Artist's Block: Lack of Ideas and Self-Doubt After 2.5 Years of Blender Experience - Help Needed!
Hello everyone,
I am Miki and I have been creating 3D animations with Blender for 2.5 years now. Before that, I worked in the photo and video industry for 2 years. I currently also work as a freelance 3D artist and occasionally get commissions.
After a while, I realized that my strength is definitely in modeling. I find it very easy to recreate things that already exist or to replicate designs that someone else has already created.
However, I have been facing a major creative block for a long time now and I am slowly reaching my wit's end. Therefore, I wanted to ask the community if you have/had similar problems and how you were able to overcome them.
My specific problem is that I simply don't have any ideas of my own for what to create. Whenever I see other 3D artists on social media, their designs totally inspire me and I often think that I would like to recreate something like that. But as soon as I'm in the creative process, I immediately question whether that's even my style and whether I want to do something like that in the future.
Before I started with 3D, I always had a lot of ideas. But now, after 2.5 years of learning 3D almost every day and acquiring the skill to use Blender, all my ideas are somehow gone. When I get commissioned work, I have no problem completing it. But when it comes to personal growth and my own projects, I always have this block.
I really want to keep growing, but I just don't know how. I would be grateful for any tips and maybe even suggestions for concrete exercises that I could do.
For your reference, I have attached links to my social media accounts and website where you can see some of my work.
https://www.mikinglo.de/archive
https://www.instagram.com/miki.nglo/
Thank you very much in advance!
Replies
A larger goal might be something like: get a job at X studio, master some unfamiliar style, make an animated short video...just anything that you can define concretely and it motivates you because it's a goal that you believe will bring real benefits to your life.
to me art is just a way to express something. So i view it kind of like conversation. if somebody just talking to talk, i dont want to listen. if they have something to say that is interesting, important, entertaining, etc then I want to listen. But everybody has their own reasons for getting out of bed and doing something, that's just how I view art.
Luckily I don't spend that much on social media, because knowing myself, I would spent too much time just looking. Well, I spend plenty time on polycount, but I consider it quality social media.
When doing personal projects, I can often trick myself by just starting something (that's why my pile of abandoned project is also enormous) and to keep it small (initially). Sometimes I use challenges as an external impulse, other times freelance work gives me ideas I want to try, then I have to note it down for later. Most ideas come when I'm already doing something. When keeping it small/short, there is a chance I have already reached a certain threshold when doubts set in, so I can push through. Documenting the process could also motivate/ introduce some pressure/ reflection phases - could create a sketchbook on here for that.
For me, yet another trick is to try new things/techniques, because then it feels exciting again even when doing the most basic subjects. I don't know what this could be for you. Maybe doing something super stylized or low spec or interactive.
Good luck!