This question is directed to anyone doing some sort of craft: drawing, writing, programming, etc. Not intending this to be a survey or anything, but I just wanted to get the general idea of how people get into the mindset of putting work into their craft. For example, do you just naturally get into drawing pieces, do you force yourself to program some code for an hour every day, or do you set a goal every week to have some number of pages done?
Personally, while I’d like to put time into programming or learning more on programming, I end up using my free time playing video games instead after coming home from my full time job. I get that in order to create something, you actually have to put time into doing it and that’s all I need to do, but I wonder how other people approach it and whether it’s easy or difficult for them to do. So I want to get some perspective and see if I can approach it differently.
For coding I just think about what I need to implement before I can sit down and work, like when I’m at work or eating. Once I get the chance to sit down, I double check what needs to be done, and theeeeeen go lay facedown in bed for a bit . I try to plan out the specifics there and after a bit of time, get up and try to implement it.
Of course, I try and recognize when a problem is beyond me and then google it.
Is it ultra efficient? Definitely not! But it keeps my stress low and lets me calmly map things out.
And for the arts, the ol’ 10 mins a day (at minimum) technique is pretty reliable
But for both, it is quite difficult to stick to a routine. Having little guides or videos that help newcomers to a skill help keep me motivated, and also talking to other creators is a nice way to keep your brain on the subject.
for me, because I have autism, i tend to get short bursts of hyper creativity where i can get all the thoughts in my head out on paper(or onto a computer) and i tend o find that what motivates me the most is wanting the stories in my head to be told to the masses, but thats just the ramblings of a deranged lunatic idiot who thinks in chaotic prophecies. sorry if thats unhelpful.
I definitely don’t do this the best way, but I basically just force myself to start working, even if I don’t particularly “feel like it” at that moment in time, because I know from many past experiences that I’ll just end up delaying whatever that task is for days… weeks… months… years… even though I’ll probably have no issue actually doing that task once I’ve started.
Alternatively, here’s this really cool in-depth graph I spent ages (approximately 60 seconds) making:
Let yourself get bored, like really truly bored. Set aside like 2 hours where your only options are to either sit there and think, or make something (I like to keep a notepad with me to write down ideas if I get any good ones).
No opening your web browser, checking your phone, or booting up a game. Just sit there with whatever tools you use for your craft and let your mind wander. It’ll be really hard at first and you’ll need to be sure to catch yourself if you autopilot into pulling out a distraction.
I guarantee you after 30 minutes of just sitting there your creativity will start kicking into gear purely out of a desperate need for stimulation.
As for the question, it’s way easier for me to come on with ideas than to execute them properly. I think my main technique to work on things is to get a specific time of the day, like in the evening before sleeping, but I guess it works better for smaller side project.
I am creating model modifications for video games and it all started from lust: I just wanted to play in League of Legends on female character with big boobs. So, 14 years ago I worked on 3d models and made modifications only because I wanted to see sexy characters in games which I play. The same thing was when I first introduced myself to programming: I just wanted to play in Fallout 4 with Weight Gain mod and I started to learn how to code scripts on “Papyrus”. The same thing was when I first draw my own sprites: for Super Fatty RPG to play on character which I want to see and then I started to make my own Praedeon RPG maker game, because no one created complex weight gain system in their games like I wanted.
Now, mostly I create modifications only if someone commission it. So, I force myself to work on it to earn money.
Also, now I learn Unreal Engine and making a “Vermonut” game on it. I really hate programming. I hate programming so much that every time I try to find an excuse to put this work off for a long time, but I have one thing which kick my ass my whole life and help me make progress - LUST. There is not a single damn person on this whole planet which made a game in which I personally want to play and I am bored to wait for this miracle happens. So every morning I wake up and think about what part of my game I’m going to program today, and once I get myself to start working, it’s magically hard for me to stop until I’ve finished implementing the planned part.
However, if some interesting game getting released I am wasting my free time to play in it. I like playing video games. The only problem is that I don’t find the games that have come out in the last few years interesting enough to play for long. So I just get bored in my free time and that’s why I spend my free time developing my game and the hope that I will have fun playing it fuels my interest in development.
P.S. The only advice about learning programming which I can tell is don’t try to learn programming from any textbooks. Learning programming just to know some programming language is boring bullshit. I always initially set myself a specific goal that I want to achieve with the help of programming and I start learning only those parts of programming language which needed to achieve my goal. Yes, I can stuck and return to learn some basics, but even like that it is more fun then learning all boring basics shit by following textbooks.
P.S.S. I am sorry for my bad English and I hope that I explained things correctly.
For me personally, I naturally enjoy getting work done, but I need to be in a good mood to do it. If I’m in a very good mood (which really only requires having food and my medications but that’s surprisingly uncommon with how poor my family is) then I can work all day every day simply because it’s what I enjoy doing, but sometimes I get depressed and can’t work for days to weeks depending on how bad it is.
Really doesn’t help that I’m currently extremely mentally unstable and having “very bad” (take a guess) thoughts at least every one in three days.