whether you believe that all people are equal, what would you say? You’d probably say yes, right? But you’ve also probably had plenty of negative thoughts about yourself, like, “I’m not as good as her,” or “They’re so much better than I am,” or even, “I don’t deserve to have what she has.” Everyone has these thoughts at some point, but it’s unhealthy to think them too often.

To neutralize these negative thoughts and shift how you see yourself, try committing to the equality principle wholeheartedly. The equality principle is the principle that we are all equally human and deserving of dignity, love, and happiness—including you!

On days when you’re feeling particularly down, it might be tempting to make an exception for yourself—but remember that the equality principle has no exceptions. If everyone is deserving of love and happiness, you are deserving too.

If you’re having trouble embracing this principle and accepting that there are no exceptions, try this technique: picture a dear friend or beloved family member, and remind yourself that since there are no exceptions, you are just as deserving of good things as they are. It’s harder to keep up the negative thoughts when you have to apply them to someone you love!

See also 5 Ways to Infuse Your Self-Talk with Self-Love

Place your hands over your heart and rest them for a few deep breaths.

5. Give yourself a loving touch

We often show others we love them through touch. We give our friends and family members hugs, kiss them on the cheek, hold hands with our significant other, and give back rubs or neck massages when we’re feeling especially generous. This physical gesture of love can be extended to yourself too!

The next time you’re feeling upset, sad, or worried, soothe yourself with a loving touch. Try any of the following, or go with whatever works best for you:

• Place one or both hands over your heart and rest them there for a few deep breaths.

• Give yourself a hug by placing your hands on your shoulders.

• Use one hand to gently hold the other.

• Stroke one arm with your opposite hand for a few minutes.

• Place a hand on each cheek and gently cradle your face.

• Wrap your hands around your belly and give a gentle squeeze.

• Run your nails lightly down your neck and/or over your shoulders.

You may feel a little silly or self-conscious at first, but these are excellent ways to show yourself a little bit of love.

6. Repeat self-love mantras

To carry your sense of self-love with you all day, wherever you go, try coming up with a mantra—words, phrases, or short sentences that help keep you focused on the things that matter to you. They’re similar to affirmations, except affirmations are about boosting self-love through self-acceptance. Mantras generally come from a doing perspective—they are focused on what you’re capable of—while affirmations come from more of a being perspective.

When coming up with your mantra, follow these simple guidelines: Your mantra can be anything from one word to several sentences, but generally the shorter the better. Your mantra should remind you of something you’ve accomplished or something you are good at. It should also make you feel good about yourself. For example, if you’re proud of your success in beating a drug addiction or healing from a major injury, you might choose a mantra like, I have overcome obstacles before. I will overcome obstacles again—or even just Overcome.

Keep this mantra a secret tool for your use only, a special thing that you share only with yourself. Bring it out whenever you’re struggling with fear, anxiety, anger, restlessness, or any other difficult situation or emotion, and allow it to remind you of where you’ve come from, where you’ve been, and where you’re going.

See also 5 Ways To Practice Compassion—and Get Better at It

My Pocket Positivity by Courtney Ackerman.

Excerpted from My Pocket Positivity by Courtney Ackerman Copyright © 2018 Adams Media, a division of Simon and Schuster. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Courtney E. Ackerman is a researcher and author of 5-Minute Bliss and My Pocket Positivity. She has a master’s degree in positive organizational psychology and evaluation from Claremont Graduate University in California. When she’s not working, she’s usually spending time with her dogs, reading books, visiting a nearby winery, or playing video games with her husband.

[remedialmassage]

These 6 Simple Exercises Can Help You Cultivate More Compassion For Yourself

For so many of us, it’s easy to show kindness, love, and compassion to others—and a totally different story when it comes being as lovely when we talk to ourselves. These 6 practices will change that.

These six exercises from psychologist Courtney E. Ackerman will help you cultivate and boost self-love, as well as find deeper compassion and appreciation for who you truly are.

One of the most important pieces of living a happy and healthy life is loving yourself. You’ve most likely heard the phrases, “If you can’t love yourself, how can you love anyone else?” and, “If you can’t love yourself, how can anyone else?”

Of course, the implied meaning of these phrases is not entirely accurate, but there is a kernel of truth: It’s hard to have a healthy relationship with anyone else when you don’t have a healthy relationship with yourself.

See also 10 Ways to Love Yourself (More) in the Modern World

6 Ways to Boost Self-Love

If you’ve struggled with showing yourself love, the following exercises will help you boost your self-love and extend understanding, compassion, and forgiveness to yourself. Keep an open mind and give these exercises a try—they just might have a profound effect on how you relate to yourself and to others.

1. Differentiate your inner critic from your authentic self

A key step toward enhancing your self-compassion and self-love is acknowledging your inner critic. This may sound counterintuitive, but it really is very important to be able to determine when your inner critic is speaking and when your optimistic and confident inner self is speaking.

Grab a journal or notebook and open it to a fresh page. Draw a small self-portrait in the center of the page. Don’t worry—it doesn’t matter if it’s good! Next, draw several thought bubbles sprouting out from your portrait. In these thought bubbles, write down your most frequent negative thoughts about yourself. This might be a little painful, but try to push through it. Once you’ve filled in all the bubbles, take a moment to recognize that all of these thoughts come from your inner critic. Label the portrait “My Inner Critic.”

Next, flip the page and do the exercise again, but with a focus on alternate ways to think about each bit of self-criticism. Label the portrait “My Authentic Self.”

Whenever your negative thoughts start crowding out the good ones, return to these two pages to remind yourself that you are not your negative thoughts and that they don’t need to define you.

