What do you do when nothing feels like it's worth putting the time and effort into?
polycounter lvl 2
I'm in a situation where I really want to make things, either just to get my hands on something or to create something I see in my head.
As a 3D artist who only has a few years of experience it's stressful to have a big idea or see something I want to create in 3D Because I know that by the time I'm 5% through, my inspiration will die off due to how long the project takes.
I was wondering what solutions people came up with when they're in this situation since I'm having a hard time starting a project outside of work.
Thanks in advance
As a 3D artist who only has a few years of experience it's stressful to have a big idea or see something I want to create in 3D Because I know that by the time I'm 5% through, my inspiration will die off due to how long the project takes.
I was wondering what solutions people came up with when they're in this situation since I'm having a hard time starting a project outside of work.
Thanks in advance
Replies
As a matter of fact, why not start with even lower specs : no textures, just colored faces with hard edges where needed. You could end up with gorgeous stuff like this:
and visit here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKtu_JtQCY0yryIy6zK4ZCg
This stuff always makes my fingers itch!
Cheerio
this way not only is the base idea already there, but you can add more to it if you like.
also, i find myself listening to Chris Oatley's art-casts when it comes to motivation and just trying to get myself in gear.
http://oatleyacademy.com/oatley-artcast/
some big projects require a huge range of skills, so it might be better to break it down in to bite size
chunks
Been there, a few times, where im just jumping in a project, maybe just for fun or practice. But I usually ended up hitting a wall at some point.
You really need to put the extra efforts into the preparation, that way, you will have a clear idea of what the end result is suppose to be and what are the steps you need to do to get there.
Example: for 3d characters,
Main plan :
Make a badass-warrior piece
Steps: Correctly match anatomy, light and colors for target concept. Follow proportions and then colors/materials, breaking down the idea into its smaller pieces.
If you start from someone else's concept usually try to add an extra layer of definition to make the piece more interesting than just a duplicate of an existing image.
So yeah, make a plan, it might take up more time at the beginning but usually it makes the process a lot easier and more motivating along the way.
Think about mouting an ikea furniture without a plan. Its do-able but probably exhausting : )
Reality is, when you get a job doing 3D, that will be what is expected of you. You will be working on things long after you lose inspiration for them.
I really like wizo's idea about starting off with a concrete plan. I also find that breaking it up into mini goals that I set for myself motivate me to keep going. Ie for one night I'm going to texture the floors, the next, model and texture the walls and so on.
If it helps, map these milestones in something like trello! I find visually seeing the among of work remaining go down to be a really good motivator.
It's alright people saying 'Just do it' but that's easier said then done.
There has been instances where I've had to literally pinch myself to make something but it can sometimes have a negative effect, so I'd reccomend not to force yourself to much otherwise you might burnout completely.
In the past I've started to make something random and throw it away, which sometimes spurs me to do something a bit more calculated. Another thing that works for me is working in a different environment, sometimes on my own in my office or other times I'll grab my laptop and work in the bedroom or downstairs in my living room.
- Is it for fun? Well, then you don't need to see it through. Drop it when it isn't fun anymore.
- Is it to learn something? Then you better learn the thing and don't stop before. If you wouldn't need that knowledge you would have done it just for fun. Treat it like you deal with the stuff at work.
- Is it a portfolio piece? Then force yourself to finish it, but don't push it at times when you notice there is no motivation there. Unlike at work where certain things have to be faked for the sake of deadlines, your portfolio is expected to be 110%. There are no excuses. Forcing yourself through it without inspiration will result in a second class piece that won't help you.
If you are anything like me, you might actually find it useful to put up deadlines for each step and pressure yourself.
Cute Idea. I've seen a lot of things like this. I think making a scene crowded with tons of pretty solid colored things would look nice with great rendering.
Thanks for the words of wisdom. I have no problem working nonstop. More having issues being happy with what I'm working on and knowing it will be a worthwile finished project after weeks.
I'll check out the art cast. I haven't taken the time to find art related things to listen to. I thought about recreating a scene from an old game or something I love but some people say it's corny. I really liked having the goal made for me though. Just having to make something better is more enjoyable than trying to concept something I don't love.
Bite sized seems better. I'm trying to find a way to make a full environment but thinking about taking it into engine like my last project scares me. The lighting ended up being a huge project. Since I'm best at props and my job is making props, I should find a way to make a nice prop with a simple environment for now as a way to start personal projects again.
