What to do when you lose inspiration/creativity

BenHenry

Alright, so I've been having a really hard time being inspired to do 3D work lately. It seems like every time I start a project, at first I'm really pumped, and I feel that I have the energy to complete it, but it is so hard for me to actually complete something without losing all my inspiration for it.
Also, how do you keep inspiration after a project? what do you do to regain it fast? what are your tips on being creative overall?

I'd love to hear different inputs,
Thanks.

Hexidine

I have that alot aswell. what I do is start a project, make a blockout and leave it for a a bit and then come back to take a new look and refining it etc. the end part of adding little details and stuff is where I'm not so pumped, the end result is good tough..
the I leave the model be and come back to take another look, UV it and then bake it.
the texureing is the most fun for me, i'm not a 2d artist, but I love that a model can come to life by simply adding colors.

This however is just my workflow outside of workhours, in the industry it's a diffrent thing.
Inspiration wise I lose it alot.. just trying to find a thing that's fun for me to build instead of what's better for my folio.

passerby

walk away from computer and call gf or friends and go out for a night.

usually just getting away from something for a while helps you see it from a new light once you return, also the odd thing is i find im more creative when im busy with many different things

maze

might not be your willingness to do 3D stuff, but what is around you. Usually if you feel overall happy, motivation comes along and its not hard to keep it. So yeah , maybe go outside, do some sport, see some friends, gf. Ordering yourself its a good thing too. Try structuring your work, setting goals, even if you alter them in the end. Its good to have some reference points. Try doing an excell file for stuff you ll work on, good pre-production work ALWAYS pays(references, take photos, drawings, video..etc) Make yourself comfortable and "less unsure" about your stuff, so you can better focus.
Creativity is a melange of several sources. So trying other medias, activities, people, will influence your creativity. And finally AIM small, but kickass. SMALL but kick ass, SM..
Hope this helps man.

Joshua Stubbles

I look at the other 100 threads on Polycount about the same subject.

mdeforge

I look at the other 100 threads on Polycount about the same subject.

QFT. Didn't we just finish one of these?

Mark Dygert

I think I know what you're looking for? The one thing that kicks all the lights on and gets everything flowing again. The one thing that restores that zen feeling and work magically finishes itself. Yea that happens every once in a while but don't relay on it because you'll never get anything done.

Inspiration doesn't pay the bills. Inspiration doesn't get projects finished. Inspiration is nice when its there but not necessary to see something through. What is necessary is a relentless commitment to finish the project to the quality standards you know are expected.

What is a good activity to do while waiting for inspiration to strike again?
Practice or just do work, even small tasks that don't require inspiration.

Find some small way to succeed at something. If inspiration can't be the gas in your tank let the sense of accomplishment be the fire in your belly.
"I'm going to unwrap this object by noon" "Done, I win!"
"I'm going to research old generators and make one by Friday" "Done I win!"
"I'm going to sculpt all of the boring details first so they aren't hanging over my head killing my inspiration" "Done I win!"

I think its a bit unrealistic to think that artists can only work when inspired, inspiration might be there in spurts

Especially if you're going to do this professionally you need to find a way to get work done and not be emotionally wed to whatever it is you're doing. Your boss isn't going to take the excuse "well I'm waiting for inspiration before I start working again". Those guys get let cut loose pretty quick.

If your car is stalled and you're trying to get it rolling again do you sit on your rear and wait for it to magically restart or do you give it a shove and try to push start it? At some point the engine is going to kick on and make your job a lot easier but until then muscle through it and get stuff done. Often for me the act of just doing something is the most powerful way to spark inspiration. But then I'm a details guy I love looking up odd bits of machinery or giving some physical purpose to an object or "if this character does this, they will need to carry this and how is it they can carry this item". Just digging in gets things flowing. Just turning on the computer and then walking away demoralized just makes the problem worse, at least for me.

If you can't work with inspiration then at least work on refining your work ethic and start to build that muscle through attitude that really comes in handy. Instead of filling the time between strikes of inspiration with sadness and despair, fill it with something useful and who knows maybe by doing that you can learn to trigger it.

TLDR: There is a wimpy nerdy turtle neck wearing artist inside you that needs a good ass kicking. He needs to be put to work, preferably some hard labor, go! Kick his ass, make him your bitch and never let him whine again.

tristamus

Something that works for me, is to set very small goals, and make sure I accomplish them that day.

In line with what many have said here already, I also find my work to be better when I take frequent breaks, even for 2 days at a time. I will do tons of other things in between when I stopped and when I start again, then come back and see things so much clearer, and my work benefits from it.

