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o-kemono β€” Life's A Chibi: Trashing Projects

Published: 2014-04-01 12:16:03 +0000 UTC; Views: 17980; Favourites: 612; Downloads: 43
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Description

An idea comes to mind out of the blue, a unique idea. That idea turns out to be something big, something that will take a lot of time and energy. You know this and will accept the challenge. You write down as much as you can about your idea, taking mental notes about particular interests and concepts. You then go to phase two: clearing all your ideas up into one solid idea. Comes phase three where you take that solid idea and you build on it, polishing it and then molding it into something amazing and unique. Your only drive is to see this project complete and to show to the world. Soon, your batteries start to die down and your lack of motivation to continue starts to dry up. You find yourself struggling on your project, finding problems and issues a lot more now. You become overly frustrated and, without any support or others critiquing your project, you start to discard it, either putting it away in a place where it will be lost or destroyed. The idea that you thought was a unique and inspirational is now nothing but a pile of paper and material crammed away in a forgotten corner.

This was a quick chibi image I did, but forgotten about it in my sketch book. Somewhat of vent art. Dedicating yourself to something can take a lot of energy and time. There are times that energy gets very low and it effects you as the creator. You have no idea how low it is until you start to get frustrated or give up quickly. You feel like you wasted all that energy into nothing that no one will care about at all or even miss if it vanishes. All that time you spend on that project was for nothing and you feel terrible and defeated.

Some don't destroy it or toss it away. They know that there is no more motivation and drive to continue the project. So they leave it aside until they build up more drive or find something that inspires them to continue their project. This can take a week, months, or even years.

Your project can easily be connected to a "plant" or "pet". You need to slowly nurture it, take care of it and help it grow slowly. Little by little, you must work on it, even if it is just for small time a day or week. As long as you don't forget that your project is there, it will still be waiting for you to continue it and finish it. It is your own project and it will be finished whenever YOU say so ( unless you are on a personal or financial deadline ). However, if you rush on it, there will be a lot more mistakes in the end and you will feel unaccomplished in it.


artwork Β© 2014 Alex Cockburn

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Comments: 59

henlofrends [2023-01-22 06:50:01 +0000 UTC]

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Flattlinere [2023-01-09 03:58:34 +0000 UTC]

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Skeletty1710 [2022-12-28 07:04:44 +0000 UTC]

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MegaXT [2021-03-01 00:18:25 +0000 UTC]

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Razor13 [2014-04-01 15:49:31 +0000 UTC]

Overall

Vision

Originality

Technique

Impact


This is something that NEEDS to be shared with all artists in all places. Why? Because O-Kemono has it right! Sooner or later ALL artists face this. It's a hard fact of an artist's life that we will all sooner or later feel that there's no motivation for the piece we once looked so forward to.

Be it the writer who can't find the perfect sentence, the artist who can't get that one line to turn out right, etc. Everyone faces this.

There's a reason we have places like deviantART. To remind each other that we're not alone in this struggle as artists. That's why there are so many creating prompts, etc.

If there's one thing to really say to O-Kemono, it's a huge thank you for helping bring this to light. For bringing this struggle of all artists to the eyes of many artists in such a beautifully created way.

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Gone-Goodbye [2019-04-14 21:32:46 +0000 UTC]

Story of my life...

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KawaiiKitsuneStudios [2018-07-24 21:40:58 +0000 UTC]

See, this is really true. I've dropped characters, projects, and stories because of lack of motivation and artistic frustration. Its a real thing, and its a real struggle.Β 

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ranze-the-lucario In reply to KawaiiKitsuneStudios [2018-07-25 05:17:44 +0000 UTC]

Happens to me a lot

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Seiya-Meteorite [2017-07-26 04:37:59 +0000 UTC]

Oh, I can so relate with this one...

I've been thinking of doing a re-telling of a manga/anime franchise but I haven't been much motivated too much because most of the time I've been told my art isn't "very good/mediocre/bad/you can't draw", and I haven't even gotten that much constructive criticism on the stuff I've done on Deviantart.

While I can take constructive criticism like a man, ignore pretentious assholes and focus on ones who try to help me improve, and I don't want to throw away my project, I'm afraid all I'm going to get is just comments from the former a lot of the time and I don't want to have to constantly put up with that, I can't take destructive criticism, and I sometimes have a hard time finding time to do so because of work. I also wrote some fanfiction which no one commented on, so I'm disappointed with that. It got favorites, but nothing praising or anything.

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Reyquiem [2017-06-30 02:28:28 +0000 UTC]

I write down every idea I have. Many of those ideas, due to lack of motivation or lack of experience, I know will probably never be put to use within the foreseeable future. But I always hold on to those ideas, because I always hold on to a tiny bit of hope that one day I'll be looking through my old notes and stumble across something I can do then that I couldn't do now.

