motivation troubles

**bleedhondos** · October 29th, 2005, 05:31 AM

I'm having issues motivating myself to sketch, 3d work or just art related. How do you guys get yourself out of a slump? How do you motivate yourself and keep it going? I need some help....

**CaptainInsano** · October 29th, 2005, 05:45 AM

I check my bank account

**l.e.b** · October 29th, 2005, 07:46 AM

Punch yourself in the face
I cant be motivated to get out of bed
Its like getting a job or something difficult
Sometimes i drink lots of tea and smoke lots then my motivation comes at 2am

**waronmars** · October 29th, 2005, 07:55 AM

you could try the fifty seven other threads on exactly the same topic.

**Interceptor** · October 29th, 2005, 09:15 AM

The work on this site is'nt motivation enough?

**madster** · October 29th, 2005, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by waronmars

you could try the fifty seven other threads on exactly the same topic.

Silly Waronmars! That would involve being focused enough beyond one's own ego to actually SEARCH, rather than merely selfishly start a new thread about the same topic yet again, since a lack of motivation evidently also applies to seeing if just possibly someone else might have had the situation happen to them...

~M

**l.e.b** · October 29th, 2005, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by Interceptor

The work on this site is'nt motivation enough?

I think the work people have put up on this site is pretty unmotivating - its not gonna make you pick up a pencil if youre struggling with being shit at art.

If some person puts up a design "oh this is some concept for a dwarf" and you think "hmm maybe i should draw some concept stuff like that" then youre going to run into problems

You should draw because it relaxes you and makes you happy thats the best place to start, not by wanking over someone elses work

**Interceptor** · October 29th, 2005, 09:56 AM

that's what makes me draw though. Is seeing "Oh shit, look at the competition"

**stoph** · October 29th, 2005, 10:58 AM

can we please put a sticky of this, including a generic "im blue cause i cant paint for poo", then everyone pitch in with suggestions to counter such feelings? not to be insensitive toward you, mr bleed, but its true that this has been said at least a couple o hundred times.

**dogfood** · October 29th, 2005, 11:03 AM

At first I was not motivated enough to reply (and no one would have known my lack of motivation), but then I read l.e.b.'s post.

I think tens or even dozens of people get motivation to draw from this site (I mean, with almost 30,000 members, someone's gotta want to redraw that dwarf). While people have the joy in their hearts, it may not have a focus in which to manifest itself as more than a desire. Sometimes it takes an image that instills that little extra push that gets folks drawing.

Originally Posted by l.e.b.

I think the work people have put up on this site is pretty unmotivating - its not gonna make you pick up a pencil if youre struggling with being shit at art.

I certainly respect that you have your own opinion, but the art on this site does make me pick up a pencil (I need war's poster), so I can say you're wrong. It may not dust your pantyhose, but none of us completely represent the whole of humanity, so speaking as such is pretty presumptuous.

OK, now I'm motivated. Off to ChOW!

**Carnifex** · October 29th, 2005, 11:11 AM

i motivate myself by reading how unmotivated everyone else is.

**madster** · October 29th, 2005, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by l.e.b

I think the work people have put up on this site is pretty unmotivating - its not gonna make you pick up a pencil if youre struggling with being shit at art.

If some person puts up a design "oh this is some concept for a dwarf" and you think "hmm maybe i should draw some concept stuff like that" then youre going to run into problems

You should draw because it relaxes you and makes you happy thats the best place to start, not by wanking over someone elses work

I'm sorry, you seem to have made an extreme misjudgment in your surroundings, if you are expecting this site to motivate you to pick up a pencil if you are struggling with being shit at art.

That is NOT EVEN the purpose of this website!

Reality Check, l.e.b. :

Originally Posted by Jason Manley

We are a web community of artists who are here for one purpose. We want to help each other learn about art, provide the best place to showcase work, further our art educations, and to meet other artists from around the world.

If you don't have even enough motivation to make an effort to check out the site you are so busy putting down, you most certainly are not going to find the motivation to pick up a pencil or stylus, and actually draw something...It's kind of like the Nike shoe motto, "Just do it."

What we do here, is help your being shit at art improve, by "wanking over" someone's art. That's how those who seriously want to improve their skills learn what looks wonky, and what skill deficiencies they need to work on improving.

But no, this is not the place to find that magical "spark" of inspiration to actually make you do something. That is something you either have or you don't, and no website, book, class, seminar, museum, or forum can give it to you. They can only help the spark become a brightly burning flame of creativity...