You shouldn't work solely from when inspiration arrives...You should work with a love of the process of the craft. You will then feel great once you've begun working on something...you'll feel productive and want to keep going. Doing the work is in itself inspiration. At least that's my point of view.

Edit: I want to recommend these 2 books to you. They are short, and they are fucking fantastic. Don't take this as a "Read books all the time instead of doing Art" thing, but more as a psychological push to help you get going kind of thing, and understand why you should JUST GET TO MAKING ART...

Art & Fear

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Fear-Observations-Rewards-Artmaking/dp/0961454733"]Amazon.com: Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking (9780961454739): David Bayles, Ted Orland: Books[/ame]

and...

Wabi-Sabi

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Wabi-Sabi-Artists-Designers-Poets-Philosophers/dp/0981484603/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324023430&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers (9780981484600): Leonard Koren: Books[/ame]

Hexidine

luke wrote: »

^This

pior

It seems like every time I start a project,

Where is the concept for the last project you started ? Might want to post if for feedback.

JR

Mark Dygert: Man, your post causes me an epiphany! I'm going to copy and paste on my desktop. It's the best inspiration someone could need.

BenHenry

pior wrote: »

Where is the concept for the last project you started ? Might want to post if for feedback.

http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1462393#post1462393

HAWK12HT

AH just what i was looking for, seems like all artist face this common problem. So im happy to know that i aint the only one in this situation. Im since last week trying to open Zbrush and learn tha kick s software yet lack motivation to listen tutorals and read stuff/

cptSwing

Mr. Dygert, thank you. I'll beat that little biatch into submission, i will!

Jessica Dinh

Mark Dygert - now THAT was awesome. Best words regarding 'inspiration' I've ever read :0

dejawolf

i was getting manically depressed at how slowly i was modeling and texturing.
i kept grinding away, spending every waking hour in front of the computer, and it really felt like i was working my ass off.
i assumed i'd need to work 8 hours every day for at least 20 days to create a model, but i wasn't sure. so i decided to figure it out.
i downloaded Camstudio, and started recording.
turns out, for a whole tank model, textured, and complete with LODs, i worked a total of about 38 hours.
the problem was that inbetween modeling, i'd have long breaks of doing absolutely nothing.
surfing the web, and wasting time.
finding out how much time i actually spent on my models was an incredible eye-opener,
and it's allowed me to restructure my day not so much around modeling, but do other things, like go for walks, clean the house, and play games without a guilty conscience.

Twotents

Just inspiring Mark Dygert. Thank you for that. I very often find myself in the lack of motivation pit fall, no lack of inspiration I have an over active imagination :P Finding Poly Count is one of the best things I have done in the few years I have been teaching myself 3D. Posting here gets constructive critiques which on its own is inspirational. "Oh so thats what I can do to make it look better (motivation skill + 1)" Hearing back from people helps a lot!

[HP]

I was once depressed and demotivated too, and I even bought a book about it, 5 pages after reading through that mumbo-jumbo I realized and thought to myself, wtf am I doing reading this when I could be spending the time by either perfecting my craft (practicing) or chilling and recharging them batteries?

Basically, what Mark said

What is a good activity to do while waiting for inspiration to strike again?
Practice or just do work, even small tasks that don't require inspiration.

a3sthesia

I once read a quote that has been sticking with me a lot lately:

"Don't get into the habit of only doing work when you're inspired."

WarrenM

I agree with [HP]. Basically, if you're not inspired at the moment get some of the grind work out of the way - UV unwrap something or work on a base color pass on a texture or whatever. Sketch. Your inspiration will return, but you can't force it.

GeeDave

I just wait until I'm given a notice of redundancy, that usually kicks things into gear.

Christ... I don't even know if that's sarcasm any more.

Toast

Photography for an injection of creativity.

Ruz

I find posting in the right forum actually inpsires me no end:)
I thought I was inspired once , but it just turned out that my trousers were too tight.

quote from blackadder to cheer you up

P: There is just one thing before I go... (confidentially) I've got this
sort of downy hair developing on my chest -- is that normal? Also, I get
so lonely and confused. I've written a poem about it; maybe you'll under-
stand. "Why do nice girls hate me? Why--

E: Get out, you nausating adolescent! (shoos him out the door) Piss off!

McGreed

Usually what I do, when I lose inspiration, I play some games, watch movies, eat and then return to the project again in a couple of weeks...

what? Solutions? what do you think I am, Google??!

Seriously though, I often had that "bah" feeling which doesn't really makes you wanting to work, but just start on it anyway, fiddle around and suddenly you see you concentrating because its fun again.