Getting Projects Done

I go little bit here and there unless it's a big project,then you will have to completely focus in that project.

I used to like to focus on one main one and then start little bits of smaller ones making sure the main one gets done first and within the time requirements.

Well, I'm not a modeler myself, but I can't remember the last time I only had one project or task on my to-do list.

It always depends on you and what kind of worker you are - if you can't juggle few projects and don't get them done, I'd suggest prioritizing things.
Think about how much time you have to spend, and then assign that time to the projects, assuring you will spend the most time on more important ones, and move a bit further with the lesser ones when you need to take a bit of a time-off the main one.

Oh, Deadlines always help. If you have none, create some. Your brain will actually thank you for created urgency.:)

Well you are always on top of things Eduardas :) Thanks for always being there to help!! :)

That's an interesting topic, and one I struggle with all the time.

I think striving for productivity is a continuous job that never gets done.
You can never get productive enough right?

You learn as you go and get more productive over time as you get more efficient in combating procrastination and better at managing things.

Getting things done is just getting things done, it needs no feelings, so I would say don't try to wait for a divine force.

Starting new projects is fun, getting new idea's is fun, finishing projects is harder and less fun.

I also start new projects all the time, but the things that get done are the things I dive into and just finish regardless of how I feel about them.

In most cases by the time a project needs to be finished the thing already is becoming boring, right? The design starts to feel average, you already have way more cooler ideas and now you also realize how mush needs to be done to actually finish this not so cool project anymore, etc.

The creation cycle has this difficult passage embedded in it.

We have the energy and vibe of the new wonderful idea, then the passage of planning and gathering intelligence and start working on it, and finally comes the most difficult part "finishing it" in a situation you realizes how much jet needs to be done and how little fun it is to actually do it.

Noting but negative counter forces in the end right?

If one gets in this difficult passage he tends to go and seek some relief in a new idea that gives him some energy and vibe, but then the whole cycle repeats right?

Eventually we end up with lots of unfinished stuff because this strategy cannot deliver a finished job.

So how can we break this cycle?

It's actually relatively simple, "seek no relief".

As hard as we may know this is true, there actually is no good remedy to combat the situation, it's just pulling the switch and look at what needs to be done and just do it.

So try to find comfort in the idea that this is the only way it works best.

The only thing that helps to balance out the situation is wanting the results harder than relief (seek no relief in short term but focus on the long term result).

The thing is, getting past this situation is most important to get to become a productive artist (I don't presume to be one myself).

But That's what one eventually wants to be right?

If one has set his priority's about what he wants, then he will get only relief when he gets it, right?

So do you really want to become a productive artist or is having fun in short term more important?

And if so, what type of artist, because there is lots of different artists and art, we have concept artist, character artist, 3D generalist, visualization artist, animators, independent short film makers, game artist, etc.

Anyways, getting things in focus is to set the priorities right and that in turn defines direction and knowing what to do next.

So it basically boils down to this;

Pull thet switch, ask right questions, set priorities, bang the head through that wall and get to the results you really want!

Hope this helps in any way?

From my viewpoint, it´s too easy to start any new idea, it comes loaded with energy an excitement.
But this energy is not enough to drive you to the end of the Project, no matter if is a great or a small Project, one always will reach that point where you run out of energy, one finds that a lot of work has been done, but the amount of work ahead will discourage you and prevent you from still working.
This explains all the failed projects people collects, it´s easy to start learning to dance, or to build a gallion model, or any other thing.
But there´s a story about a King who spent all his country wealth trying to finish a window on a castle built by the gods, and failed.
There is a secret here, we all feel it, some think it´s a will question, some think that better work and don´t think too much, some think that is better be sure before doing anything, and so on.
The problem has always the size of the person, that is, each person will find the level of difficulty appropiate for him, some will be stopped in a great idea, and some will be stopped at smaller ideas, but the problem is the same for both, where to find the amount of needed extra energy?
If I can say it, the best way is to focus on anything you do, no matter if great or small, and forget about all the world around until you finish it, the first stop will happen after the some first steps have been done, you stop by lack of energy, even if you try to explain it to yourself in any other way.
Stop here, smoke a cigar, or take a small walk, or cook your meal, usually, fresh and new ideas come from this if have been working hard.
Keep working until the scond stop arrives, be sure it will arrive, usually it takes the form of small details left, trough the work its easy to let some things unachieved, very small details, but a small detail here, and another there, will end in a bad model, a model not good enough wich would require a big amount of time to fix, but you have another idea by now and no time to fix the amount of small details left trough the work.
So, yu´ll have a good model if you learn to deal with your energy supply.
I hope this helps.

