How to tell if your burned out, bored or without direction?

Pirax

Hey guys i'll keep this short and sweet.

- Did 3D at university, loved it, made games focused assets every day.
- Got a job at a local arch viz studio, worked there for 4 years. Finished nothing portfolio wise (started a few things but nothing surfaced).
- At the studio we rarely made assets, everything was library based or bought.
- Now that I've finished working there (with the intention to swing back into games) I simply can't motivate myself to spend time pulling verts regardless of subject matter.

Any advice would be great, I'd really like the fire back!

Alex_J

i've been making a shit ton of models for my own indie games lately and there is no way i want to be a production grunt any longer than i have to. it gets tiresome because it's tons of effort for even small things. If I only cared about being the best modeler/artist, that would be fine because that would be the extent of my focus. To just be focused on learning more and getting better and better, that's never going to end so it's a good goal.

I think thats what most professional people are like. Many don't really even care about their job beyond a basic level of professionalism which compels them to do their best while they are at work, but in the end it's just a job to get money so they can focus on the rest of their life.

For me I can't not care about the whole picture. Besides that, the fact is unless you are born rich, you spend most your time working. I can't understand how then a person can spend most of their time doing something that they don't really care about. Like I know some hollywood camera guys who don't even see most of the work they film. They always striving to be better at their job and work hard, but the final product - they don't care. I understand their point of view, but no way I could be like that. Seems apathetic to me. ANd I'd rather be dead than apathetic.

Maybe you are the same. I suppose if what draws you to game dev is larger than wanting to perfect the craft of making art content, yeah you should probably try to work towards whatever it is you really wanna do.

sacboi

...simply can't motivate myself to spend time pulling verts regardless of subject matter.

A crosspost that I think might prove useful. helped me (...point 4 was my takeaway) and maybe you too.

Motivation is Bull

Pirax

Its interesting actually both solutions you guys have mentioned are learning oriented. I think that's a really positive goal and its noticeable that my most driven points have been whilst learning, rather than grinding. Maybe this is a good indication to shake up the pipeline or become more focused on the minor details and accuracy of what i'm trying to create. 

 

poopipe

A lot of studios differentiate between prop and environment art.  The latter being more layout, composition and negotiation with level designers based than modelling based.

A background in archviz wouldn't hurt at all in that role

Pirax

poopipe said:

A lot of studios differentiate between prop and environment art.  The latter being more layout, composition and negotiation with level designers based than modelling based.

A background in archviz wouldn't hurt at all in that role

I totally agree with you and I can see the application between the two roles.
This issue for me stems from the fact I'm not actually allowed to use my studio work in my portfolio and I need to create something new, however at this point in time i lose focus very easily and my mind is very undecided on what it wants to stick with if that makes sense. 

Eric Chadwick

That article on Motivation makes it clear that it helps to approach this as a professional, not waiting to become inspired, but rather tackling the task head-first, one step at a time. Don't let procrastination rule you. Act like a professional, and work regardless of motivation. Do you want this or not?