Expectation avoidance (i.e. how to avoid burnout?)

[pitabread]

It's been almost 2 years since I last picked up a pencil. In fact, my last thread on this forum was an attempt to motivate myself into consistent drawing, one sketch a day. That failed miserably. I burnt out, became frustrated and just haven't had the motivation since.

Or did I lack the motivation to begin with?

I'm 30. I've now spent almost 10 years to the day since I really decided to "get into" drawing. That is, practice at it, gain skill, and become a decent artist. I've taken classes. I've sketched, drawn, painted, sketched some more... I moved past the point when people would give obviously insincere praise in the hopes to encourage the wannabe to genuine praise.

At one point I even contemplated going into illustration full time. Putting together a portfolio, entering illustration school, persuing the dream. Then I learned the career prospects sucked and now I'm on a much more lucrative career path. One that doesn't include drawing, but potentially will include a Porche and dating hot models. Maybe.

At any rate, I think one of the biggest motivation killers for me was the lack of overall goals. Once I moved past the "becoming an illustrator dream", the real underlying motivation became fuzzy. Was I drawing to acheive anything? Something for others? Myself? What?

Therefore, I would set up expectations. I looked at all the artwork of people I admired. I dreamed of one day achieving their level of skill. I had no allusions about being a professional, but I wanted professional-level skill.

It's been almost 2 years. No drawings, no painting, not even a sketch on a napkin. No closer to the dream. And that was my mistake.

I think that by setting up expectations for the future, by trying to acheive something in the future, I forgot about the now. Living in the moment. Drawing for the sake of drawing.

I should stop worrying about how I draw. I should stop worrying about whether or not I'm improving. I should just draw. Now and forever.

[Aphotic Phoenix]

I can certainly sympathize because I'm in the same situation. I love art, and have some natural affinity for it...but it's not my driving passion, nor something that I'll ever expect to make money doing. Hydrobiology, human psychology, and art are my "big three" interests...and neglecting others for the sake of one certainly causes me to get burned out.

My advice?
- Set yourself up a space that feels comfortable and conducive to drawing/painting.
- Dedicate a minimum amount of time out of your schedule to art each week. If you feel a case of "artist block", perform some drawing exercises for about 15 minutes, take care of some other chores, and then attempt to draw again. Repeat as necessary.
- It's great to focus on fundamentals and weaknesses, but also give yourself time to do the type of drawing/art you enjoy.
- Don't let yourself become overstressed about the quality or quantity you're producing. Sometimes things come up and you're going to miss a drawing day or more, or you simply won't be in the mood. Maintain determination to get back to it, but forcing things won't help.

[karmiclychee]

I feel like I'm in a somewhat similar boat, though I have no real lucrative career path (Chinese History, woohoo!). I've got just under a million interests and they all kind of pull against each other in this frustrating jack of all trades - master of none kind of way.

The worst part is forgetting. Like... spending three weeks writing research papers only to find that the skill you got from spending the three previous weeks doing illustrations has completely evaporated. That's frustrating and demotivating.

Now that I'm out of college, I've got that magical money making BA (I think I've been had). My plan is to look for a job that'll not rot my soul, keep me fed, and not physically wipe me out while using as much spare time as I have to work on my art. I want my skills to go somewhere, someday. Eventually.

The toughest part is this inbetween phase - waiting for paperwork to pass through so I can actually get my BA, moving from place to place, trying to set up something resembling a work space in my parents house (god bless them)... Being fresh out of college broke. Not to mention that Connecticut is pretty much a wasteland, no real creative stimulation in my area. Ah... suburbia.

Meh - fuck the interregnum. Just a week or two more and I'm a free man. Well, free man with student loans up the ass - but what's life without its challenges?

Personally - I just keep nibbling away at my sketchbook. A doodle here, quick scribble there. At least keep the dust off your stuff until you get a better situation or improve your mindset. It helps keep the frustration gremlins at bay. For me, if I remember a particular technique that I've forgotten, I do pages of it to try and fix it to my brain again.

Good luck!

[Elwell]

If drawing makes you happy, draw. If it doesn't, don't.
Not everybody gets to be a cowboy or a fireman or an astronaut when they grow up. More people probably dream of a career involving Porsches and hot models than drawing, if that makes you feel any better.

[Dusty]

I sympathize, I really do....every artist goes through it.
But is it just me or has this forum sort of turned into the "Tales of my lack of motivation" forum?

If drawing makes you happy, draw. If it doesn't, don't.

Best advice I've seen in awhile.

[Farvus]

You got burned out from drawing itself? Of course everybody has different approach but to me drawing is just a medium for visually presenting some ideas. You can improve it forever but ultimately it's all about what you draw than how you do it. Maybe it's the subject matter you're not interested anymore? I know I would burn out quickly if I had to draw for example medieval fantasy stuff for like five years non stop. That's why it's propably good to be interested a little bit in everything. Not just moving pencil on paper.

