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Draw Stronger: Self-Care For Cartoonists and Other Visual Artists
Finally, Draw Longer, Draw Stronger is here! You’re a cartoonist. You take care of yourself to prevent drawing injuries. You do your stretches, take regular breaks, and draw with perfect posture. What happens? You start experiencing pain when you draw anyway! A perfect example of bad things happening to good people. What should you do? Go to the doctor if it’s serious. But, if it’s a minor injury, go to your bookshelf and start reading Draw Longer, Draw Stronger! This little tome can be used to help reduce discomfort until you see a healthcare professional, or it can provide guidelines for managing mild drawing injuries that don’t require medical attention. Explore Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation Therapy (R.I.C.E. Therapy) from the perspective of a committed drawer, learn some tips for understanding your pain, avoid worsening your injuries, and more!
200 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2018
19 people are currently reading
728 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
April 4, 2018
If you are a cartoonist, visual artist, or just frequently work with your hands, you are going to want to pick up a copy of Draw Stronger by Kriota Willberg. It’s a beautifully illustrated guide and packed with all you need to know about self-care as an artist. There are a variety of tips, advice, and steps to take better care of your hands and body overall. You’ll find practical advice, like keeping in mind better posture, taking breaks, and caring for your hands with stretches and acknowledging your body when there are signals you need to rest or see a physician.
The creative process is time-consuming and a lot of the time people tend to neglect their bodies and caring for themselves because they get so absorbed into their work, but this little guide is thoughtful and informative. It’s the perfect self-care reminder to help you take better care and sustain a pain-free life while doing what you love–even us book bloggers!
The creative process is time-consuming and a lot of the time people tend to neglect their bodies and caring for themselves because they get so absorbed into their work, but this little guide is thoughtful and informative. It’s the perfect self-care reminder to help you take better care and sustain a pain-free life while doing what you love–even us book bloggers!
May 1, 2018
A useful, and humorously self-aware, guide to healthy practices for cartoonists. But its practically goes beyond artists.
May 14, 2025
This is a great primer for any artists who are experiencing drawing pains and are looking for exercises and ergonomic tips to help with that!
May 23, 2018
Draw all day? You need this book.
Funny and easy to digest overview of art injuries, pain management, work habits, with a whole section on exercises and stretches.
Funny and easy to digest overview of art injuries, pain management, work habits, with a whole section on exercises and stretches.
August 24, 2018
Required reading for every cartoonist! I’m so glad Uncivilized Books collected these minicomics into book form to help bring Kriota’s invaluable comics to a wider audience
June 30, 2021
All artists should read this book!
June 1, 2018
This is a quick but very informative read--and a must-have for artists of all types. I write, draw, paint, knit, sew, and read a lot. My lifestyle is so sedentary that after I walked 15K steps in a day while on vacation, I was surprised that my Fitbit didn't call 911 to report itself stolen by an active person. I've just recently gotten over a series of miserable back spasms brought about by a combination of poorly positioned desk and chair, and a weekend of marathon drawing. This little book was recommended by an artist I follow on YouTube, and I'm so glad that I took her advice. I'm incorporating the exercises and advice to prevent future problems.
July 20, 2018
DRAW STRONGER is an excellent resource for cartoonists, illustrators and the like. The illustrations both entertaining and informative and supplement the text perfectly. I felt empowered after reading this book. Educational, humorous and informative, this book gets five stars from me hands down. I highly reccomend purchasing this book.
January 5, 2022
I was recommended this book, and now I cannot recommend it enough! For anyone who draws, writes, types, texts, sits down for long hours--anyone could benefit from the knowledge and advice in this book. Don't feel like you gotta be an artist to pick this up.
I love the message of this book, to pay attention to your pain, your health, and treat yourself better. It emphasizes the importance to taking breaks and seeing a professional if you feel you need it. Just as important as practicing to improve your art, taking breaks and taking care of yourself are just as necessary to growing as an artist. (If not more important!)
The beginning of the book covers what common symptoms and the issues they are caused by, with more in depth explanation of what's happening in your body, was super interesting and a good eye-opener to be more self aware of what you're doing.
The bulk of the book is stretching exercise examples and explanations, with several tips on how to do the correct form. There's plenty of artwork to see how the poses are supposed to look like so you can easily follow along. I appreciate the variety, along with many suggestions of easier poses if you're not as strong/flexible/able to perform the normal ones.
I appreciate the list of suggested routines you could do as warm ups and breaks in between tasks. And the reminder of setting a timer! (I know lots of people struggle with remembering things, especially during busy days. No shame in setting a timer to let you know when to take breaks! I've found it super handy in the past.)
There's also a break down of R.I.C.E. therapy and other ways to reduce pain, with the added emphasis of a doctor if you need personalized advice/help. And additional resources the author recommends in the back for further reading.
