I'm in an art rut - what's your drive to create?

NuclearTes

Hiya, this is my first post on the new polycount boards. It's actually quite some time ago I posted anything here. If I remember correctly my last post at the old boards was in the 256 or head division thread and I wasn't very active before that either. The reason for my absence is I'm in a serious art rut.

After I finished my skins for Demon Princess' Yuka model ( now more than a year ago) I have been so busy with school I didn't have enough time to work on new projects. I managed to finish two team skins (still have to post them) for DemonPrincess' Leila model, but never found the time and energy to create the default skin.

Because I wasn't very productive anymore, I became increasingly demotivated to post anything here. It didn't seem fit to post feedback on the quality of the work of others, while being so unproductive. At first I thought that everything would be better after my graduation, because I would have a lot more time for myself.

I'm studing 'Management, Economics & Law' and I'm in the second year now and still haven't made a lot of art. Although I have the time to create anything I would like, I lack the motivation and inspiration to make new skins. Born in a family of creative people I have been drawing for almost my whole life and had lots of other creative enterprises, but now I'm starting to realize I've never had an internal drive to create.

External factors like receiving recognition always motivated me to make drawings, stuffed toys, skins and to get good grades at school. I've always tried to measure myself with others; I wanted to be the best in everything or at least be 'better' then my sister Demon Princess. When I saw someone was very skilled in something and received lots of praise, I immediately became jealous and wanted the same. I know it's insane to try to be the best in everything, but I never realized I was trying to be the best.

I now wonder how to continue. After I realized I was working myself to death to accomplish an impossible goal, I lost all my motivation to make art and skins. I wonder if art is really my thing, because I never felt an inner drive to create. However, I just reregistered myself here, because I haven't developed anything else and it became an important part of my life. I try to become motivated again, so I can finish the things I started. I really wonder what your drives are to create. You're welcome to post your own experiences with art ruts too ofcourse.
(Sorry, if this post is in Ingrish or too long).

ElysiumGX

My advice to you is try something different for while that is still art related. Keep yourself challenged. Maybe characters and skins aren't your thing. Try sketching, concept art, painting, or even photography. Then if you have the urge to come back to game art, do so. Breaks are allowed.

I like the art you and your sister create. It's a change of pace from the styles you normally see here.

My urge to create comes from a deep desire to expand my mind. I keep my mind busy, otherwise I'll fade away into society and all its troubles. Photography helps me to see the beauty in the real world. Sketching, Painting, Game Characters..etc., help me bring my imagination to life. It keeps me calm, and down to earth. My creativity took me far as a child, and that's something I never want to lose.

I gave up on art during High School. But soon realized I had lost site of my future. Now I'm back with a lot of catching up to do still. I want to be the best, even if it takes many years to get there.

Motivation is one of the most important tools to have as an artist. I find myself looking for it on many occasions.

frosty

I am right with you girl, I have to get over that inertia to do some UT skins and I am just stuck. Of course being disgusted for the general discussion forums will buy me about an hour everyday now, so who knows.

Also looking at art on other fourms helps like http://www.conceptart.org/forums/

And viewing classic artists of the past.

Goodluck Girl.

Ruz

nahh, you should stop thinking so much and get on with it in my opinion. If you feel in the mood, go for it, otherwise don't beat yourself up over it.
Also you might never be the best in the world, but you can still be damn good if you practice enough.
Just depends how much you want to do it.
Where there is a will, there is a way.

My motivation is the love of doing art, though getting paid for it helps he he

[Deleted User]

I'm in a similar sort of rut myself, at the moment. Though in my case, I've got plenty of drive to create, but I seem to be lacking the creativity. I've been focusing on improving my technical skills, and they've been improving pretty steadily for the past few months (after stagnating quite a bit during college due to lack of time to devote to anything but my school projects, which weren't especially challenging, but were very time-consuming). The thing is, I've got a major lack of ideas now as to what to create.

