Stallone on how he had to suffer 7 long years before a studio signed Rocky: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5Lqo9MlFWo[/ame]
I'm not saying we all paint our windows black and cut ourselves off from the world. But there ARE sacrifices that have to be made if you want to become good at high skill professions like ours. These sacrifices are easier to make when you are young and independent, and less so when you have other things demanding your attention and energy (relationships, mortage, etc.). So if you can stand to put in the few years of "sacrifice" to get to the level you need to be at, I say go for it. I think someone said it earlier; if game art is a way of life for you, then the sacrifices aren't really sacrifices. You simply do what you have to do to keep doing what you love. If not, there's always that low-wage, stress-free retail job at the mall that will for sure give you lots of free time to dick around. But would you be happy doing that for the rest of your life?
Wow, I didn't expect this thread to take off as much as I had planned.
It's good to hear other peoples stories and what they given up to persue game art, and it makes me feel terrible for not coping with my long term partner breaking up with me, when others have familes to worry about or have lost a lot more then I have. But in the end, it's always relative - there's always people out there far worse off then you are.
The feeling I get from most the comments are that people have been doing whatever makes them happy in the long run. And I think that's the key. We all know in our hearts what is right, a lot of us fight it, but eventually we realise what somethings wrong. I knew breaking up with my gf was the right, not ideal, but the right thing to do.
I think people like having a, mind me saying, bit of a whinge, seems like a lot of you have a bit to be annoyed/stressed about. It's good seeing everyone come together and talk about their lives, I'm sure it'll help others, and each other to stay positive and realise everyone has their ups and downs.
P.s. Thanks to those offering me advice, i'm hanging in there .
Has anyone here led a normal stable life in game art?
yes
or at least, i think so. I'm not allowed a dog, but that's about it. Oh, and i occasionally miss out summer altogether, but they're getting much shorter anyway. No crunch this year, but still no summer.
Yea and when its not pitch black, its raining or just overcast. Even the hardiest 3mo tan has a hard time standing up to 9mo of darkness. It's good for ya though keeps you inside working on stuff... or playing games...
Tanning places don't do a lot of business here either and orange spray on tan people always look weird and out of place so most people just stay pastey, which is murder on the eyes when the sun finally breaks.
I always kind of chuckle when people from sunnier states say "kids just need to get outside more" heh... yea playing in the street when its 4:30pm, dark, 34 degrees and raining is an awesome place for kids to be... Shove it up your cake hole Marry Fairweather I'd rather not have to weave past a string of creepy little spookified mutants on my commute home =P I'd rather have them inside climbing the walls using their imagination to escape.
I spent most of my time growing up here and we got outside as much as we could which wasn't a lot at least not for the 9 dark cold rainy months. But for those 3 months where it was light and 70 till 10pm and there was no school... holy shit did we have some fun...
Stallone on how he had to suffer 7 long years before a studio signed Rocky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5Lqo9MlFWo
I'm not saying we all paint our windows black and cut ourselves off from the world. But there ARE sacrifices that have to be made if you want to become good at high skill professions like ours. These sacrifices are easier to make when you are young and independent, and less so when you have other things demanding your attention and energy (relationships, mortage, etc.). So if you can stand to put in the few years of "sacrifice" to get to the level you need to be at, I say go for it. I think someone said it earlier; if game art is a way of life for you, then the sacrifices aren't really sacrifices. You simply do what you have to do to keep doing what you love. If not, there's always that low-wage, stress-free retail job at the mall that will for sure give you lots of free time to dick around. But would you be happy doing that for the rest of your life?
So I can either be CG Sylvester Stallone or be a nobody at a Waldenbook's Calendar kiosk... hmmm.
Well when presented with just those two choices I'd be a fool not to make 'CG my life' even if it's results in suffering along the way right?
I'm sorry to say it, but I don't see it as a way of life. I like computers, I like computer graphics. I seem to have a set of skills that I can develop further to make money with. Modeling is just one of those skills.
Having said that it's really nice to hear from the people who've made it and are doing fine though. I'm willing to put up with whatever you guys put up with to get where you are. But if I can't make it, if the career seems cursed and I get stuck with long repeating bouts of unemployment, then I will do something else for a living. That doesn't have to mean Walmart. It's not an all or nothing situation.
well I just sacrificed my free time . I must have worked 8-12 hours a day every day for about 5 years to get good enough to get a job. It's all about dedication really, unless you are one of the talented few.
It's not exactly hard though is it, working on something you enjoy for a living:)
I really enjoy art and I would n't be doing it unless I was not addicted to it.