Definitely a fantastic read, and a very quick one. I love the illustrations and the jokes. The information is valuable. I'll absolutely be recommending this to family and friends. :)
I love the message of this book, to pay attention to your pain, your health, and treat yourself better. It emphasizes the importance to taking breaks and seeing a professional if you feel you need it. Just as important as practicing to improve your art, taking breaks and taking care of yourself are just as necessary to growing as an artist. (If not more important!)
The beginning of the book covers what common symptoms and the issues they are caused by, with more in depth explanation of what's happening in your body, was super interesting and a good eye-opener to be more self aware of what you're doing.
The bulk of the book is stretching exercise examples and explanations, with several tips on how to do the correct form. There's plenty of artwork to see how the poses are supposed to look like so you can easily follow along. I appreciate the variety, along with many suggestions of easier poses if you're not as strong/flexible/able to perform the normal ones.
I appreciate the list of suggested routines you could do as warm ups and breaks in between tasks. And the reminder of setting a timer! (I know lots of people struggle with remembering things, especially during busy days. No shame in setting a timer to let you know when to take breaks! I've found it super handy in the past.)
There's also a break down of R.I.C.E. therapy and other ways to reduce pain, with the added emphasis of a doctor if you need personalized advice/help. And additional resources the author recommends in the back for further reading.
Definitely a fantastic read, and a very quick one. I love the illustrations and the jokes. The information is valuable. I'll absolutely be recommending this to family and friends. :)
March 5, 2025
OMG!!! - which is literally what I said aloud when I ran across this book at a recent conference. I didn't know anything like this existed for artists, and I've been looking for one for a while now. I'm a potter, and I have a project dedicated to pottery making, ergonomics, and body mechanics.* And so far I've found an extensive book about knitting and ergonomics**, but nothing like this, meaning, nothing so straightforward, informative, and easy to implement.
The author and artist Kriota Willberg has done a fantastic job explaining (and illustrating!) 1. why pain matters when creating-- as in don't ignore your pain! 2) what types of injuries are common for cartoonists, 3) how to care for the body while working, 4) how to care for the body while NOT working (super important!), and 5) what to do when you have an injury. All delivered succinctly via text and image, and with a fun sense of humor and play.
Whether making pottery, drawing cartoons, painting at an easel, writing at a computer, etc., the core of the issue is that if we are doing anything for long periods of time, requiring body parts to be in specific positions for that time, we risk repetitive strain injuries. It can be hard to recognize this is happening initially until something REALLY hurts. Also, within the pottery world, there's a sense that pain is the price you pay for being a productive potter. Which is nuts. And I'm focused on figuring out how to minimize my own pain while making pottery and sharing that information with others. As is the author, and thank goodness, because this book is so helpful!
*The Aligned Pottery (thealigned pottery.com)
**Carson Demers' "Knitting Comfortably: The Ergonomics of Handknitting"
The author and artist Kriota Willberg has done a fantastic job explaining (and illustrating!) 1. why pain matters when creating-- as in don't ignore your pain! 2) what types of injuries are common for cartoonists, 3) how to care for the body while working, 4) how to care for the body while NOT working (super important!), and 5) what to do when you have an injury. All delivered succinctly via text and image, and with a fun sense of humor and play.
Whether making pottery, drawing cartoons, painting at an easel, writing at a computer, etc., the core of the issue is that if we are doing anything for long periods of time, requiring body parts to be in specific positions for that time, we risk repetitive strain injuries. It can be hard to recognize this is happening initially until something REALLY hurts. Also, within the pottery world, there's a sense that pain is the price you pay for being a productive potter. Which is nuts. And I'm focused on figuring out how to minimize my own pain while making pottery and sharing that information with others. As is the author, and thank goodness, because this book is so helpful!
*The Aligned Pottery (thealigned pottery.com)
**Carson Demers' "Knitting Comfortably: The Ergonomics of Handknitting"
November 8, 2018
I've tried to research stretches and best-practices for illustrators to avoid injury whilst drawing for years without much success (sounds overdramatic, but RSI is a very real possibility for someone who draws as much as I do!). I'd even spoken online to illustrator friends about putting together a blog post with useful information, but it had been a bit of a struggle to find resources that fit quite right (especially with any medical backing) and I abandoned the project.
A fellow illustrator posted this book up on Instagram, and it's everything I was looking for! As it stands, I've had a good read through the book and tried out some of the stretches and warm-up routines, which have all been great. Obviously it's hard to tell how these will improve my hand-strength, posture and ability to fend off injury in the long term, but the book has been so great in encouraging me to make (hopefully) life-long changes already, I have high hopes.