I know for sure that as a kid I was drawing the most passionately not beacause I liked drawing. It's more like - I was drawing passionately stuff beacause I was passionate about stuff. Hope that makes sense :P.

[pitabread]

@ Aphotic Phoenix:

Good points and I agree with most of them. The only point of contention I have is over the idea of "scheduling" art. This is what I tried to do in the past and it quickly made art feel like work. I've decided to avoid any sort of goal or schedule driven attitude towards art. I want it to be spontaneous and something I'm doing for the fun of it.

@Abacus:

I hear ya, man. I'm the same way: million interests, no real focus. The smartest thing I ever did, though, was choose a career that is NOT a hobby. I learned the hard way that sometimes hobbies and careers shouldn't mix.

@Elwell:

I wholeheartily agree. That's what I'm trying to do. Get back to the "fun" of art without worrying about expectations or goals. I figure progress will take care of itself as long as I enjoy what I'm doing.

@Farvas:

What burned me out was trying to schedule my artwork and focusing on long-term acheivement at the expense of short-term frustration. Now I just want to focus on short-term fun and let the long term stuff take care of itself.

[BlackGuy]

What burned me out was trying to schedule my artwork and focusing on long-term acheivement at the expense of short-term frustration. Now I just want to focus on short-term fun and let the long term stuff take care of itself.

When you figure that out, let me know!

[cmalidore]

Two years ago I got so focused on the career that I forgot to draw for myself. Image wise, that was the worst I've ever drawn - because I wasn't in it for the enjoyment of letting it all happen in the now.

It's good to plan for the future, but if you let go of why you wanted to draw in the first place beyond "success", then the whole point of this career sorta falls apart.

Good luck, I hope you find your way. Go reinspire yourself :D

[OmenSpirits]

I "walked" away from F/T pursuit of being an illustrator in 2001.

Focused on being a writer. Got into it heavy. Conventions, short-stories, novels, making contacts, becoming a "face" on the scene, socializing, started a web zine, halfway finished a novel, the whole deal.

But I always doodled, probably a unconscious need, or disappointment at the fact that I wasn't of the level to get into the art college I wanted.

But I always kept doodling.

Never did get much better than I was in the past, though there was always a moment when I could "see" more in a doodle and was surprised.

Then, came this year. June, 10th, 2008.

I picked up Charles Bargue's Drawing course because I'd doodled an eye (always came back to drawing that, even when I didn't have the energy to doodle anything) that had some cross hatching to it. I photocopied it and had it siting on my stickie board at my job, staring at it, as it stared at me.

Once I got that book and started drawing from it.......things began to move.

Progression. The stagnation and inconsistancy in my abilities started to fade, and more and more I became more and more consistant with what I could "see".

Then I purchased more books, expanding my knowledge and pushing my increasing ability. More and more, things started to come easier, better.

My vision's almost cleared up from my surgery.

Here's my learning tools when I've fully healed.

-Charles Bargue Drawing Course

-John Singer Sargent Sketches

-Sketches of Production Designer

-A book that teaches the rhythm of movement

-A book teaching Perspective

-Atlas Human Anatomy for Artists

Each book (except the Bargue, it gets two) gets its own sketchbook and I draw from at least two of them, if not more, each day until they are engrained into my subconscious mind.

I do have a few other books, but those are on animation illustration & fashion design, that's for those times when I get the urge for them.

I was never satisfied with myself or my skills, and will keep going until I am.

It's my journey.

[Farvus]

Something for inspiration then. It was posted some time ago in the Longue.

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[Bruce Pluto]

Pitabread,

Do you want to do art or don’t you? The state you find yourself in, I’ve been there and done that! You’re thinking that you are unsure of any art initiative but then again you aren’t sure. Just by posting here you’ve shown that doing artwork is still on your mind.

Artwork is about EMOTION. You’re trying to pull emotion from anyone viewing what you’ve created. That should be enough motivation. Happy, sad, mad, aggravation, joy, peace…..whatever you’re trying to convey.

If you are at a standstill emotionally with the art creative force then I would tell you to just drop art from the list of things you like to do. I don’t feel that that’s the case with you. You seem to still get inspired when you see something you feel you’d like to render in pencil or paint. If you’re looking for a goal then CA is the perfect place to be. If you feel like your artwork is in the right palace but you are unsure of where you’re headed then try “teaching” what you know. There are lots of folk here willing to view what you have to say. Give a chance to direct others. That’s all I can tell you.

Looks like there’s something you want to say in art, say it here on CA.

Bruce