How all you pros dealing with stress/burnout at doing CG art for living?

kongbui

Hi guys,

Currently, I have been doing just fine being a junior 3D artist. Every day I go to work feeling like doing a fine job, feel good about myself, feel like a productive worker, being useful in the studio, that what keeps me motivated and keeps pushing to expand my skill set, knowledge further down the line of my 3D career. Then suddenly one day, I have a bad performance at work, feel bad about myself, beat myself up over and over again mentally and out of the blue I didn't feel like I want to do anything related to 3D at all after-work, the motivation just never thereafter a sh**ty day at work, a bad delivery. The feeling of passion, urge to improve in 3D art just gone like that. I feel completely empty at the moment, feel just like the art I have done nothing more than just a regular work everybody does to make money, not a unique feeling about it anymore

Have all you pros who work for 5 or 10 years plus in the industry facing the same experience along the way and how you guys deal with it? I wish I could share this with any circle of my friends but none of them working in the CG or 3D art industry so I turn into this forum, wish I could hear some wisdom from the pros in here. Really appreciate your time to reply and share your knowledge. Thanks and wish you all the best.

Ashervisalis

How long has it been since that bad review?

Alex_J

If you run low on money you'll get your motivation back real fast.

There is some great threads about this subject from a few years ago. Search "pros maintain motivation" or something like that and you'll find them.

edit, here it is:

https://polycount.com/discussion/134202/loss-of-motivation-in-a-professional-environment#latest

Joopson

Alex Javor said:

If you run low on money you'll get your motivation back real fast. 

I actually disagree with this sort of statement. Lack of money might drive you to get some kind of work, but it won't suddenly give you motivation to do art, let alone in your free time. In fact, it might do quite the opposite.

The least motivation I've had to do art, were in moments where money was scarce, and I should have been busting my ass.

Alex_J

@Joopson

I guess that's just my personality then. Nothing motivates me like necessity. If I don't feel pressed by necessity I tend to waste time dabbling and losing focus.

Taylor Brown

I wake up, remember I'm the only one in my household able to pull an income due to covid and get to work. If I am having an especially shitty time over an extended period, I talk to my boss and we come up with a plan together. Maybe consider checking in with your lead or whatever. It might give you some perspective and make you realize things aren't as bad as they feel?

YF_Sticks

Gonna take a different approach with that one. There's a great book called "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. I highly recommend it to every artist, entrepreneur etc. 
There is obviously something in you that wants to improve after work as well, you just don't have the motivation after a bad day. Steven Pressfield talks about the enemy we have in ourselves called "Resistance". You know what you want/have to do but you just don't do it for some reason. That's resistance sneaking up on you and it will always find a reason.
But then again, you are a professional. And a professional shows up. A dentist doesn't get "Dentist-Block" because he doesn't feel like it to clean your teeth. He does it because it's his profession. 

Basically we all get that. Everyone has a bad day at work and doesn't want to work on his skills afterwards. Just, some choose to still do it and some don't. Even if it's just 15min, it's something. It's just the sitting down and do it that's hard, not the actual process. 
Go relax after work, even write it down what bothers you to get an objective view on it (that helps me sometimes) and then get to work for 15min minimum. Mostly, you'll see yourself surpassing those 15min easy. 

Hope this helps!

oglu

I feel i stuck in the frustration part every week.


Feeling not good at what you are doing is part of the game.

Ex-Ray

We all make mistakes but we are professionals and learn from it, we come back and try and be a better version of ourselves everyday. What stands out for me is you saying "........feel bad about myself, beat myself up over and over again mentally".

What's driving that voice in your head, Is it your voice or is it somebody else?

Personally what has helped me is knowing myself better, my strengths and weaknesses. Knowing when to take a step back, knowing not to put too much emotion and knowing when to let go. I keep my passion for general art and design guarded, and fuel it from diff sources. I think this has helped me to keep going forward.

Remember the work you have done so far has entertained someone, hopefully made them happy too.  

Ashervisalis

1) Coffee

2) Coffee

3) Coffee

4) Coffee?!

5) C0ffy

poopipe

i use rum and divorce

kongbui

I really appreciate you guys sharing yours experience on this topic It does help a lot. Thanks and wish all of you have a productive day.

kongbui

Ashervisalis said:

How long has it been since that bad review?

