Havin' a little trouble going anywhere.

[D-wolfmaster_2022]

I have oh so many ideas for art projects that I would love to showcase on this site & the wiki, but for the life of me I can't bring myself to work on any of them. I'm sort of intimidated by the workload I've saddled myself with. I already have a few pictures saved to my computer but they're not really the kind of overtly robotic content that I want to put up. Another problem is a severe lack of preparation. When it comes to planning out my projects I always sprain my imagination and put it off for next time. Next time never seems to come.

Scheduling is also a hassle for my self. I keep trying to make a date for something, but I'm always assaulted by the nagging feeling that something important will come up. It's not that I can't make anything. I already written up little world building pages that I plan to give neat little black and white illustrations. The big problem is deciding which idea to go with for an illustration.

Has anyone else had this problem? If so, what can I do to fix it?

[BebesIsPerfect]

When it comes to being creative, there is no right way to go about it. While I wish there was a one-size-fits-all procedure for creating, that's not the case. But new stuff is being created all the time. Just because it's hard sometimes doesn't mean it's impossible. It's just a hazard of creating anything, from short stories to skyscrapers.
I am not nearly as creative as I would like to be, but that hasn't stopped me from making stories and projects from time to time. Each new project is always a daunting prospect, no matter how much experience you have, but it can be done.
[In an attempt to absolve myself of any responsibility I may have of potentially ruining your creative life, I should preface any advice I am about to give with the fact that this advice is only based on my personal experience, and may not guarantee positive results across the board]

The Long and the Short: Don't be afraid. Just get started anywhere, and chip away at the thing at your own pace (your creativity is no good to yourself if you drive your brain to running on empty).

The Long:

Re: The Intimidating Workload) Rome was not built in a day. And the roads to the city took longer still to make. I think the hardest part here is one of the hardest parts of any creative endeavor: Just getting started. Start anywhere - flip a coin, play "Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe", pin your ideas to a dartboard and throw darts, I don't care. Just start somewhere. Just the right crack and the writer's block can crumble. I say "can" here, because work is still involved, especially when you may not feel the juices flowing. When this happens, (when writing, for example) it is important just to write something. It may not be your finest hour, but as long as you are being productive (and produce something), that's what's important. Sometimes words are a slow trickle, and sometimes they flow like a torrent. Of course, it usually helps if you have a target you're working toward. When the ideas link together, that's more of the project done, that's more pressure off your mind. Then, you can go back and beef up some of the weaker passages. And even then, those weaker passages that were a slog to get out may not necessarily be as weak as you previously thought. It was just hard to tell at the time.

Re: Lack of Preparation) If you have a general idea of where you want your project to go, just start going in that direction. And don't be afraid of a lack of preparation. Going back to the days of silent movies, Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd never had a script. They had talks with their film team, brainstormed ideas for a start, and came up with a start to a picture that they thought was funny. And once the start was decided, they brainstormed what the finish would be on the spot. Once they had that, they always figured the middle would just work itself out.
"Well, as a rule, oh, about 50 percent you have in your mind before you start the picture, and the rest you develop as you're making it."
-Buster Keaton

Re: Scheduling) It is a frustrating fact of life that life will happen. What this means is there's always a chance something will come up keeping you from working on these projects. You shouldn't let that fear stop you from creating. There are countless musical instruments collecting dust in closets and basements all over the world, because life got in the way of people playing and creating music. Life will happen, but you cannot let life keep you from being creative. That would be a shame. I would instruct you to keep the dates you scheduled for yourself, and if something comes up, just put a pin in the project until next time. Even if you work for five minutes vs. sixty minutes, your project is still further along than it was before.

Re: Illustration Ideas) It's all a matter of perspective, and I cannot tell you what to do. Here is where you have to make creative decisions on your own of which ideas to pursue. Once a decision is made and finalized, and the project is completed, maybe you can go back later and illustrate another idea, if there's time.

[D-wolfmaster_2022]

Okay, bebe. Thank you for the advice. I'll try out your suggestions and I will get back to you when things start to improve. I am honoured that you are willing to help out a struggling artist such as myself.

[BebesIsPerfect]

I'm flattered, but think nothing of it. Honour has little to do with it. It has more to do with overcoming discouragement from creating, which seems to be a major roadblock for people making things.

I should thank you for reading five paragraphs of me babbling, especially after I gave the main takeaway close to the beginning. So, thank you and Godspeed.