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Geek Culture / Motivation...

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Venge
18
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Joined: 13th Sep 2006
Location: Iowa
Posted: 12th Apr 2009 23:15 Edited at: 12th Apr 2009 23:20
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Lately I've been having some trouble staying motivated and focused on my projects, and it's starting to bother me. I'm going to college in the fall for computer animation and I want to get a head start on animation and such (so far I've only completed rendered still images). The problem is, whenever I get started on a project, I can't stay working on it for any productive amount of time before I'm surfing the web or playing games again. I've tried writing several of my animation plots down and made sketches of characters to get the ideas out of my head and into something tangible, but whenever I open Blender to start working on it, the motivation just fades away.

I don't think I have ADD or anything, I have no problem focusing in school or at work. I really want to have a career in animation... I think once I get some actual work done I will be compelled to continue, but I really consider myself a self-motivated person, which is why this is bothering me so much. What do you guys do to stay focused on your projects?

Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness to pull another hand into the light.
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Crazy Ninja
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Joined: 27th Aug 2005
Location: Awesometon
Posted: 12th Apr 2009 23:37
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Funny, I seem to be having the same problem as you when it comes to programming on my own for fun. I can focus on school stuff alright, but not on my own projects. In the past, I've always gotten started on some program and made some progress but I've never been able to finish it. I hope you find your motivation venge, I'm thinking i might try to get back into programming this week(or perhaps stop motion animation, another hobby of mine) and hope to stick with it. Any advice you guys could give venge would be greatly appreciated by me as well, and i wish i could be more help myself.
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Alucard94
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Location: Stockholm, Sweden.
Posted: 12th Apr 2009 23:38
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I tend to be this way as well, what I do is basically just start working even if I have no motivation and after a while you sort of get motivated by your own work and just keep on going. Sorry for not having anything more concrete.


Alucard94, the member of the future of the past.
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Zotoaster
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Location: Scotland
Posted: 12th Apr 2009 23:40
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I have the same problem too, and I am in similar circumstances. It seems a lot of people have this problem, but I'm not sure yet what the trick is the overcome it.

Who knows, perhaps the trick is to know that it's normal, and force yourself to think that you're not?

Who knows. (Not a completely rhetorical question)
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Strelok
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Location: In your cupboard.
Posted: 12th Apr 2009 23:51
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Same here , coffee in a overdose helps sometimes but then its gone.

This can be a pain in the ass if you have a deadline .


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Tom J
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Location: Essex, England
Posted: 13th Apr 2009 00:26
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Nearly everyone here seems to encounter trouble with motivation, you can see that from how few ideas or WIP's convert into finished programs.

I can't really compare to modelling but with game design I get motivated, get into it quickly and then lose speed and interest a week or two later - and the motivation is all burned out. Another thing that is a real motivation killer for me is playing games that are a different genre to the one I'm making, it always sets my motivation astray onto that genre and like that I just lose interest in my own game. Not to mention all the stuff like facebook as well.

Here's an interesting thread on procrastination and motivation, (http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=141195&b=2) which puts reall that motivation in this hobby is usually low because of the large scale of development and perfectionism. Whereas at least school/uni has a rewarding end to it, which helps your attention to it.

So I suppose to keep to something - just keep your eyes on the prize, maybe set some sort of unusual reward at the end, and avoid thinking about the daunting scale of what you may be doing.
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Mr Z
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Posted: 13th Apr 2009 00:38
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I got that problem whatever I do, but I actually have ADHD, lol.

There is no greater virtue, then the ability to face oneself.
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Megaton Cat
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Joined: 24th Aug 2003
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posted: 13th Apr 2009 00:52
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Some people just grow up unmotivated until they hit rock bottom, and once they get a taste of it the motivation comes easily. Just let life take it's course naturally and eventually if you become increasingly unsatisfied with your life things will just fall together.

I failed my first year of college and wasted thousands of my own dollars because I left projects to the last day, and I know my mind won't let that happen again.
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AlanC
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Location: Seattle, WA
Posted: 13th Apr 2009 03:15
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I lost my motivation to make games a long time ago. But now, I'm making a comeback.
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Toasty Fresh
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Location: In my office, making poly-eating models.
Posted: 13th Apr 2009 06:47
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When I lack motivation to make one of my sweet as guns, I just go and play some Half life or CSS and admire the models. That usually gives me a lot of motivation.

"You are not smart! You are very un-smart!"
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Jeku
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Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posted: 13th Apr 2009 08:11
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I wouldn't look at the lack of finished games as a lack of motivation. Sometimes people quit a game project because they determine it's not worth it or not fun in the end.

To help with motivation sometimes it takes a life shattering event to startle you into overdrive. Getting laid off can do that for you

North Korea 2007 Tour Pictures
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Toasty Fresh
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Location: In my office, making poly-eating models.
Posted: 13th Apr 2009 12:30
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Quote: "(nicer than some judging from my last thread)"


Oh, sorry, I wasn't quite typing straight then.

I meant, like, I look at someone else's finished weapon models (which are usually a whole lot better than mine), and it usually motivates me really good.

"You are not smart! You are very un-smart!"
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Dared1111
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Posted: 13th Apr 2009 15:54
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Put some tasks on a list, including one which you hate sooooo much and procastinate around that one task, thus doing all the others.
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TheComet
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Location: I`m under ur bridge eating ur goatz.
Posted: 13th Apr 2009 16:27 Edited at: 13th Apr 2009 17:40
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My motivation comes in waves. Lately, I have been working on TombStone like MAD. But there are other times when I lack motivation... It must be some sort of rebound effect. If I take too much motivation at one point (like now), I wont have it later, just like coffee!

