Spending too much time creating?
polycounter lvl 12
Hey Polycounters,
I wanted to run something by you guys and get your thoughts on it.
My history on this: Since graduating Art College I've spent pretty much all of my time and focus trying to improve my art skills, because sadly the college I attended gave a wider scope on games and less focus on specifically game art. But, about two months ago I was offered my first real art job being a game artist at a studio not in my state.
I moved to another state leaving friend, family, and my fiance behind back home while I took this job. And after work I exercise and just create more art. And my real dilemma is that I recently talked to a friend of mine back home who asked, Dude have you made any friends out there yet?
Which obviously I havent due to my schedule of work, exercise, & art. On top of that my fiance got us each copies of Monster Hunter 4 to co-op together online, but Id rather be watching tutorials or creating game art than playing games. And honestly I almost feel guilty when Im spending time playing games instead of learning or practicing art.
Basically Im wondering if this is normal. Does anybody else get this way? Or have I just developed a bit of being a workaholic. And I am not even close to a level of being a confident artist so I know I need to spend time learning and creating.
I've just heard tales of people who have ruined their lives and relationships because of constantly working. And I'd definitely like to avoid that if possible! I see a lot of talented and amazing artists on here, who have definitely put a lot of time and passion into their craft so I feel like you guys might have some input on the subject.
Thanks in advance and looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
I wanted to run something by you guys and get your thoughts on it.
My history on this: Since graduating Art College I've spent pretty much all of my time and focus trying to improve my art skills, because sadly the college I attended gave a wider scope on games and less focus on specifically game art. But, about two months ago I was offered my first real art job being a game artist at a studio not in my state.
I moved to another state leaving friend, family, and my fiance behind back home while I took this job. And after work I exercise and just create more art. And my real dilemma is that I recently talked to a friend of mine back home who asked, Dude have you made any friends out there yet?
Which obviously I havent due to my schedule of work, exercise, & art. On top of that my fiance got us each copies of Monster Hunter 4 to co-op together online, but Id rather be watching tutorials or creating game art than playing games. And honestly I almost feel guilty when Im spending time playing games instead of learning or practicing art.
Basically Im wondering if this is normal. Does anybody else get this way? Or have I just developed a bit of being a workaholic. And I am not even close to a level of being a confident artist so I know I need to spend time learning and creating.
I've just heard tales of people who have ruined their lives and relationships because of constantly working. And I'd definitely like to avoid that if possible! I see a lot of talented and amazing artists on here, who have definitely put a lot of time and passion into their craft so I feel like you guys might have some input on the subject.
Thanks in advance and looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Replies
having time to exerc
ise is also VERY important, it will help you in the long run not having health issues that are common in industries in wich 80% of your day is spent seating.
lastly , the social aspect , i am a bit biased as i always like beeing around friends and family and thats what allows me to "recharge" batteries , it comes down to a personal preference , and unless you procrastinated the whole day , playing co op games with your fiance is imo a fun way to keep each other company.
hope i helped man !
In the end, i don't think any of us on deathbed will think that he/she haven't worked enough
just mine 2 cents, good luck ^^
You are living in a different state than your fiance which I'm sure is extremely difficult. You should NEVER feel guilty spending time with her, if thats playing games, skyping or face timing while watching Netflix you shouldnt feel bad about spending time with the most important person in your life.
You just need to find the right amount of time to spend with your fiance playing games and enjoying what time you have with them vs how much time you spend working on art.
After doing this for a bit you will realize that Friends/Family > Any job.
you`ll always think what if i did x or y instead but when you`re working towards something (like becoming a better artist) it isnt wasted time .
Although, I'm unbelievably thankful for having a supportive fiance who is also an artist so it's nice to bounce ideas off one another.
My portfolio is pretty weak, even after spending years nose to the grind stone I have so much to learn and grow.
portfolio: www.joeburak.com
art-blog: www.cupohjoetumblr.com
with my work at the level it is, I can't help but feel I need to keep pushing forward. But, everyone has made some great points about friends and family. So if anything I'll have to work some real time management skills.
You may read on reddit ( http://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/32cwzn/about_being_burnt_out/ ) how bad your life can become if you work way too much.
Besides that, you have a fianc
how long have you been doing this only working thing? and how old are you that you feel this rush to become good so fast?
if you are young and you have a nice job, you have all the time in the world.
i for example am pretty lazy by nature, but i started early and managed to get kinda good while still being younger then most people i started to study with where back in the day.
i would definetly take some time for you friends, atleast on the weekends.
You are in a period of life where you can afford to invest a lot of time and energy into honing your craft&skills. Nothing wrong with that at all. You're ambitious and you're trying to get better at what you do. If not now, when then?
That being said, in my opinion, it is essential to keep a good balance with your working life and private life (friends, family, gf, leisure etc). Keep your friends and dear ones in the loop of what you're doing and WHY you're doing what you're doing. Communication is really important there. If you need some 'locked up bunker' moments to practise, it's fine as long as you make sure your friends know why you're doing it.
Besides, try also to keep some quality off-time from your Muse, to allow yourself to breathe and broaden your sources of inspiration. Because, yes, it is so easy to get stuck in the same world&community and forget there are other things in life than 3D and becoming-the-best-artist-evaaa (coming from a guy who has been working in the industry for a decade now). I did what you did for over 5 years, it almost burnt me to a point (the trick is that you only realize it when you're already deep into sh***).
Good luck with your endeavour&be happy
whoops my bad! Here's the correct link!
http://www.cupohjoe.tumblr.com/
To answer your questions, I've been at this improving my art thing for a good couple years now. I'd say probably 3 or 4, and I still feel like I've just platue'd at a level of poor to average with my art. And I'm 27 years old, which is close to 30 in no time flat.
And essentially with me being in another state I'm at a point where it's kind of difficult to just call of my friends to hangout. And honestly I'm not sure if it's worth it to try to make new friends where I'm at. When I could be focusing my time on game art.
I always question my choices which are usually career focused. At the end of the day though, life is short and I have a lot to create. I could have followed the path of being a family man early on, but I think I would be miserable. Either way, it's not worth stressing over 'what could have been'.
I just do what feels good. If someone is making you feel guilty for your choices then perhaps they don't need to be part of your life. Real friends are supportive and will work with you regardless of what choices you make in life.
The worst thing that can possibly happen to you is to make a choice based on what someone else wants. You will end up bitter and that will eat you up alive.
You left your future wife behind so you could make 3d stuff for games. That shows a deep psychological need and no advice is going to change that.
At this point, you've leapt off the cliff and are shouting to the crowd watching "Should I have worn a parachute?"
Well, yes, you should have worn a parachute plus had a backup chute. But, at this point, enjoy the ride and hope you land safely.
The reason I reached out to polycount is more so of the fact that I wasn't sure if it was healthy to spend so much time creating even though I know I need to improve my craft. Or if I should really make time to make "Work, Life, Balance" a thing in my life.
I made a move for my career which, my friends, family, and future wife all supported me on my decision. I'm not miserable or even upset about making the move, because I'm able to talk to my fiance through Google Hangouts all day and play games with my friends on Steam.
Just looking for some feedback from some talented artists that I'm sure have gone through the struggle of not being able to find that balance.
From what you said you are dedicated to your craft, I've been considering the same and it's interesting hearing about your experience.