The artwork is charming and informative, and everything is communicated clearly. After so much time watching 'yoga for the wrists' and 'guitar-player hand stretches' videos - it gives me a bit of a nice, fuzzy feeling that my niche illustrator needs are catered to! The only thing I wish was included is a liiiiittle more detail about the ideal ergonomics of equipment like chairs, desks, graphics tablets, screen heights etc.
I would recommend it to anyone who spends an extended time drawing!
A fellow illustrator posted this book up on Instagram, and it's everything I was looking for! As it stands, I've had a good read through the book and tried out some of the stretches and warm-up routines, which have all been great. Obviously it's hard to tell how these will improve my hand-strength, posture and ability to fend off injury in the long term, but the book has been so great in encouraging me to make (hopefully) life-long changes already, I have high hopes.
The artwork is charming and informative, and everything is communicated clearly. After so much time watching 'yoga for the wrists' and 'guitar-player hand stretches' videos - it gives me a bit of a nice, fuzzy feeling that my niche illustrator needs are catered to! The only thing I wish was included is a liiiiittle more detail about the ideal ergonomics of equipment like chairs, desks, graphics tablets, screen heights etc.
I would recommend it to anyone who spends an extended time drawing!
May 19, 2021
Creo que este libro debería estar en todas las estanterías de artistas visuales, ya seas ilustrador, animador o dibujante de cómics está repleto de información muy útil enfocada al autocuidado físico. Desde hacía tiempo buscaba algún manual específicamente dirigido a este sector y sin duda Kriota Willberg ha hecho un gran trabajo con este libro.
Es cortito y de lectura rápida, además repleto de ilustraciones acompañadas de chistes malos que lo hacen muy ameno. En él Kriota empieza presentando conceptos básicos (tipos de lesiones, posturas recomendadas, tipos de dolor...), luego muestra diferentes ejercicios, especialmente estiramientos (para manos, muñecas, hombros, etc.) y por último termina con un apartado titulado "primeros auxilios" en el que lista consejos, ideas de rutinas, formas de aliviar el dolor...
Personalmente me ha ayudado muchísimo a entender más sobre cómo debo tratar a mi cuerpo a la hora de trabajar para evitar lesiones o reducir el dolor de otras. La única pega es que no di con este libro antes, ¡sin duda lo recomiendo muchísimo!
Es cortito y de lectura rápida, además repleto de ilustraciones acompañadas de chistes malos que lo hacen muy ameno. En él Kriota empieza presentando conceptos básicos (tipos de lesiones, posturas recomendadas, tipos de dolor...), luego muestra diferentes ejercicios, especialmente estiramientos (para manos, muñecas, hombros, etc.) y por último termina con un apartado titulado "primeros auxilios" en el que lista consejos, ideas de rutinas, formas de aliviar el dolor...
Personalmente me ha ayudado muchísimo a entender más sobre cómo debo tratar a mi cuerpo a la hora de trabajar para evitar lesiones o reducir el dolor de otras. La única pega es que no di con este libro antes, ¡sin duda lo recomiendo muchísimo!
April 12, 2021
I am a full time illustrator and I love my job, and I would like to be able to keep doing my job in a healthy way for as long as possible. I also have a lot of hobbies that make me a good candidate for hand injuries and health conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis. As such I picked up this book as a first step towards creating an environment and routines that can hopefully help me to continue doing the things I enjoy for many years to come.
This was a great little introduction to preventing and treating injury in my line of work (drawing). I appreciated the recurring disclaimer that this is no substitute for professional medical attention. I liked that so many exercises were included and example routines to do throughout the day. I’ll be looking more into the topic.
This was a great little introduction to preventing and treating injury in my line of work (drawing). I appreciated the recurring disclaimer that this is no substitute for professional medical attention. I liked that so many exercises were included and example routines to do throughout the day. I’ll be looking more into the topic.
November 13, 2018
Required reading for all visual artists. Easily digestible and un-intimidating, the whimsical way the information is in this book is presented delivers important information without making it seem like homework. Sort of like ranch dressing on vegetables. I got a lot of valuable exercises and tips from the book. While some of it seemed elementary to me, the younger artists in my family (9 yr old daughter and 15 yr old cousin) loved every page of this book, which makes me think it would be a good primer for young artists to develop good drawing habits and avoid stress and posture injuries down the line. If you have a library of art books, this belongs on that shelf.
December 23, 2020
Comics are a really effective way to illustrate both the stretches and types of pain and injuries you can get from drawing and other repetitive motions! I picked this book up this summer when I was feeling some weird sensations in my hands and used this to rest and stretch better, as well as making my workflow more ergonomic (I'm a graphic designer).
This has lots of different stretches that I think would be helpful for anyone who sits and uses their hands a lot, as well as several different "stretch routines" you can follow.