My point is, your wave of motivation will come

TheComet

Peachy, and the Chaos of the Gems

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 13th Apr 2009 16:39
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Quote: "Put some tasks on a list, including one which you hate sooooo much and procastinate around that one task, thus doing all the others."


Utter brilliance.

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Venge
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Location: Iowa
Posted: 16th Apr 2009 01:53
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Good news! I've got bronchitis or something and can hardly breathe from coughing! I missed school today and probably will tomorrow, so I've got plenty of time to get bored enough to be constructive. I started on one of my projects and have nearly finished one of the characters.

Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness to pull another hand into the light.
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AndrewT
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Posted: 16th Apr 2009 02:55
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I find that I just about always follow the same little curve each time I do a project, regardless of what it is. I spend the first couple days really excited and get a lot of stuff done. Then, very suddenly, I lose interest and feel tempted to move on to another project. However, I've found that if I can manage to get out of this little rough patch, and make some more progress, I suddenly feel motivated again, enough so to finish the project.

i like orange
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flashing snall
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Posted: 16th Apr 2009 03:51
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Quote: "
it takes a life shattering event to startle you into overdrive. Getting laid off can do that for you"

SO what your saying is I should piss my boss off so much, she fires me? O.o

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

I have motivation problems all the time, but Ive come to find that working with other people helps a lot. When people pester you day in and day out about progress, it helps quite a bit. I usually end up hating games I finish, because I work on them for longer than I care for. I usually start a project with a lot of hype, then slowly loose motivation, then make some breakthrough, get lots of motivation which tides me through to having the project almost done. At that point I loose motivation again, but its SO close to done, that I cant let it die.

But often times, I just stop working on a game because Ive found something better to do.


I wish I had access to board 17.
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Quantum Fusion
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Posted: 16th Apr 2009 04:14
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I think a lot of people mix up lack of motivation to burn-out.

Lack of motivation is thinking about something and never even starting it.

Burn-out is when you do something full force, you get lots done in a short period of time that by the time a few days or weeks go by you simply exhausted yourself and cant force yourself to keep going the initial pace you started off with.


The best advice is take a good break away from it. Dont even think about it, and in several days you'll see yourself craving to dive back into it. And you'll regain your initial excitement again, and again you'll burn-out.

So basically you'll have to learn to work around in a cyclic manner and accept the fact that its ok, but in the end as more and more gets finished, before you know it you'll complete everything you wanted to.

Dual-Core Pentium D @ 3.00GHz, 1.0 GB nVidia GeForce 8500 GT, 20" Wide screen LCD @ 10,000:1 Contrast, 4.0 GB DDR2 SDRAM, Triple-boot: 32-bit Windows XP MCE, 64-bit Vista, 64-bit Linux Ubuntu
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Neuro Fuzzy
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Posted: 16th Apr 2009 06:46
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what really helps me concentrate is listening to some online-radio with a DJ. Just playing songs off itunes doesn't really help me, probably because i've heard the songs before.
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Van B
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Location: Sunnyvale
Posted: 16th Apr 2009 11:31
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Motivation is not a constant stream. Sometimes I have to force myself to work, it's usually fine once I get started but actually making the break to start work is the tough part.

One thing I find is that when I can't do any coding, I miss it the most. The last couple of days my PC has been in bits, while I decorate, now all I want to do is get back to work.


Health, Ammo, and bacon and eggs!
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Pus In Boots
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Location: S.M.I.L.E. industries
Posted: 17th Apr 2009 00:47
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Quote: "Good news! I've got bronchitis or something and can hardly breathe from coughing! I missed school today and probably will tomorrow, so I've got plenty of time to get bored enough to be constructive. I started on one of my projects and have nearly finished one of the characters.
"


I thought bronchitis was a genetically adopted condition. [/know-it-all-ism]

83% of women tested found Pus in Boots irresistable. (Based on a survey of 172 women.)
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Bejasc3D
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Posted: 18th Apr 2009 03:03
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Bronchitis is a heavy cough and bad sore throat.

I used to have this problem, and it got so bad that I even quit FPS creator and went back to Game Msker I was drawing out my levels on paper etc, and writing up story lines before i quit.

But then I came back just for a go, and without any plans, no plans at all, just started... Placing entities and segments... And it was fairly good, so I went from there.

I havent finished a game yet, but with no plans, I actualy got more stuff done, then i did with them.

No Plans > No 'rule' > Random Creativity

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AndrewT
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Posted: 18th Apr 2009 03:09
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Quote: "No Plans > No 'rule' > Random Creativity"


No Plans > No 'rule' > Random Creativity > Very little structure and design involved > Total mess > Typical FPSC Game

Your random creativity should be part of the planning stage.

i like orange
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Bejasc3D
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Posted: 18th Apr 2009 03:14
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No no no, my point is, If you completely follow a plan you have, well theres a big chance you will loose motivation - like i did.

If your just setting out what happens in the levels etc, then that allows room for creativity.

Its like colouring in a picture of... an elephant?

You get the page
The lines are already there BASIC PLAN
And then you colour it in, It could be pink, or green, or blue, anything.

Thats what I meant.

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