So yeah even when the work dries up and there are no jobs I don't 'really' care because I will still do it for fun
Has anyone here led a normal stable life in game art?
Sure. Went to university a few years, managed to still hang out with friends and socialize. Got a few jobs requiring me to move around, but wasn't in any serious relationships that would preclude the move, was always able to afford food and rent and a vehicle, plus enough for trips, fun gadgets and other minor luxuries. Now married with a house and a dog, both of us work in videogames, and he didn't really sacrifice anything major for his job either, though he is a programmer not an artist.
Has anyone here led a normal stable life in game art?
so far so good, not too much freetime but thats basicly a personal decision, of course i could spend the time after work with other things than my job, but well what is not part of my job anyways? i'm working in the mediafield, games, movies, tv - almost everything i do - besides clubbing maybe - is part of my job, pretty much every film i watch can be considered as working material, every game, every comic, every book, every museum. Its pretty awesome, no taxes on everything thats fun!
I've not sacrificed relationships [don't have any in the first place], gym time [which is a big stress reliever and ofc an ego trip], but I guess what has been hurt the most is that I move from one project to the next too quickly and I don't have any big star piece I am proud to call my own.
Sure. Went to university a few years, managed to still hang out with friends and socialize. Got a few jobs requiring me to move around, but wasn't in any serious relationships that would preclude the move, was always able to afford food and rent and a vehicle, plus enough for trips, fun gadgets and other minor luxuries. Now married with a house and a dog, both of us work in videogames, and he didn't really sacrifice anything major for his job either, though he is a programmer not an artist.
That is excellent. Good job finding someone who cares about the same stuff too!
I thought some more about CG being one's 'life'. Today I plan to work on the planes of the face a bit, and last night I was thinking about setting up a good long day of doing nothing but quick face sculpts. Usually my idle thoughts are about computer graphics, and only occasionally programming. I haven't ever worked 12 hours a day on my own on cg projects like Ruz though. I have things to take care of during the day usually, but I could definitely use my time better.
I don't have much to sacrifice either. Which is good I suppose. Thank you guys for answering my question - I was getting more than a little worried there with all the drama and moaning that occurred over the last few pages.
I left a higher paying job, moved myself across state, moved somewhere where I didn't have any friends or family (didn't know anyone at all actually), and lost my boyfriend who I had been with happily for 4 1/2 years (he couldn't handle long-distance). It can be harsh- but you know what- I love my new life. I made sacrifices, but if given the chance, I wouldn't take it back. I've never been in a better position to grow both personally and artistically than I am in at this point.
I guess it depends on the person. I promised myself a while back I would never depend on another human being, and that I'd find happiness on my own. Now I'm doing just that. Lift your head up and move on- things usually work out for the better anyways..
Yea and when its not pitch black, its raining or just overcast. Even the hardiest 3mo tan has a hard time standing up to 9mo of darkness. It's good for ya though keeps you inside working on stuff... or playing games...
Tanning places don't do a lot of business here either and orange spray on tan people always look weird and out of place so most people just stay pastey, which is murder on the eyes when the sun finally breaks.
I always kind of chuckle when people from sunnier states say "kids just need to get outside more" heh... yea playing in the street when its 4:30pm, dark, 34 degrees and raining is an awesome place for kids to be... Shove it up your cake hole Marry Fairweather I'd rather not have to weave past a string of creepy little spookified mutants on my commute home =P I'd rather have them inside climbing the walls using their imagination to escape.
I spent most of my time growing up here and we got outside as much as we could which wasn't a lot at least not for the 9 dark cold rainy months. But for those 3 months where it was light and 70 till 10pm and there was no school... holy shit did we have some fun...
This thread reminds me so much of everything I had sacrificed in the past, and how I've grown enough to not let work by the dominant purpose in my life.
Anyways, long story short:
Happiness comes from a balance of Health, Wealth, and Love. They're symbiotic pillars in everyone's life that require balance.
Sacrificing one, will cause you to neglect the other two, and that will not necessarily make you happy.
Replies
I'm not saying we all paint our windows black and cut ourselves off from the world. But there ARE sacrifices that have to be made if you want to become good at high skill professions like ours. These sacrifices are easier to make when you are young and independent, and less so when you have other things demanding your attention and energy (relationships, mortage, etc.). So if you can stand to put in the few years of "sacrifice" to get to the level you need to be at, I say go for it. I think someone said it earlier; if game art is a way of life for you, then the sacrifices aren't really sacrifices. You simply do what you have to do to keep doing what you love. If not, there's always that low-wage, stress-free retail job at the mall that will for sure give you lots of free time to dick around. But would you be happy doing that for the rest of your life?