So, if your fragile, unmotivated, little ego can't appreciate this site, don't expect the situation here to change because of it. Motivation has to start with a conscious internal choice to improve, not a lazy expectation of external encouragement. Around here, those are called "asspats," and while they do exist in various forms, they are not the main "motivating" consideration or educational method of choice of ConceptArt.Org.

~M

**sour** · October 29th, 2005, 11:50 AM

i am unmotivated right now because after years of drawing all the time and getting better all the time i suddenly realized i was not getting any better. and so i pretty much gave up. it's probably been about 2 years since i drew constantly and actually enjoyed it(with a few expections). i am still able to pick up a pencil and sketch something at least recognizable, thankfully, so i am starting getting back into it again. and this time better. i am trying to draw things that i have never drawn before and research things and learn new things to help me get better at what i like to draw. say, anatomy, i am almost completely self taught and everything i learned anatomy wise i just picked up by looking at people and seeing how their bodies were. but even with that i am not great at doing it properly, just better than some. so now i am downloading and saving all these pictures of muscles and bones and the like to get better at it.
but when i try to draw i get so fucking frustrated that my hand will not do what i see in my head and i stop. i checked out mindcandyman's sketchbook the other day so i know that if i just practice and really put effort into it i can be as good as i've always wanted to be. but there are just little things here and there that discourage me and make me stop and never draw again. i love art and i so want to create beautifully like many here do, though, so i keep trying. i just don't have the motivation lately, i don't know if it's because of my state of mnid right now or what, but it irritates the shit out of me.
also i got to mess around with a wacom tablet for awhile and i really enjoyed it because it allowed me to be as anal as i wanted to be with my drawing and there was no smudging and always the ability to fix a fuck up easily. and then when i didn't have it to use anymore i got frustrated that i could not do with pencil and paper what i could on the computer. i guess i am being lazy or something but i just really liked the control i had over my sketches. so i need to get my ass down to office depot or something and just buy one.
but maybe if i kept at drawing regularly i wouldn't have those problems. i don't know. i am a big ball of frustration when it comes to drawing lately.

excuse the long rant-post thing.

**Magic Man** · October 29th, 2005, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by sour

i am unmotivated right now because after years of drawing all the time and getting better all the time i suddenly realized i was not getting any better. and so i pretty much gave up. it's probably been about 2 years since i drew constantly and really enjoyed it. i am still able to pick up a pencil and sketch something at least recognizable, thankfully, so i am trying to start getting back into it again. and this time better. i am trying to draw things that i have never drawn before and research things and learn new things to help me get better at what i like to draw. say, anatomy, i am almost completely self taught and everything i learned anatomy wise i just picked up by looking at people and seeing how their bodies were. but even with that i am not great at doing it properly, just better than some. so now i am downloading and saving all these pictures of muscles and bones and the like to get better at it.
but when i try to draw i get so fucking frustrated that my hand will not do what i see in my head and i stop. i checked out mindcandyman's sketchbook the other day so i know that if i just practice and really put effort into it i can be as good as i've always wanted to be. but there ate just little things here and there that discourage me and make me stop and never draw again. i love art and i so want to create beautifully like many here do, though, so i keep trying. i just don't have the motivation lately, i don't know if it's because of my state of mnid right now or what, but it irritates the shit out of me.
also i got to mess around with a wacom tablet for awhile and i really enjoyed it because it allowed me to be as anal as i wanted to be with my drawing and there was no smudging and always the ablity to fix a fuck up easily. and then when i didn't have it to use anymore i got frustrated that i could not do with pencil and paper what i could on the computer. i guess i am being lazy or something but i just really liked the control i had over my sketches. so i need to get my ass down to office depot or something and just buy one.
but maybe if i kept at drawing regularly i wouldn't have those problems. i don't know. i am a big ball of frustration when it comes to drawing lately.

excuse the long rant-post thing.

You're going to give yourself a heart attack, just follow Nike:

Just do it.

**sour** · October 29th, 2005, 11:58 AM

arg, unquote me i am still editing it

**Magic Man** · October 29th, 2005, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by sour

arg, unquote me i am still editing it

pwn3d!!!1

**Magic Man** · October 29th, 2005, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by madster

...It's kind of like the Nike shoe motto, "Just do it."

...ah shit...

=(

**sour** · October 29th, 2005, 12:04 PM

bastard, i hope your pencil lead snaps in the middle of a wonderful drawing.

yes.

HA! your pwn is useless now.

god damn i hate dial up.

**Magic Man** · October 29th, 2005, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by sour

bastard, i hope your pencil lead snaps in the middle of a wonderful drawing.

yes.

HA! your pwn is usless now.