See also 4 Ways to Take Down Your Inner Critic

2. Start a positive focus group

This may be the most difficult of these exercises, because it requires the commitment of several people; however, it is also one of the most impactful. A “positive focus group” is a group activity that involves each member taking turns as the subject of a discussion of their strengths and positive qualities. Here’s how you do it:

Enlist a group of friends and family members. If you have trouble getting people to agree to it, try reminding them that they will benefit from this exercise as well. Set aside an hour or so (depending on how big your group is) and gather in a comfortable and private space, such as someone’s living room. Choose someone to take the first turn, then engage in a discussion of everything you like about him or her: their strengths, their skills and talents, the qualities that make them a good friend or family member, and anything else you appreciate about them. Repeat until each group member has been the subject of the discussion.

If this sounds uncomfortable to you, then you’re probably one of those who stands to benefit the most from it! When you have low self-esteem and don’t show yourself enough love, it’s vital that you learn to recognize the good in yourself and believe in the positive things others say about you.

Create and write down self-love affirmations to create more compassion for yourself.

3. Create self-love affirmations

You may have already come up with some affirmations to boost your confidence, but you can also come up with some additional affirmations to enhance your self-love. Follow these guidelines to create effective self-love affirmations.

Write your affirmation in the present tense. Focus on accepting yourself for who you are, right here and now. Show yourself love in your current state.

Use a first-person perspective. Don’t write statements about yourself as if you were someone else; write them from your own point of view. Here are a few good examples of self-love affirmations:

I am a good person.

I am worthy of love and respect.

I accept and love myself exactly as I am.

Repeat your affirmations at least once a day. It can be helpful to set a time of day for your affirmations to make sure you always remember to do them. Many people repeat their affirmations in the morning to get a boost of self-love for the rest of their day. If at any point you feel yourself lagging in self-love during the day, go ahead and repeat them again. Don’t worry about overdoing it—you’re in no danger of developing too much self-love.

See also 4 Ways to Practice Compassion in a Pinch

4. Commit to the equality principle

If someone asked you whether you believe that all people are equal, what would you say? You’d probably say yes, right? But you’ve also probably had plenty of negative thoughts about yourself, like, “I’m not as good as her,” or “They’re so much better than I am,” or even, “I don’t deserve to have what she has.” Everyone has these thoughts at some point, but it’s unhealthy to think them too often.

To neutralize these negative thoughts and shift how you see yourself, try committing to the equality principle wholeheartedly. The equality principle is the principle that we are all equally human and deserving of dignity, love, and happiness—including you!

On days when you’re feeling particularly down, it might be tempting to make an exception for yourself—but remember that the equality principle has no exceptions. If everyone is deserving of love and happiness, you are deserving too.

If you’re having trouble embracing this principle and accepting that there are no exceptions, try this technique: picture a dear friend or beloved family member, and remind yourself that since there are no exceptions, you are just as deserving of good things as they are. It’s harder to keep up the negative thoughts when you have to apply them to someone you love!

See also 5 Ways to Infuse Your Self-Talk with Self-Love

Place your hands over your heart and rest them for a few deep breaths.

5. Give yourself a loving touch

We often show others we love them through touch. We give our friends and family members hugs, kiss them on the cheek, hold hands with our significant other, and give back rubs or neck massages when we’re feeling especially generous. This physical gesture of love can be extended to yourself too!

The next time you’re feeling upset, sad, or worried, soothe yourself with a loving touch. Try any of the following, or go with whatever works best for you:

• Place one or both hands over your heart and rest them there for a few deep breaths.

• Give yourself a hug by placing your hands on your shoulders.

• Use one hand to gently hold the other.

• Stroke one arm with your opposite hand for a few minutes.

• Place a hand on each cheek and gently cradle your face.

• Wrap your hands around your belly and give a gentle squeeze.

• Run your nails lightly down your neck and/or over your shoulders.

You may feel a little silly or self-conscious at first, but these are excellent ways to show yourself a little bit of love.

6. Repeat self-love mantras

To carry your sense of self-love with you all day, wherever you go, try coming up with a mantra—words, phrases, or short sentences that help keep you focused on the things that matter to you. They’re similar to affirmations, except affirmations are about boosting self-love through self-acceptance. Mantras generally come from a doing perspective—they are focused on what you’re capable of—while affirmations come from more of a being perspective.

When coming up with your mantra, follow these simple guidelines: Your mantra can be anything from one word to several sentences, but generally the shorter the better. Your mantra should remind you of something you’ve accomplished or something you are good at. It should also make you feel good about yourself. For example, if you’re proud of your success in beating a drug addiction or healing from a major injury, you might choose a mantra like, I have overcome obstacles before. I will overcome obstacles again—or even just Overcome.

Keep this mantra a secret tool for your use only, a special thing that you share only with yourself. Bring it out whenever you’re struggling with fear, anxiety, anger, restlessness, or any other difficult situation or emotion, and allow it to remind you of where you’ve come from, where you’ve been, and where you’re going.

See also 5 Ways To Practice Compassion—and Get Better at It

My Pocket Positivity by Courtney Ackerman.

Excerpted from My Pocket Positivity by Courtney Ackerman Copyright © 2018 Adams Media, a division of Simon and Schuster. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Courtney E. Ackerman is a researcher and author of 5-Minute Bliss and My Pocket Positivity. She has a master’s degree in positive organizational psychology and evaluation from Claremont Graduate University in California. When she’s not working, she’s usually spending time with her dogs, reading books, visiting a nearby winery, or playing video games with her husband.

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