Its been a few days since then, it not a bad review though, I just facing a tough challenge at work and it stresses me out, to be honest.

 Alex Javor said:

If you run low on money you'll get your motivation back real fast.

There is some great threads about this subject from a few years ago. Search "pros maintain motivation" or something like that and you'll find them.

edit, here it is:

https://polycount.com/discussion/134202/loss-of-motivation-in-a-professional-environment#latest

Alex Javor said:

If you run low on money you'll get your motivation back real fast. 

I actually disagree with this sort of statement. Lack of money might drive you to get some kind of work, but it won't suddenly give you motivation to do art, let alone in your free time. In fact, it might do quite the opposite.

The least motivation I've had to do art, were in moments where money was scarce, and I should have been busting my ass.

Yeah, if something can help your financial situation improve, I agree it does help boost your motivation, sir.

kongbui

Taylor Brown said:

I wake up, remember I'm the only one in my household able to pull an income due to covid and get to work. If I am having an especially shitty time over an extended period, I talk to my boss and we come up with a plan together. Maybe consider checking in with your lead or whatever. It might give you some perspective and make you realize things aren't as bad as they feel?

That's a good way to handle the situation for real, communication always helps solve the problem.

YF_Sticks said:

Gonna take a different approach with that one. There's a great book called "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. I highly recommend it to every artist, entrepreneur etc. 
There is obviously something in you that wants to improve after work as well, you just don't have the motivation after a bad day. Steven Pressfield talks about the enemy we have in ourselves called "Resistance". You know what you want/have to do but you just don't do it for some reason. That's resistance sneaking up on you and it will always find a reason.
But then again, you are a professional. And a professional shows up. A dentist doesn't get "Dentist-Block" because he doesn't feel like it to clean your teeth. He does it because it's his profession. 

Basically we all get that. Everyone has a bad day at work and doesn't want to work on his skills afterwards. Just, some choose to still do it and some don't. Even if it's just 15min, it's something. It's just the sitting down and do it that's hard, not the actual process. 
Go relax after work, even write it down what bothers you to get an objective view on it (that helps me sometimes) and then get to work for 15min minimum. Mostly, you'll see yourself surpassing those 15min easy. 

Hope this helps!

couldn't say it better. Definitely gonna try to do 15 - 30 mins quick improvement no matter how bad of a day I have.

kongbui

oglu said:

I feel i stuck in the frustration part every week.


Feeling not good at what you are doing is part of the game.

"Feeling not good at what you are doing is part of the game" Totally agree with this.

Ex-Ray said:

We all make mistakes but we are professionals and learn from it, we come back and try and be a better version of ourselves everyday. What stands out for me is you saving "........feel bad about myself, beat myself up over and over again mentally".

What's driving that voice in your head, Is it your voice or is it somebody else?

Personally what has helped me is knowing myself better, my strengths and weaknesses. Knowing when to take a step back, knowing not to put too much emotion and knowing when to let go. I keep my passion for general art and design guarded, and fuel it from diff sources. I think this has helped me to keep going forward.

Remember the work you have done so far has entertained someone, hopefully made them happy too.  

this one is right on the money for me, I think I having a hard time dealing with my thoughts and too harsh on myself

kongbui

Ashervisalis said:

1) Coffee

2) Coffee

3) Coffee

4) Coffee?!

5) C0ffy

Haha

6) Coffin?

kongbui

poopipe said:

i use rum and divorce

Give this man a meal!! I wish I could reach to this hardcore level one day. 

sacboi

Don't work in visualization nowadays but still feel like I got kicked in the bollocks after working for ages on personal stuff so in order too hang onto my 'marbles' I've taken up learning how to produce EDM tracks which seems, for the moment at least a viable solution. 

Brian "Panda" Choi

Growing up and living in the Los Angeles area has allowed me access to a lot of non-game related endeavors, thank God.

For example, I perform stand up comedy on local open mic circuits. Helps me get my rocks off mentally, in some part.

Ashervisalis

@sacboi Yo you can't just drop that on us and not link us to some tunes

sacboi

lol...yeah my bad, still faffing about with DAWs, VST plugs and watching tutes plus main inspiration is deadmau5, I mean that dude sure knows his stuff.