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Jonara Academy

Getting frustrated about your work is actually great

When you look at other Illustration accounts, do you often feel you are so behind and have so much to learn? Do you know how to stop feeling overwhelmed and take action? Check these 8 points!

1. You can’t get the result you want

We all have been there.

You have an amazing idea for an illustration, you sit to draw and all you see is:

  • lack of proportion
  • weird colors
  • an overall feeling that something is off

You erase a thousand times, start again.

But you still can’t get the result you want.

2. Things work in your mind, but not on paper

When you have an idea, it looks like you can do something great!

You feel confident!

But as soon as you start drawing you can see clearly it doesn’t work.

You close your eyes and try to remember how it worked in your mind.

But things are blurred now.

You can’t connect imagination with reality.

3. Your work is not as good as the other artists

You decide to search for more references.

The work of other artists look so much better than yours.

So. Much. Better.

You can’t even explain why it’s better. You just feel humiliated and feel you want to give up.

4. You just can’t do it, it’s so frustrating

You feel so small and distant from your goal.

It seems easier to just give up of everything.

When there is so much to improve, the whole challenge seems impossible.

5. What you want to do is different from what you can do

You want to do more and better than what you are doing now.

That means:

you can see potential in yourself for growing.

You can see there are lot of possibilities to improve.

You are just not able yet.

6. This lack of satisfaction is actually great!

It’s easy to focus just on the moment and forget the big picture.

Looking at the present, all you can see is that you can’t have the result you want.

Actually what you found was an opportunity to grow and now you can make a choice.

You can choose to improve!

7. Acknowledging your standards are higher than your skills is the first step to success

When you are 100% satisfied with your work, there is no need to improve.

You are comfortable and your work is on a plateau. There is nothing wrong with that!

But if you feel your work is behind, that’s because your mind is ahead!

So congratulations, you are on the way for progress!

8. Choose just one skill to focus at a time

What makes you overwhelmed is the feeling that everything needs improvement.

Focus on one thing.

There are many areas to improve:

  • colors
  • composition
  • linework
  • proportion
  • texture
  • storytelling

Choose just one!

On the next posts I’m going to speak more about how to chose one skill to improve, what to consider and how to measure your progress. Follow me for more tips!

Thank you so much for reading! All photography courtesy of @rf._.studio

Categories
Jonara Academy

8 good habits for working from home

With one year of experience since the pandemic started, we should be all expert in the art of working from home.

But I feel there is always something we can improve and new tricks to be efficient are always welcome. Do you feel the same?

Here I share my good habits for working from home, I hope to hear from yours too!

1. Start the night before

Would you like to have a peaceful morning?

Start the day before:

  • Choose your clothes
  • Plan what tasks you will accomplish the next day

Waking up in the morning knowing exactly what to do gives me great peace of mind and motivation to start working.

Image: Anna Shvets

2. Get dressed and ready

Are you tired of running crazy when you have to an unexpected video call?

Stop embarrassing yourself:

  • Fix your hair and face first thing in the morning
  • Dress something comfortable but professional

When I dress professionally I feel my whole day is more productive and I love being ready in case I need to run a last minute errand or call someone on video

Image: Cottonbro

3. Clean your workspace

Got your work papers mixed with your bills and shopping lists again?

Do one thing at a time:

  • File the papers you already finished working with
  • Have a separate pile for papers not related to work

When my desk is clean and organized I don’t waste time time searching for anything. I like to clean and file papers as soon as I finish each task.

Image: Michael Burrows

4. Avoid being interrupted

Can’t focus on anything while working from home?

Stop stopping for everything:

  • If possible, ask your family to don’t enter in the room where you are working
  • Turn off notifications from all your apps

If everything fails and you still keep getting interrupted, try to do the “hard work” very early in the morning, before everybody wakes up

Image: Lascot Studio

5. Follow a schedule

Don’t have time to start or time to end your work?

Work smart, not hard:

  • Divide your day into blocks of tasks
  • Don’t stay on social media during your “production time” block!

Booking blocks of tasks is the best way to make sure I’m focused and I won’t skip important obligations

Image: Anete Lusina

6. Have a decent lunch

Are you eating in front of your computer or mobile?

Take a break to eat healthy:

  • Make a beautiful plate and look at your food instead of looking at a screen
  • Enjoy every bite and think about nutrition

Spending the whole day seated and eating from a box in front of the screen is the fastest way to lose energy and get stressed. It’s good to pause for eating!

Image: Valeria Boltneva

7. Connect with your online community

Do you spend days without talking to a human being?

Keep in touch with reality:

  • Video call friends from your industry and catch up
  • Interact with other professionals and increase your network online

While it’s nicer meeting colleagues for a coffee in person, online meetings are a true necessity during these pandemic times, don’t get isolated from your industry.

Image: Ivan Samkov

8. Know when to stop

Do you feel guilty when you are not producing?

Even machines need maintenance time!

  • Finish your work on a decent time, organize for next day and let it go
  • Plan relaxing and fun activities for your weekend.

If I’m productive in my “productive blocks” I feel I earned the right to rest and I relax guilty free. However not always we are productive and that’s ok! Relax now and organize better for tomorrow.

Image: Sam Lion

I hope you are having a great time in your home office. I love working from home and I feel I’m getting better at it! My main tips are:

  • Start the night before
  • Get dressed and ready
  • Clean your workspace
  • Avoid being interrupted
  • Follow a schedule
  • Have a decent lunch
  • Connect with your online community
  • Know when to stop

How about you? Tell me a tip on the comments!

Categories
Jonara Academy

5 ways I improved my feed in the last 5 years

Many people start social media accounts and have no idea how to organize their posts or how to create a consistent presentation. Social media is everywhere and we are naturally attracted by high quality images and good quality content. In the last 5 years I improved the quality of my Instagram feed and I would like to share my tips.

All creators can benefit from a beautiful and organized feed. If you don’t know where to start, here are my tips.

1. Give a nice presentation

It can be the most beautiful drawing in the world, if your picture is dark, blurred and missing details, nobody will notice you.

2. Learn to use colors

Images in black and white are captivating but colors transmit emotions. If you don’t want to add color to your artworks, at least use colorful frames from time to time.

3. Try different techniques

Experimenting something new will boost your creativity and improve the quality of your work

4. Use your imagination

Copying other works and drawing from observation are important tools for learning but creating something new and showing your own vision of the world is what really makes your work pop

5. Give some air

Too many pictures in the same style can get a bit tiring. Alternate the way you show your creations, zoom on details, show your work space and make things more attractive.

Bonus: Show your face

People love to see who you are! From time to time show your face, your process and your opinions. Make it personal and really connect with people. It’s a social media space, not just a portfolio, so be social.

Did you like these tips?

Share with that friend who is just staring in art!