*shows penis*

Who's your daddy?

**sour** · October 29th, 2005, 12:10 PM

aw, so cute.

**figure2** · October 29th, 2005, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by waronmars

I love despair.com. Their calendar is hilarious in a dark, brooding, pessimistic sort of way.

**CaptainInsano** · October 29th, 2005, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by Magic Man

*shows penis*

awww, isn't it cute! It's like a babies!

haha, I'm just messin with ya MM

**Dizon** · October 29th, 2005, 02:40 PM

just do it, with no second thoughts, and you'll get into it. Trust me.

NO PUNS INTENDED

BTW it's also better if you do some planning beforehand (i.e. practice anatomy, perspective, color, etc.)

**Dr.Baba MD** · October 29th, 2005, 03:56 PM

i have the same problem but my solution might be a lil "far-off"...."weird" to some.iam not a femma lamma lamb ghandi type dude...or a cave dwellin guru dude....or a astral-plane astronomical physcian but i find that some daily meditation helps me be able to move the stressors away in my life,and allows me to SLOW THINGS DOWN in my head,which puts me in the mood & gives me the motivation to sit down & draw.

awhile back i bought some cd's from www.awakenedminds.com, just go to the website and at least read on it...the brainwave shit.....i bought 2 cd's from them. the insight one which is the meditation one,and the focus which i use just about everytime i draw. even tho i live in a quite house the degree to which this cd allows you to focus on whatever your doing .....for me .........reading.....important books ......and comic books/drawing/lifting weights is HUGE! especially when drawing... just the level of focus whendrawing and the things that i find out & see that b4 when not listening to the cd my eye crossed over is motivation enough to sit down & strive to get better...but hey....like i said this is just a suggestion......i offered this to a solution to a problem in a airbrush community iam apart of and got some weird faces stared back at me..........so ......hey.....yeah....iam done.

**Bruce Pluto** · October 29th, 2005, 06:23 PM

First of all bleed and any other members that are wanting to post this same kinda thread. There are NO MAGIC MOTIVATION pills! Well maybe there are but they ain't legal.

If your doing art as a job, well being able to buy a Big Mac and fries or any other (and better) food dish should be motivation enough $$$. It pays the bills.

If you're doing it just because you like to do art then looking around the web and Conceptart sites should be enough to give some inspiration IMO.

One thing that could help is that after you finish one art project, have another already in mind. Take the attitude that you want to improve on each and every new art piece so that its at least some % better than the last one. This is something you can do and you may surprise yourself at how eager it will make you want to get started on your next idea.

Don't wait for pats on the back or if you get totaly trashed on one project end up unmotivated again. Move on to the next and try to get better. The CA members will let you know when you're improving and that will give you a good feeling.

Good luck, Bruce

**bleedhondos** · October 30th, 2005, 03:46 AM

my bad, didnt think twice to do a search on this topic. Anyway i do agree with you guys "just do it" but fact of the matter, i'm sure you guys do agree with me, sometimes its hard to pick up a pencil or brush and start cranking out stuff. Sometimes you get this blank state where you don't feel like you're thinking or there isn't a brain in your head and nothing comes out. I've heard ppl say to use your opposite hand you normal draw with and just draw. It works when your head isn't blank. Maybe i'm just to hard on myself, maybe i feel that i'm not improving fast enough, maybe im afraid of failing.

I love this forum its great, people always have something to say good or bad and on top of that a lot of great artist.
thanks guys

**Bruce Pluto** · October 30th, 2005, 08:10 AM

Goodmorning bleedhondos,

I can see that you have a good attitude and that you may be only in a slump right now. Yes I think every artists that has ever lived has gone through times where no good art ideas were poping up in the old brain. At those time it might be good to do sketches. You know, don't focus on anything (artwork) you want to finish. Sketch family members or set up a still life scene and sketch it. Maybe go outside and do some animals and trees.

Practice your skill.You never know, a new art idea may be right on the edge of coming out and your motivation meter may go up 120%. CA is a great place for inspiration and the membership will let you know what you're doing right and wrong.

Anyway get cracking, post those works of art and have fun

Bruce

**bleedhondos** · November 21st, 2005, 08:13 PM

its been 3-4 wks since i respond. I went to borders and pick up some facial expression book and figures in motion and its sorta kicking in. So far so good, let see how far it goes. Thanks bruce

**Necronomicouch** · November 22nd, 2005, 01:33 AM

Whenever I feel unmotivated I draw anyways. Somewhere in the middle of scribbling useless shapes I get motivated again cuz I want to show them who's boss.