Your words hit home
I really feel the endurance building. When I was learning 3D I was so frustrated that the things I wanted couldn't even be "sketched" in 3d. Nowadays it's easy to do so with zbrush or simple shapes but when I was younger it felt so frustrating. Also that birb is adorable.
@gfelton Your advice definitely helps. I appreciate the thought you put into your response. I'm transitioning back to making art instead of playing games right now. Been heavily into Overwatch for the past month, even so much as joining a team (thankfully it failed so I can focus on my art again). I miss the feeling of WANTing to come home and work on my projects. It was a more fulfilling life. I'm trying to find ways to block out my ideas. For some reason it feels like minecraft would help haha. I'm trying to use basic shapes in UE and mould the map of my scene, moving pieces around and asking for feedback before I make a ton of objects.
I'm actually pretty guilty of that myself, the last big project I did was the CUBED project that was running through here on polycount. Where you re-create a scene using the program Hexels2. And before that I took a scene from a SNES game I really love and made it in 3D.
I think when it comes to personal work you have to get back into wanting to create and having fun with it. Don't get me wrong, I feel that portfolio pieces are important. But, I feel like doing fan/fun projects definitely help keep the spark going.
Hope to see the scene you're going to do soon!
:chuffed:
I have multiple revisions of the same head/body/clothes etc, but can't seem to delete the old ones because there is 'some' merit
in the bad ones even.
maybe I am just a bit too ocd at times. I did try and delete a bunch of old stuff recently though but.
I figure once I am totally happy with my technique, then i will move on, but it never seems to happen and I have grown
comfortable working on my side projects without ever finishing them
When it comes to freelance work though I just switch off and finish that shit - maybe its the extra pressure that makes me do that
gl !
Oh, and order at least a small pizza once a week. and exercise at least 3 times a week. Remember to have fun sometimes.
The thing I've noticed, big projects get delayed by life.
At work no one comes in and stops you from working on a big assignment, just to give you other stuff to do (at least not if they are well organized), but with private projects you don't have that luxury. If you need a whole month or more to finish them - and you know that you have nothing to show for before that - something will come in between and disrupt it putting you in a position where you probably won't finish it afterwards or it will be delayed even further by the next thing coming up.
This year I already had to abandon one project because the whole character would have taken a long time. In the meantime I had to start working on older stuff to have something for my portfolio as a starting base, I had a course at GNOMON, now I've been learning Marvelous Designer with John Gotch's course (which I can only recommend) and in a couple of weeks I am starting another course for hair. I also got the chance to do an art test. All this stuff delays private projects significantly and leaves you with nothing to show for over months, which in result kills motivation. That's why I am now trying to disect the character I was doing before the art test in parts that I can finish more quickly without compromissing on quality to add them to the portfolio. Once all of them are done and put together I should still have a complete character, but at least till then I won't be left with nothing in my hands.
Small project show results faster, which motivates and reduces the chances of wasting effort in things that never get accomplished. Also if you have to break up working on the big project (because of life, work, lectures, or it started to bore you,...) you still have things that are finished and work on their own.
so much this~!
what do you do when nothing feels like its worth putting the time and effort into ? simple: YOU FINISH IT.
90% of the time this feeling arises when you are endlessly starting new projects because you feel like have grown beyond your previous skill and should rather restart with your newly found abilities. This is big mistake. I would focus on strenghtening your "perseverence" muscle by finishing projects and showing them to others for critique. If you get in this positive loop you will gain loads of mental confidence and desire to start a new project.
Your personal art time is a great time to experiment and learn. Try techniques and methods that are different from your day job. Maybe you work as a 3d Artist but want to improve at concept art. Then try that for a while. Pick subjects that are fun to you. If you're excited and into the project the chances of finishing it are much higher.
And if you need to take a break. Take a break. Just tell friends/family that you're taking x days off. Just so they can call you on it if you don't get back to it.
Either way don't put a ton of pressure on yourself. Just enjoy the process and focus (at least in the beginning) on creating habits.
I've been working for years non stop, work and personal projects.
Slowed down earlier this year, and everything I work on since feels pointless. I've committed myself to just doing 30 mins to an hour of training or doodling, but can't summon the energy to do or finish a project per se; always convince myself I'm wasting my time.
Not sure what happened, but it kinda sucks to loose the mojo and have your feelings turn against you. It's tough, but here's hoping things work out, I expect the funk will break at somepoint. /cheers