[Music]
Erik: Hi, I'm Erik Gist and you can see my work at Watts Atelier online as well
as my own personal website www.erikgist.com.
Stan: Do you ever struggle with motivation and if so, how do you deal with it?
Erik: Yeah, I think every artist struggles with motivation at one time or another. How
I deal with it is usually trying to find something else to occupy my mind. Going out and getting
a workout in or you know playing a game or something like that, just kind of turn my
brain off of whatever it is that I'm trying to motivate myself for. I feel like then when
I come back to it, I tend to be sort of fresh and ready to go on it again and just feel
better about everything in general. But if I just keep hammering at something, then I
just get more and more frustrated.
Stan: Do you ever struggle with motivation and if so, how do you deal with it?
Karl: I do struggle sometimes with motivation on a single project but what I tend to do
is have two or three on the go so I can flip between them and if I'm really struggling,
I can go to something that feels quite different or maybe it's a different medium and then
I feel like kind evokes my motivation a bit. I also change medium a lot. If I'm struggling
with one thing, I might flip to pencil or ink or watercolor, so change it up that way
is what keeps my motivation and interest going really.
Stan: Do you ever struggle with motivation and if so, how do you deal with it?
Peter: Struggling with motivation honestly hasn't been a problem of mine for almost more
than a decade. When I was a student, that was very much a case, but right now, not so
much. A lot of it is mainly due to the return of the things I finish and accomplished. So,
whether it's like working with people one-on-one, teaching classes with bigger groups, traveling
internationally globally with people and of course, finishing my own products. So, because
I'm always working on multiple different things and juggling many many aspects of them, that
return of energy keeps me motivated to keep going to do more. In actuality, things like
these kinds of shows could be draining for some people but I actually get energized from
it. So I don't feel tired by the end of the show, I want to do more of it. Like I get
this anxious feeling to keep drawing after the show is done and people are like "oh,
this show is so long" but I want it to be longer actually.
T.J.: Well, I mean, a lot of times it's the job, you know, it's a matter of deadlines.
You've got to get it done. At the end of the day, there is no like 'finding inspiration'.
Sometimes you got to get things done. I need to do more personal work, that's what I'm
trying to work towards now that I've kind of done the hustle and gotten myself to a
good place in life, now I'm trying to keep work at work and then do more of the personal
work on my own.
Stan: Okay so do you struggle doing the personal work like you come home, you're tired?
T.J.: Yeah. I love where I work right now, I love what I'm working on but it's that
I know that I have to maintain that personal growth and maintain that personal interest
of work or else I'll burn out. I've been trying to move towards doing things that I'm just
inspired to do. A lot of nights I'll just chill out but uh, other night it's just a
matter of 'this is what I love to do', that's - that's the motivation. If that feels wrong
at any point, then that's something that I need to think about. Like I said, at work,
it's the deadlines. At work it's about coming through for my team, at work it's about coming
through for like the players in regards to like Riot sort of thing. When it's my own
stuff, it's just a matter of finding that inspiration and then just pushing myself to
work on it as hard as I would, something that's gonna feel like a company or as a job or something
like that. It's my own job.
Stan: What superpower would be most useful to an artist?
T.J.: The ability to resist tendinitis.. No. it would be helpful. The ability
to never have to sleep. I don't know if that's healthy. I think also duplicating yourself.
Stan: Oh wow! T.J.: That's - that's a good one.
Stan: That's a good one. That's better than not sleeping.
T.J.: Well, first sleeping is good, I haven't really tried it in a while. The
life of an artist.
Stan: Freelance artist.
T.J.: Yeah.
Eliza: Hi, I'm Eliza my website is elizaivanova.com, this is my booth.
Stan: Do you ever struggle with motivation and if so, how do you deal with it?
Eliza: I do struggle of motivation yeah, a lot. This thing I found was discipline.
Drawing constantly helps because that creates - it becomes a routine. I know that really
helps me. If I'm in you know, in kind of like an artist block, I know where to - where to
go and what to do to kind of not think about drawing so much and just do it and usually
that means live drawing. That's for me it's like the number one thing to do is do live
drawing or you know, you just go online and there's a whole bunch of websites that provide
time images that you can draw from. To meet up is the best way to actually like shut down
your main from the oh that like "I need to make a masterpiece today..." you just start
somewhere. And once you start, you only need that first initial kind of push and afterwards
it becomes easier.
Stan: Yeah, cool.
Stan: Do you ever struggle with motivation and if so, how do you deal with it?
