These Boots Were Made For Walking

So for the last few posts I’ve been meaning to go back and finish off an idea that I had begun to explain, albeit poorly, but, as you can see, I have not. I know that there is more I could do with it; more I could delve into and explain, yet I find it hard to begin to gather my thoughts and worst of it, it is mainly due to me plain just losing interest.

This got me thinking about other projects that I had walked away from, or plain just lost interest, and the reasons surrounding that. Given that I am also on the cusp of so many new projects, I find myself reflecting on the old ones and whether or not I would go back.

Webcomics, as per their platforms, inevitably become more or less for the audience rather than the writer. Yes it starts with the creator/s, but once it is released into the wilderness that is the internet, it is no longer truly yours. You are, whether you like it or not, now, in part, beholden to your fans, even if it is just one or two.

So when one walks away from a project, you are not just walking away from a potential idea you put time and energy into, you are also walking away from those who support you. At times, the desire to avoid disappointing them is enough to inspire you to churn something out. You feel like the neglectful parent going out for a pack of cigarettes and never coming home.

But sometimes, as creators, we just plain outgrow our projects and ideas. As we expose ourselves not just to our interests, hobbies, education and work (otherwise known as “life”), ideas that seemed solid when you first began them soon become hard to follow through. Maybe the desire is there but you know longer know where to go. Or it could be you have written so much of it you are now bored because there is no longer any fun theorising, rather, all you are left with is the work. And soon you find yourself slipping away. One week turns into a month, then half a year then a decade. As a webcomic creator, you are often unpaid, overlooked and lonely, so, your motivation to create begins to slowly erode.

The reasons from walking away from a work you were once passionate about are many and highly personal. What have been some of the reasons you left a project? Do you think that could ever happen to you? Let us know in the comment section below!