The Enduring Quest: Unfinished Creative Projects and What It Takes to Complete Them

The pursuit of creative projects often leaves us with unfinished works that, while incomplete, offer valuable learning experiences. In this article, we explore a series of projects left unfinished and the reasons behind their discontinuation, as well as what it would take to see them through to completion.

The First Web-Comic: A Web-Comedian's Tale

My first serious creative project was a web-comic. Conceived for a forum role-playing (RP) character, it was inspired by a webcomic known as the basis-comic. This comic is a fascinating blend of original content and community engagement. After a year-long journey, producing just over a page per week of full-color work, I faced challenges and decided to abandon it.

One of the major issues was the evolving story line of the basis-comic, which invalidated my initial ideas. Additionally, shifts in the canon significantly impacted the direction I had planned. Despite the initial enthusiasm and the community's support, I had learned a lot about comic artistry during this time. Items like speech balloon placement, page layout, typesetting, storyboarding, and frame composition were all new challenges. It was an incredibly educational experience, even though it only spanned about a fraction of the original storyline.

Key Learnings: The experience taught me the importance of adapting to feedback and the value of a supportive community. It also highlighted the necessity of a clear and concise storyline when presenting your work to a community.

The Fantasy Steampunk Project: A Story Untold

My second project, a fantasy steampunk web-comic, only lasted a brief seven pages. The venture was ultimately abandoned because the story was destined to take about fifteen years to tell, a period that wasn't appealing to me. Moreover, the uniqueness of the project lacked the supportive community that could have provided valuable feedback and made the experience more enriching.

Despite its short run, this project was very valuable. It pushed me to make significant breakthroughs in page layout, visual storytelling, and frame composition. This improved my confidence in my artistic abilities and solidified my love for India ink and drawing in pen. The black and white/BW/grayscale visuals were a stark contrast to my usual work and this project helped me hone my skills in visual storytelling.

Key Learnings: Drawing in pen and maintaining consistent visual style throughout a project are crucial. Engaging with a supportive community can greatly enhance the learning and creative processes.

The MLPfim OC Ask Blog: A Community's Passion

My third project was an MLPfim “OC Ask Blog,” another original character (OC) web-comic. The basic concept was to create a blog where readers could submit questions, which would be answered through artwork. This was a challenging transition as I moved away from my usual style to one more aligned with “true to the show.”

The project required a significant amount of worldbuilding and concept development. The community was vibrant and provided tons of feedback, which was incredibly valuable. However, the ongoing developments in the canonical storyline meant that my storyline would require about eight years to fully develop. Given my current pace and the refinement of my skills, it seemed more logical to move on. I feel that I got tired of 'playing in someone else’s sandbox.'

Traumatic events in my life (a stroke and subsequent medical issues) led to a prolonged hiatus. It is only in recent times that I am slowly rebuilding my skills and returning to this project.

Key Learnings: Balancing worldbuilding with a clear and concise storyline and having a community that supports and challenges you are key to success in these endeavors. Humility and gratitude for the constructive feedback from the community can significantly enhance the learning curve and the project's outcome.

Lessons Learned: The Value of Persistence and Adaptation

While these projects may never be completed in the traditional sense, they have been incredibly valuable in skill development and learning. The effort and resources invested in these projects have not been wasted. Each project built upon the next, and the dead ends revealed nuances and opportunities for growth.

For anyone looking to complete their own creative projects, here are some key takeaways:

Feedback and Flexibility: Be open to feedback and flexible with your initial ideas. Communities and mentors can provide critical insights that guide the project in more productive directions. Skill Development: Focus on developing key skills like typesetting, storytelling, visual composition, and worldbuilding. This will ensure a more polished and coherent final product. Community Engagement: Engage with a supportive community that can provide constructive feedback and encouragement. This will make the learning process more enjoyable and fulfilling. Resilience: Resilience is crucial in the face of setbacks and challenges. Don't be afraid to take breaks or pivot your project when necessary. Adaptation: Be willing to adapt your initial vision and ideas as you learn and grow. Sometimes the most significant insights come from the process of creation.

Each of these projects has its own story and unique set of challenges. However, the common theme is the importance of persistence, adaptability, and community engagement. Whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting out, these lessons can help guide your journey and ensure that your creative projects, even the unfinished ones, are meaningful and impactful.

By embracing the challenges and learning from each project, you can continue to grow as a creator and complete your next big project. So, what project have you left unfinished? What would it take for you to complete it?