This has lots of different stretches that I think would be helpful for anyone who sits and uses their hands a lot, as well as several different "stretch routines" you can follow.
April 10, 2021
Cute book with information about the kind of muscles involved in drawing and possible pain relating to bad posture, tightly gripping pens, etc. It has lots of practical stretches and stretch routines to prevent injury and relieve pain. I sort of felt that all the info was at the same “level” — little tidbits and factoids. Might have been cool if it had background and built gradually and/or had different levels of information, rather than giving everything the same weight. Still, it was cute and fun and a reminder to stretch while making art!
January 7, 2023
Excellent, concise little book with all the information you need for not being a replacement for an actual doctor or medical advice. Gives specifics of how certain muscles and tendons are connected, how they can affect each other and cause pain, how to avoid causing that pain, and then a whole bunch of exercises you can do for each area of the body in order to strengthen and stretch them to avoid injury. Just what I was hoping for, and quick to get through / return to as a resource. The illustrations were super cute and helpful!
May 26, 2023
Will be returning to this as a resource for chronic pain caused by drawing and repetitive strain. One of the common injuries mentioned is some thing I’ve been recently diagnosed with, and this book is what encouraged me to see a doctor for professional medical advice.
I appreciate the pocket size. However, I really wish this book was spiral bound so that I could lay it flat in order to follow the stretching routines. Would honestly love to purchase a digital PDF ed that I could print and bind myself.
I appreciate the pocket size. However, I really wish this book was spiral bound so that I could lay it flat in order to follow the stretching routines. Would honestly love to purchase a digital PDF ed that I could print and bind myself.
February 2, 2021
A short, useful book with information about pain and stretches. While a lot of this is information that I already have available, Willberg has succinctly put it together in an accessible format. I particularly liked the sample stretches/breaks at the back of the book - when I have to take that step to craft my own workout, I am really good at overthinking, waffling, procrastinating and just skipping it.
March 4, 2023
This was recommended to me by a comics friend with chronic pain. As an educator, it reinforced a lot of what I teach about using the whole arm to draw and changing up positions. I also learned a lot about different strengthening and stretching routines. Plus it is beautifully drawn and engaging/fun! I highly recommend this book to artists, musicians, and others using repetitive motions in their creative endeavors.
January 22, 2019
This is a must have book for all designers, illustrators, cartoonists and anyone who spends a lot of time at a computer or uses a pen (or both). Lots of useful info and great new stretches & strengthening exercises that I haven't found online. I got this from the library, but I'm buying this one! Carpal tunnel pain and rotator cuff and impinged shoulder pain be gone (or be lessened)!
June 12, 2022
I would highly recommend this book to visual artists.
It makes a strong argument for the artist/athlete. Even providing examples of routines/breaks to do when your working. It also offers solutions to common injuries of artists and explanations on possible treatment/prevention.
Keeping this on my shelf as a resource and a reminder to take care.
It makes a strong argument for the artist/athlete. Even providing examples of routines/breaks to do when your working. It also offers solutions to common injuries of artists and explanations on possible treatment/prevention.
Keeping this on my shelf as a resource and a reminder to take care.
September 22, 2023
As someone who not only draws but also spends a ridiculous amount of time on the computer, I find this guide super helpful. Not only is Willberg's advice clear, it's also easily applicable. The fact that it's so funny is just the cherry on top. Definitely going to grab a copy so I can keep it on hand to reference.
December 10, 2024
Solid intro to good stretching for not just artists, but also any sedentary repetitive-movement denizen. Some exercises can even be done while in a virtual meeting! (And even more can be done while listening to one.) For the stretches I already knew, it was a good reminder of proper form. Author is knowledgeable in this field and has some helpful explainers of the science behind her guidance.
May 13, 2018
This is a must-read for anyone who spends a lot of time drawing or writing by hand, or working at a computer! There are descriptions of what symptoms can indicate something serious, and excercises to help with minor injuries and prevention. I will be keeping this within easy reach of my work space!
December 4, 2018
A short, handy little book! I especially liked that it had sample routines for you if you didn't know what would work best at first. I'd actually like to own a copy of this (and I've already told a few friends of mine that they need to read it).
August 25, 2019
A really charming self-help book for artists who might struggle with repetitive stress injuries. The drawings are great, it's humorous, and the advice and strategies to avoid art related injuries is great.
September 18, 2019
A simple and quick guide for anyone who struggles with pain and does art. It makes a really good first step for figuring out if you need to go to the doctor or what exercises you can do so that you don’t end up in pain. And of course good illustrations!
September 11, 2021
A friend recommended this to me and it was pretty much exactly what I needed! I only wish there was a little more addressing appropriate ergonomic set ups for desks, angle of tablet screens, etc. Otherwise, I’m excited to add the exercises to my drawing routine.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews