Staying motivated

[Sundaysoul]

Ive found that, I have a huge problem staying motivated and getting focused enough to draw. Im not sure why but everytime I start to draw, I end up loosing focus then falling out of the groove to even draw. I think it can also contribute to the fact that I dont necessarily have a place to work where i can get a workflow going.

So im asking, any tips on how to get motivated and STAY motivated?

[Andrew Sonea]

Unplug the internet and put on some good music.

[Misplacedhippos]

Figure out how to really enjoy the process of what you are doing. The motivation should come by itself after that.

[cloudcan]

I have the same problem nearly every day. Doodling whatever shit I feel like, inspirational quotes and some epic sf movies, get me going usually. Just get yourself excited about what you're doing. for me it's the idea of bringing nonexistant things into existance, or simply creating something that wasn't there before

[Psychobuddy]

Do what Andrew said and get of the internet...it's our biggest resource but also our biggest distraction, oh irony you're a cruel mistress...

[Noah Bradley]

If you don't like making art, then why do you want to make art?

[Tim Murphy]

We have a a lot of threads on the forum regarding motivation.

[Charlie D]

http://www.conceptart.org/gallery/






Look at some of the images in above link for abut 5/10 minutes and if there is no response go find something that really does interest you.

[overclocked~fox~]

if you want to go with motivation i think you're going to fail everytime

its nothing to do with motivation.

here is a good trick that works wonders for me: im not a great painter but at least i do work a lot. just know that discipline is like a muscle. the more you let yourself wander off the weaker that muscle is going to get. Do you want to let yourself get weaker and weaker? do you want to have puny discipline muscles?

cool thing: the more and more disciplined you become, the easier doing other things which require discipline become. you may become good at painting and at the same time its also likely you'll lose weight or body-build and gain real body muscle.

good luck

[overclocked~fox~]

Do what Andrew said and get of the internet...it's our biggest resource but also our biggest distraction, oh irony you're a cruel mistress...

dont worry about the internet. the internet is a great source of information and pics. its the demons in yourself those are the real enemy. just google every question you have about 'how to focus, how to stop being a perfectionist, how to relax when you're frustrated, how to be optimistic" you will eventually clear a path for working steadily. when you have that it feels good. ridding yourself of demons is just as important as painting everyday this is the truth if you dont already have that skill

most people do not

[Charlie D]

If other peoples work does not motivate you to get drawing/painting then you are probably on wrong path.

[Farvus]

Im not sure why but everytime I start to draw, I end up loosing focus then falling out of the groove to even draw.

It's not lack of motivation. The brain and eyes just get tired when drawing. The better you get, the longer you can stay focused on drawing.

Either take more breaks or give yourself something easier to draw so you can progressively raise the complexity of your drawings.

[Charlie D]

The brain and eyes should not be tired at the start of the exercise/project/assignment and if they are you are probably more interested in wine, women and song etc than producing works of art like the people in the conceptart gallery

[TinyBird]

If other peoples work does not motivate you to get drawing/painting then you are probably on wrong path.

I'd disagree on that a bit. Of course seeing (good) art done by others can and even should be inspiring but I think whether you as an artist has the need and want to create something of your own is bit more better point to decide whether doing art is the right or wrong path.

[Charlie D]

If other peoples work does not make you want to create your own, you are probably on wrong path. What other motivation is there to create art??

[Arshes Nei]

If other peoples work does not make you want to create your own, you are probably on wrong path. What other motivation is there to create art??

And when other people weren't drawing like now? Come on now. Obviously it started without the fact other people were drawing before us.

You like doing art simply because even if the mistakes frustrate you, you keep doing it. It's no different than other things we do in life. I don't ride a bike because I see other people riding bikes. I ride a damn bike because I like riding bikes. Same with video games.

The aspect of failure stops becoming an excuse and you overcome it knowing you'll eventually get better. You keep playing games even when levels frustrate because you enjoy the challenge. You quit if the game no longer interests you.