I used to get inspired by discussing things with friends until we'd get some cool ideas going. But since the end of college (almost 2 years ago), I haven't really been around anyone. I try to look at artwork by other people for inspiration, but then I sit down and say "Okay, I'd like to try something kind of like that" and end up with something so much like what I was looking at, that it's just a pointless rehash of almost the exact same subject matter. I don't like to proceed with a painting or model without a solid concept in mind, so when I can't come up with something that's not remotely original, I usually just stop there and try to think of something. So I haven't been doing much finished artwork at all. And the stuff I have done is all pretty generic.

NuclearTes

Thanks for your replies everyone. It really helps to read your comments.

I just opened a sketch thread in the pimping and previews forum to reactivate myself a bit: NuclearTes's Sketch Thread I'm also working on my Leila skin again and I'm trying to improve my technical skills. I'm glad the concept is already finished, because I don't have a lot of inspiration.

@ElysiumGX: I've tried to make (don't laugh) cartoon dolls for a while, to get over my inertia, but I guess that was not challenging and fulfilling enough for me, since the dolling community is easily satisfied quality wise and there is a serious art theft problem there. Click here to visit my doll site if you want.

@Frosty: Thanks for the link. That forum is really kick-ass. I'm all jealous now.

@Ruz: I guess you're right; I'm indeed thinking too much. I'm listening to some music while I'm working now, to push away my thoughts a bit.

@fly soup: Your story is indeed very similar to mine. I hope you will get your inspiration back soon.

Zeldrik

Yeah just create art to both please and expand yourself, if someone else likes it then its a bonus but it shouldn’t be your main motivation.

eepberries

I hardly ever do much art related stuff at all anymore, besides just doodling in my notebooks . Though I am proud of myself for actually FINISHING a 3d model yesterday (as in doing the model, unwrapping it, AND skinning it). I've never gotten around to skinning my stuff before, I'm trying to change that habit.

Oh yeah, and actually finishing what I start is something else I'm working on

flaagan

having done all my work for school / mod projects up until a few months back, i never really had a problem findin something to work on. Now, i have no projects, so i'm constantly in a rut for what to do. I've found makin car models, as I'm a vehicle enthusiast, keeps me motivated. Also, thanks to how well I knot Unreal Ed due to said mod projects, I come up with lil' projects for that to keep me goin (case in point, my stalled onslaught map SuburbanTerror, and now a chinese / japanese temple idea i've got bouncin around my head).. keeps me with a goal to shoot for, thus drivin my creativity...

smurfbizkit

Something that I've found works is to just come up with a Project that you'd like to do and start modeling things for it. You don't ever have to intend on finishing it, or releasing it...but it'll give you a good framework of things to work on.

moose

i foudn when im in a block, i take some time off to clear my mind. Stop thinking about what you are doing and do something else. when you come back fresh to what you were working on, it may spark some ideas. If not, just move on, and come back later.

Daz

Yeah thats what I tend to do Moose. Also, If I ever reach a point where Im staring at blank viewports in Maya and uninspired, or even trying to finish a certain piece of work at all but lacking the will or motivation, best thing to do is to turn the computer off and go outside. You'll come back at some point with renewed vigour. If Im short for ideas, I go out and wander round the city with a camera.

vanilla

I like creating art so I can get a visceral view of what my thoughts, ideas or gut feelings look like. I make art as a way to coagulate ideas, 'draw' them out of my head, cultivate chaos, find new things, conquer the unknown, travel the final frontier to where no man has gone before, and finally so I can show it all to other people to see if they like it, resonate with it or agree with it for the same reasons I do - Or so they can go "wow kewl pic".

sniper 1

I'm also just coming back to Polycount after a long time away. I got in a serious rut and really got down about my lack of progression as it seemed everyone else on these boards was either way ahead of me or passing me by.

So I took some time off - played a few games but did a lot of other non-computer stuff. I've just recently started modelling and skinning again, and I just feel like I have a lot more energy when I sit down to create something.