It's good to hear other peoples stories and what they given up to persue game art, and it makes me feel terrible for not coping with my long term partner breaking up with me, when others have familes to worry about or have lost a lot more then I have. But in the end, it's always relative - there's always people out there far worse off then you are.
The feeling I get from most the comments are that people have been doing whatever makes them happy in the long run. And I think that's the key. We all know in our hearts what is right, a lot of us fight it, but eventually we realise what somethings wrong. I knew breaking up with my gf was the right, not ideal, but the right thing to do.
I think people like having a, mind me saying, bit of a whinge, seems like a lot of you have a bit to be annoyed/stressed about. It's good seeing everyone come together and talk about their lives, I'm sure it'll help others, and each other to stay positive and realise everyone has their ups and downs.
P.s. Thanks to those offering me advice, i'm hanging in there
yes
or at least, i think so. I'm not allowed a dog, but that's about it. Oh, and i occasionally miss out summer altogether, but they're getting much shorter anyway. No crunch this year, but still no summer.
Tanning places don't do a lot of business here either and orange spray on tan people always look weird and out of place so most people just stay pastey, which is murder on the eyes when the sun finally breaks.
I always kind of chuckle when people from sunnier states say "kids just need to get outside more" heh... yea playing in the street when its 4:30pm, dark, 34 degrees and raining is an awesome place for kids to be... Shove it up your cake hole Marry Fairweather I'd rather not have to weave past a string of creepy little spookified mutants on my commute home =P I'd rather have them inside climbing the walls using their imagination to escape.
I spent most of my time growing up here and we got outside as much as we could which wasn't a lot at least not for the 9 dark cold rainy months. But for those 3 months where it was light and 70 till 10pm and there was no school... holy shit did we have some fun...
So I can either be CG Sylvester Stallone or be a nobody at a Waldenbook's Calendar kiosk... hmmm.
Well when presented with just those two choices I'd be a fool not to make 'CG my life' even if it's results in suffering along the way right?
I'm sorry to say it, but I don't see it as a way of life. I like computers, I like computer graphics. I seem to have a set of skills that I can develop further to make money with. Modeling is just one of those skills.
Having said that it's really nice to hear from the people who've made it and are doing fine though. I'm willing to put up with whatever you guys put up with to get where you are. But if I can't make it, if the career seems cursed and I get stuck with long repeating bouts of unemployment, then I will do something else for a living. That doesn't have to mean Walmart. It's not an all or nothing situation.
It's not exactly hard though is it, working on something you enjoy for a living:)
I really enjoy art and I would n't be doing it unless I was not addicted to it.
So yeah even when the work dries up and there are no jobs I don't 'really' care because I will still do it for fun
Sure. Went to university a few years, managed to still hang out with friends and socialize. Got a few jobs requiring me to move around, but wasn't in any serious relationships that would preclude the move, was always able to afford food and rent and a vehicle, plus enough for trips, fun gadgets and other minor luxuries. Now married with a house and a dog, both of us work in videogames, and he didn't really sacrifice anything major for his job either, though he is a programmer not an artist.
so far so good, not too much freetime but thats basicly a personal decision, of course i could spend the time after work with other things than my job, but well what is not part of my job anyways? i'm working in the mediafield, games, movies, tv - almost everything i do - besides clubbing maybe - is part of my job, pretty much every film i watch can be considered as working material, every game, every comic, every book, every museum. Its pretty awesome, no taxes on everything thats fun!
That is excellent. Good job finding someone who cares about the same stuff too!
I thought some more about CG being one's 'life'. Today I plan to work on the planes of the face a bit, and last night I was thinking about setting up a good long day of doing nothing but quick face sculpts. Usually my idle thoughts are about computer graphics, and only occasionally programming. I haven't ever worked 12 hours a day on my own on cg projects like Ruz though. I have things to take care of during the day usually, but I could definitely use my time better.
I don't have much to sacrifice either. Which is good I suppose. Thank you guys for answering my question - I was getting more than a little worried there with all the drama and moaning that occurred over the last few pages.
I guess it depends on the person. I promised myself a while back I would never depend on another human being, and that I'd find happiness on my own. Now I'm doing just that. Lift your head up and move on- things usually work out for the better anyways..
I
Anyways, long story short:
Happiness comes from a balance of Health, Wealth, and Love. They're symbiotic pillars in everyone's life that require balance.
Sacrificing one, will cause you to neglect the other two, and that will not necessarily make you happy.
Do what makes you happy.