I have the same problem. I work on whatever I'm motivated to work on the most. That's not the fastest way to get things done and a lot of ideas and projects stay unfinished. On the other hand, not seeing the project for a while will raise my motivation when I get back to it at some point later in time.

Setting deadlines for myself rarely works because I will just think that the deadline is only for myself and nothing and nobody really depends on it - so I will give myself more time. If it would be a project I do for somebody else, well, then it would work.

It´s easy to say "focus on what you are doing, and forget about all the world around", but there is a full universe behind .
First of all, we must learn to focus, it´s not easy, in fact is quite difficult for us, used to jump between things all day, rarely we focus anything longer tan some seconds.
To say , "focus", means that you are able to direct your attention, but this is not the case, usually, our attention is ATTRACTED by things, women, cars, movies, , in these cases you are not focusing on anything, simply your attention is drawn, and you are drained from your energy.
Our attention can stay disperse, as usual, can be attracted, by anything, or can be focused, by our own will, just like when you do something with all your senses, learning something, creating something. etc.
If your attention is not focused by your will, then it will wander without objective, and it will be attracted by anything, so, it´s a bad idea to try to work while listen to music, nor watching the news, etc, all of this Works against your own work, and wastes all of your energy, no wonder if then we can´t finish anything.

I agree, managing the energy is a tricky thing.
Banging the head does not work if you don't know how to bang with it.

This has allot do with knowing yourself deeper parts and emotional states as well.

There is a small part of you that is conscious and mush large part that is unconscious.

Knowing how to work best with the unconscious part and taping into its vast potential is an important part of getting more productive.

If connection with this part of the self gets messed up then the mind gets disordered and confused and the emotional part gets stuck as well.

But these are subject matters that go beyond a topic in a forum.

Entire books are written about this and it is helpful to read some of it in order to get more understanding about how the human mind works.

For example you could get full of conflicts in the conscious part of thinking because you want to be in control and make up your mind about many many things at ones.

You could compare this state with walking a very rocky surface and are looking on where to place each next step consciously and thoughtfully.

It will get very slow and consume lots of energy.

But say you would know the end point and focus on it and just start placing the steps almost randomly relying more on your power to get in balance if a step may be a bit off, then you get more involved with the power of the unconscious mind and almost fly over this rocky surface.

It has allot to do with diving in and have confidence the steps are going to reveal themselves as you go.

Keywords to Google more information on this are "creative flow" and "working with unconscious mind".

Hi, IterateCGI,
Notice that I talk just about practical things involved in our daily work, just normal problems, like why I can´t work all day long without any annoyance nor distraction.?
O why I can´t finish my projects?
My daily work has shown me what I talk about, and I think I´m answering the main question of the thread, but maybe I´m wrong, if this all can´t help anyone, is a waste of time, but I think it´s not.

Anyway, in order to add some practical tips for 3d modeling.
First of all, understand the geometry of your model, to do this you will need to do a lot of drawings showing each detail you plan to model.
Then create a 3d blueprint for your model, that is, draw a top view, a side view and a front view with splines, using the drawn blueprints you previously extracted from your drawings.
With all views in place, start modeling with a single box, work always from the outside to the inside of the model, and from big cuts, to small ones.
Keep the model complete at each stage, don´t detail a part and let others "to do later".
Hope this helps

Well, my point is that I don´t talk about theories,
"working with the unconscious mind ",are just void words to me, notice that focusing your attention has nothing of inconscious, it must be conscient by nature, or it never will happen.
I´m not talking about geniouses creating masterpieces in a mystical rapture, but about we, small creatures trying to understand something, putting all our powers in an effort to learn something.
There´s no need for theories, a Masserati will go nowhere, just like a Toyota, if it runs out of fuel.
Anyone who knows horses knows this, if you don´t drive the ride, the horse will drive it, this is just practical knowledge, you don´t want the horse to go anywhere right?
In the same way, you don´t want your attention going anywhere, spending the valuable energy you need to go to your objective.
This is like swimming, if you stop, you go down, no need for theories.
All this said I believe I ´ve talked too much and feel it´s enough, but I rteally hope this all helps someone, somewhere, someday.