OP go get a copy of the book Art & Fear and read it.

[Charlie D]

Cmon now you know there were no cameras when people like Da Vinci was alive and the only way to record what he and others saw was to draw/paint it. Things like Sistine Chapel is pure decoration, albeit great decoration

[Arshes Nei]

Cmon now you know there were no cameras when people like Da Vinci was alive and the only way to record what he and others saw was to draw/paint it.

wtf....

[vineris]

What other motivation is there to create art??

To capture your experiences and show them to people? To express something inside you. To get a reaction.

If other people's pictures are the only thing that make a person do art they might as well not bother.

[TinyBird]

What other motivation is there to create art??

To share stuff you have invented? To entertain people? To have fun?
Somehow I think there's some sort of misunderstanding here, and I certainly don't mean that watching other artist's art isn't inspiring or doesn't sometimes make you want to draw, but people are different. Just looking through pictures doesn't make me want to draw, but if I have an idea that I really want to see drawn, now that always gets me fired up on drawing.
Like, as a kid I read lots of comics, but I never did my own comics before I was told that I actually can do comics of my own and tell my own stories (I was pretty slow as a kid and we don't have much comic industry here).
So, to me the motivation of doing art is creating.

[Charlie D]

To capture your experiences and show them to people? To express something inside you. To get a reaction.

You mean like those artists images did you have seen from the past in museums/galleries.

[Charlie D]

The work of previous artists is the great motivator. If it were not you'd probably not be or even want to be artists.

[Arshes Nei]

You mean like those artists images did you have seen from the past in museums/galleries.

Make some sense please.

[Charlie D]

Makes sense to me.

[Sundaysoul]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I think i like the turn off the internet solution alot better, I find myself getting distracted alot so that could contrubite. I also do have alot of people i look up to like Algenpfleger and Stanley Lau, they sometimes make me want to achieve greatness.

[Arshes Nei]

The work of previous artists is the great motivator. If it were not you'd probably not be or even want to be artists.

I just said this was not true. People want to be artists because they like being artists. Human need to create was there before there were established artists.

Your statements of it being the single motivator is, well no other way to put it is ...bs.

A whether or not cameras existed is irrelevant if you actually look at art history. People still created because it is part of our drive.

Art is used to communicate.

Art is used to decorate.

Just because we see other works doesn't become our motivation. There are many people every day exposed to other artwork. Do you see them create? Do you see EVERYONE becoming an artist?

[Charlie D]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I think i like the turn off the internet solution alot better, I find myself getting distracted alot so that could contrubite. I also do have alot of people i look up to like Algenpfleger and Stanley Lau, they sometimes make me want to achieve greatness.

There are a lot of distractions for us Sundaysoul, so we must be disciplined and determined, otherwise we end up not getting to where we wish to be.

[Charlie D]

I just said this was not true. People want to be artists because they like being artists. Human need to create was there before there were established artists.

Your statements of it being the single motivator is, well no other way to put it is ...bs.

A whether or not cameras existed is irrelevant if you actually look at art history. People still created because it is part of our drive.

Art is used to communicate.

Art is used to decorate.

Just because we see other works doesn't become our motivation. There are many people every day exposed to other artwork. Do you see them create? Do you see EVERYONE becoming an artist?

Art is indeed used to communicate, it was, as you probably know the only way a person could communicate what they saw around them or on tour in the past was via drawing/painting. The result can know be seen in museums.


Again as you probably know. Not everyone wants to communicate via art so not sure of your point here.

[Elwell]

Charlie D:

Put down the mouse, step away from the keyboard. You're not doing yourself or anybody else any good.

[Charlie D]

Charlie D:

Put down the mouse, step away from the keyboard. You're not doing yourself or anybody else any good.

You can tell me what to do if i'm breaking T&C as i believe you are a Mod , but PLEASE don't tell me what to do here.