Sapped,drained,tired and out of energy.

JO420 · Mar 2010

Well here comes another in a rut thread. For quite awhile now ive been trying to find that spark outside of work to get some work accomplished. I see alot of artist out there struggling to find work and myself who does not have this problem (at the moment) cant find the energy to go home and create artwork. I feel i am in a tremendous rut,ive started quite a few projects in the past but i quickly fizzle out of energy. I have all these tools at hand but cant seem to find good use out of them to create somethin new.

Anyone have good ideas on how i can possibly get myself out of this rut?

aesir · Mar 2010

stop making shit thats only purpose is to be a 'portfolio piece' and start a project that interests you personally, even if it doesn't make for the ideal portfolio piece.

And work out really hard every day.

Progg · Mar 2010

I find it hard to get motivated sometimes... I'm having a hard time mustering energy to finish texturing my swamp scene. I know for me modeling has always been more of my favorite thing to do... so when I first start out on a project I spend all my time thinking about it and working on it.... then around the time texturing comes I am burned out and try to sneak by to get it finished because I feel like an untextured model is not portfolio worthy in some cases. I would say maybe find out what you like best about cg and do that for a bit... maybe participate in a mini challenge on one of the various forums. Something that is short...simple.. and fun. It doesn't hurt to look at it from the perspective of "personal" art and not something you need to put on your website.

r_fletch_r · Mar 2010

find something really important that you need to do, then do your 3d in order to avoid doing said important thing. works for me everytime

on a more serious note maybe finding something that inspires you other than 3d would help.

Progg · Mar 2010

r_fletch_r wrote: »

find something really important that you need to do, then do your 3d in order to avoid doing said important thing. works for me everytime

hahhaha... just wait for the wife to bitch at you to fix the sink or remodel the basement and then tell her you are working on your portfolio.

Richard Kain · Mar 2010

It might be time to take a step back and gain a little perspective. Maybe just take a break from after-hours 3D work for a week. Read some new books, take a walk in the park, that sort of thing. You have employment, so you are in an enviable position, and should take advantage of that. It is easy to burn out on this sort of thing. Taking a step back for just a few days and just not worry about it could do you world of good.

And once your brief interlude is over, you can hop right back in. Work on a more personal project first. Not something that will look cool or impressive, but something that is personally meaningful to you.

Paul Pepera · Mar 2010

- take a break from 3D/CG art and try another art form; such as illustration or photography. It's like pressing the creative reset button.

Wahlgren · Mar 2010

Well mr. Jo. It's not just you. Me too.

I for one is starting to feel very drained from the whole job-hunt-thing.

I constantly worry about having no cash, what my options are, moving to other countries, leaving my girl behind, etc etc. It easily kicks your creativities ass... but it also pushes you to feel that you need to work harder and stresses you out. After awhile you just fry due to thinking 24/7, not sleeping well etc.

But there's nothing to do about it. Just gotta deal with it and work on more and better stuff.

notman · Mar 2010

I think it's that time of year. I've been feeling drained of any motivation lately. I can't convince myself to do anything extra at work, and I'm not interested in coding at home

I just feel tired and uninterested lately.

Maybe a trip to a museum, or something along those lines, may strike up some inspiration.

dejawolf · Mar 2010

seriously, workouts works wonders on your creative libido. alternately, just try and get a 2 hour walk in at least 5 days a week. can the car, and walk to work. if its a 1 hour walk uphill each direction, GREAT thats what you need. it'll be hard the first week/month, but after that, you will have noticeable improvements in cognitive and physical capabilities.
workouts improves your cardiovascular systems, which means your heart pumps more blood to your brain.
oh, and working out keeps you from getting depressed. your muscles release anti-depressives when they get a good workout.

r_fletch_r · Mar 2010

gotta agree with that one, regardless of the fact im turning into a fat slob, taking a walk or doing something physical allways raises my spirits, which is odd because i dont enjoy doing it.

Justin Meisse · Mar 2010

The workout as anti-depressant never worked for me :P but if you're depressed and having art blocks you might as well be skinny.

Also, I don't want to put words in his mouth but I do believe JO420 exercises.

Ferg · Mar 2010

yeah, exercise releases some good chemicals in your brain. Also, taking the occasional week break from art helps me. I realize that if you're job hunting and need money, that's not always practical. But if you've been jamming on art for months 24/7 and can afford to take a week off, you should do it. Some of my best artistic explosions have happened right after a short art break.

Karmageddon · Mar 2010

I have found that going back into traditional art, even art that I never found myself relating to in the past, has been very helpful to my inspiration. Go to an art museum gift shop and spend an hour or two going through art books. Or like Eraserhead said, try something like photography or attending drawing labs.

Joseph Silverman · Mar 2010

Pushups, apples, friends, pencils. less q___q more being awesome.

Rurouni Strife · Mar 2010

I know that sometimes when I use to draw a lot, that I'd start to notice that I seemed to be decreasing in skill. What I would then do is not draw for a while (talking like weeks or even a month or two) and then hop back on the doodle train and I'd have tons of ideas. 3D for me is a little different, it's harder for me to get burnt out and I always see improvement in my work. However, I just finished the first of 3 projects for my portfolio and I spent that next week taking a break. I was traveling a lot that week too so I kind of had to, but it helped. Also, so did getting drunk and seeing an 80's cover band.

Resting your head and just not worrying about a portfolio piece for a little while might be what you need. Plus, you have a job. You can afford a two week brain rest.

JO420 · Mar 2010

Thanks for all the advice,alot of it is real helpful, i think for too long ive done things that i think will impress 3d wise but not really things i like or even love. One of the things i love is history and more specifically world war 2. Because of the shitty winter i have not gotten a chance to fully explore Berlin and i think this weekend ill grab my camera,put on my trainers and go explore the city.

I think ill either go check out Hitlers bunker or do you remember in the Call of Duty or was it Medal of Honor there was a part in the game where the paratroopers assaulted a huge fortress like flack tower? Well they actually exsisted and theres one left intact in a park in Berlin. I believe close to 10 stories tall,5 of them being buried underground and so well built that the Russians tried to blow it up two times and failed. Maybe ill go explore that,first time i took the metro to the airport i saw it and it blew my mind.

as for 3d maybe ill make a world war 2 fighter,i loved making them when i began working with 3d. I imagine now i could really make a sweet looking world war 2 fighter.

ErichWK · Mar 2010

I find I don't get motivated to do work unless I do some form of excersise. I ride my bbike through a georgous part of town, look at all the architecture I could recreate in 3d, and drink coffee at some cafe and think about how I'm going to approach my shit. Works everytime!

hijak · Mar 2010

Seems like you have trouble working on your own for extended periods. My suggestion is to collab, or like create something for a mod or something similar. You probably work best when you are accountable, it can be much easier to become motivated when you fell your work has purpose.

Sapped,drained,tired and out of energy.

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