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SkekLa [2017-06-22 13:04:30 +0000 UTC]

Sadly yes...And it is heartbreaking if you think of it

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Acidarms [2017-06-06 20:03:26 +0000 UTC]

yep

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gamerdude5655 [2017-04-30 01:59:30 +0000 UTC]

This so true i know how it feels

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Brutus-the-Destroyer [2017-04-04 03:49:48 +0000 UTC]

Is there a way Β to reverse this process?

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Seabastial [2017-03-28 20:58:42 +0000 UTC]

I know how this feels......... I'm trying to work on an idea for a game I want to make, but after making the characters and basic plot points and such I've found I'm having difficulty with pulling it all together.......... But I'm not going to give up!

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ShadowsFuri [2017-02-14 18:58:17 +0000 UTC]

I am artist as well and I sometimes do thisΒ 

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SirSkeetsAlot [2017-02-10 17:05:04 +0000 UTC]

Can't say now what's already said in the comments. Having this more than ever right now trying to get back into making art. Yet it seems other have it easy like it was a gift from a forbidden fruit type deal.

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Foxboy614 [2016-12-11 22:15:03 +0000 UTC]

That's usually why I just don't try anything major. No point in disappointing myself and others. Especially since many of the ideas I have end up looking like garbage halfway through, so I just abandon it and never come back.

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kaaslave [2016-05-09 16:27:31 +0000 UTC]

Too true, I'm afraid.

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MrFoxster [2016-04-01 22:40:00 +0000 UTC]

This is what's happening to me. Lack of motivation and the few who have read it are rarely online or not responding, like reading my story made them go distance.

Having so few critics to what you write make it less interesting to do it.

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Ross-Sanger [2016-02-26 10:13:06 +0000 UTC]

We also sometimes destroy projects because we realise they suck.

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TheGrumpiestPanda [2015-09-05 04:14:38 +0000 UTC]

This something I've run into recently that kinda upsets me...
I finally broken away from drawing things in popular fandoms and doing pin-ups and I'm finally trying to draw and create my own series.
But of course seeing how I stopped drawing what's deemed "popular" everyone stopped giving a fuck about what I drew and why I drew it...
So with that lack of motivation alot it's kinda hard to keep motivated to keep going.
My old "friends" who ended up stabbing me in the back just said I complain far too much and told me to just keep going...
But they didn't even try to help me at all with what I was doing.
No one spread my art around for others to see, no one told me to keep going with that idea, and finally I felt like I was wasting my time.
Why should I even bother to keep something going if only 5 people are going to see it?
Do you know how soul crushing that is?
The only reason I don't give up drawing it because I'm not really good at anything else, I'm just do nothing if I gave.
So I'm more or less stuck in the endless cycle of "Why am I didn't this, no one cares" and "If I give up, then I'll really be worth nothing"
I guess I can only hope that I get lucky and someone comes across my art, gives a fuck, and tells me that I shouldn't stop and keep going.
That and maybe some more recognition for all of my hard work...
So I agree with this image 110%.

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TorisChrusade [2015-08-06 21:12:34 +0000 UTC]

I know how it is to be honest and I like this.

However, my biggest project was a cooperative one and it died with ex... Sadly.

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yugijak [2015-07-30 02:27:53 +0000 UTC]

I feel this.Β  I really do.

I don't know how many projects I've started and not finished.Β  I haven't discarded them, but I have no clue how to continue them either.

I keep getting pulled into new ones.

I know one piece of fanfiction I didn't finish for a whole year until I found a song that gave me the ability to do it again, and I know another original work that I just drove right through for 3 days straight until it was done.

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xenomega101 [2015-07-20 01:32:20 +0000 UTC]

Wow.i am.working on a comic.took me about 2 years and.it sucks.trying to upfate and.making a comic.book.SERIES. so.long there needs to be a free comic.maker app XD

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rossriders [2015-05-04 07:14:15 +0000 UTC]

There's too many projects I wanted to finish...but for too many reasons I simply gave up on...this drawing says a lot...I wish I had more words but...I don't.

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fifi-thedragonslayer [2015-04-19 19:10:36 +0000 UTC]

Story of my life ;-;

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deansmith14 [2015-02-12 07:21:48 +0000 UTC]

I know that one very well.

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jellybean828 [2015-01-16 16:17:51 +0000 UTC]

Ugh yusss. This is so me!

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DarkOzzy [2014-10-14 04:19:45 +0000 UTC]

I love It!!!!! Nice XD

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wrencher888 [2014-05-29 06:29:13 +0000 UTC]

Wow, just....WOW. I cannot TELL you how perfectly this hits the nail on the head for me. Something that I've been working for some time now, which started out as a fan comic in middle school, has become a peace of my heart and soul for a video game idea since I was twelve. And as much as I try to keep working on it when I can and when I have the energy/motivation, it feels like I'm making 0% progress on it. Apparently from what one of my friends told me, I'm still in the "preparation" stage for my game idea; as true as that may be, I still can't deny how I feel on what little progress I've made on it for the past 10 years and counting.

Anyway, getting back to the point, thank you for making this. It exemplifies the level frustration and inner turmoil that we as artistic creators feel to a T.

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jellybean828 In reply to wrencher888 [2015-01-16 16:18:59 +0000 UTC]

Keep working on it! ^_^

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BadFurrday [2014-04-07 16:15:36 +0000 UTC]

So true! Β I have several projects that I'm finally getting back in to, after years of putting them off.

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Superman5493 [2014-04-06 21:53:07 +0000 UTC]

Looks good

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zion-wolf [2014-04-05 02:20:58 +0000 UTC]

i think we've all been there at one time or another i know I've been there this reminds me of a time my friend came over and he found like ten sheets of drawing paper tightly wrinkled into balls thrown into the corner of my room he unwrinkled one and said "wow i couldn't do this and pointed out all the things i did right instead of wrong and i wished i hadn't wrinkled and destroyed the drawings because he gave me motivation again and i wanted to work on it. it helps to have friends who show that they care about your art and wants you to improve.

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LittleAylia [2014-04-04 16:55:34 +0000 UTC]

This is just so true. I just know this situation so well. Thanks this is just so right.Β 

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Shark-Demon [2014-04-03 20:26:19 +0000 UTC]

I almost did this with characters I'm relearning to create again.

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TheStrangerous [2014-04-02 20:05:08 +0000 UTC]

And this is when taking LOOOONG hiatus/breaks comes in handy. Try not to overheat and cool down by doin' other hobbies you like. Hell even if it takes 20 years of brake.

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SkittleMcPancakes [2014-04-02 16:40:30 +0000 UTC]

I can't even begin to mention how true this is.

Having a story in your head that you want to share in art form yet lack the skill to do so is crippling to the ego.Β  I've lost countless stories that I had brewed up in my imagination that I have lost due to lack of skill and lack of motivation.

Two years have passed since I grew a love for art, during those two years I had next to zero motivation and have nothing to show for it.

Here I'm sitting with another story in my head with no way to express or share it.

yet~

(I'm learnin~!)

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Kieth-Wolfe [2014-04-02 15:34:09 +0000 UTC]

i know this well. i have few drawings saved from my first two-three years, and i spent 4 years writing a relatively short fantasy story and i threw it out last year (i still have it up for viewing, though no one ever does XP) i'm replacing it with something i hope is a lot better.

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AluinRenard [2014-04-02 06:10:49 +0000 UTC]

So true.

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DrakuneShadar [2014-04-02 06:00:30 +0000 UTC]

I'll have to once again commend you for bringing emotion to your artwork and pushing buttons with us all. I've been working on a story I made as my senior project back in '07, but I still haven't added anything truly intense. Its just been collecting dust in my flash drive and I pull it out every so often. But honestly, I dont' think it'll ever see the light of day on paper. But as you said, every so often, a bit of inspiration hits and I add something new.

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Vagus-Lupus [2014-04-02 03:41:20 +0000 UTC]

I'm still trying to rekindle my motivation for music.... thank you for this insightful drawing and text.

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MeggyMorgue [2014-04-02 02:34:58 +0000 UTC]

I'm beginning to start a new big project. I'm going to make my very first ever fursuit and it's going to be a full fursuit. Wish me luck.

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Blood-Phoenix78 [2014-04-02 02:01:46 +0000 UTC]

This is another amazing piece of work!

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sam-gwosdz [2014-04-01 23:17:25 +0000 UTC]

Yeah I know the feeling.Β  But don't throw away the project and make it go away.Β  Just set aside and it will be there for you when the spark returns.Β  I have that with several stories and usually art.Β  Everything I'm working on is always there for me if I wish to do it.

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silvanoir [2014-04-01 22:37:05 +0000 UTC]

Oh yeah.Β  All of this.Β  Happens to me several times over.

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Spiritboundwolf [2014-04-01 19:52:16 +0000 UTC]

The bane of an artist's life, heck of anyone's life in general.

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TheMightyGorga [2014-04-01 18:49:19 +0000 UTC]

I completely empathize with this. I see all the good art out there, and it just makes me realize how much I suck at it, killing all motivation.

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TheSavageChicken [2014-04-01 18:31:05 +0000 UTC]

thats why i have fifty ideas at one time: I lose interest in one, so i move on to the other and come back later.

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