Sean: There are so many times that you
going to get burnt out we gonna remember we're not robots, but you do have to train yourself
to draw on commands, okay, and that's what this business is, drawing on command. So you
can't have a bad day, you gonna have to find inspiration elsewhere, whether it's by looking
at your reference or going and stepping away from the desk for 20 minutes or maybe even
half a day, you're going to do other stuff that's creative like maybe writing, shake
off some of the heebie-jeebies. Yeah, you're going to get burnt out, you're gonna feel
like you can't do it but you have to do it. It's not you just depending on it, it's everybody
else and that's what's gonna make you just keep rolling forward.
Vanessa: I don't struggle with motivation I think too much, I'm kind of like a constant
on the go as far as work goes, as far as production of work goes and I feel like the more constant
I am, the more comes out, the more it tends to be released, so motivation, no. I've got
a lot going on that I would like to get out. I don't - like timewise I think there's not
enough time to get into as much as I'd like to be doing.
Stan: So you're always on, you just wake up and you're ready to go?
Vanessa: Yeah, I'm up early. I am a rare artist that gets up early.
Stan: Good, we're all jealous of you now [Laughter].
Vanessa: It is strange, it's this very strange thing. I can actually answer a little
more to that...
Stan: Sure, please.
Vanessa: There was a time not too long ago that I was in a really bad car accident,
and ever since then has been a complete motivation for me because it was like a big awakening
for you know, life is short and - and get going, so... Yeah.
Stan: Do you ever struggle with motivation and if you do, how do you deal with it?
Sanford: I go for a run or a walk. It kind of helps me to kind of get away completely
from the table or if I just really feel like I got to get work done right then and there,
I'll just get away and just start looking at my bookshelf and get totally discouraged
and then inspired at the same time.
Stan: Yeah, that's cool. I do the same thing, I go for a walk, it helps a lot.
Sanford: Yeah yeah.
Stan: And then - just a funny one a - Respondent: Plastic or paper?
Stan: Paper.
Sanford: It's always paper for me man. In this day and age it's all about paper.
So much plastic out there.
Stan: There's a better one that I - Sanford: There's a better one? That's why I'm here
man, that's why I'm here.
Stan: I'll ask you one anyway.
Sanford: Yeah.
Stan: What animated world would you want to live in?
Respondent: Spider-verse.
Stan: I knew you're gonna say it! I knew it [Laughter].
Sanford: Yeah, spider-verse.
Stan: It kind of like reminds me of this one already.
Sanford: Well you know, I worked on - I did some design work for that.
Stan: Oh really! Sanford: Yeah. Early - Stan: Oh man.
Sanford: Early stages.
Stan: I just saw it last week.
Sanford: For the first time.
Stan: Yeah, I have a two-year-old son and we can't go to the movies very much, so we
waited until it came. Sanford: Man, you missed out on the experience. So
seeing anything on the big screen is like...
Stan: I know.
Sanford: I understand. You got a million point five followers, you don't really need
to go to the movies, you are the movie.
Stan: I am what? Sanford: I am the entertainment.
Stan: I still like going to movies.
Sanford: You like still going to the movies? Stan: Of course.
Sanford: Have you seen anything like - have you seen like Endgame and stuff like that?
Stan: I didn't see endgame.
Sanford: Gee-whiz man.
Stan: I know, I - dude, I've seen like three movies in the theater in the past two years.
Sanford: Wow! Stan: I don't even remember what they were.
Sanford: I was gonna say "you don't remember.." it's gonna be something like the remake of
Schindler's list.
Stan: Do you struggle with motivation and if so, how do you deal with it?
Philip: I don't know, I'm not sure if I can fully understand and answer that question.
I get distracted but for myself I always want to get to a certain goal. If your mind is
just filled with that, you can't stop and worry about am I good enough or am I - I don't
feel doing this or I don't feel doing that because you have that goal and you consistently
are going to do it, but yeah you get distracted by family, by life by all these other things
but at the back of your head you're like, "okay, you better go back to your goal, you
better go back to your goal", so... Stan: Yeah, cool. You probably just don't
get out.
Philip: Yeah.
Stan: So what about motivation, you're driven...
Respondent: I'm sure there are times where you're like "okay, is this good enough?",
you just have to know that you've done your best. You've done your best, you're not getting
the - the amount of reactions that you're expecting from your fans or your consumers
or your - or your clients that it just means you got to work harder, you know and evolve
and change. It comes down to you being flexible with creative stuff and work ethic and everything.
Stan: Sure.
Chrissie: Hey guys, I'm Chrissie Zullo, I'm basically on Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr,
YouTube, Facebook and it's all under my name Christie Zullo C-H-R-I-S-S-I-E, Z-U-L-L-O.
Stan: Do you ever struggled with motivation and if so, how do you deal with it?
Chrissie: I do struggle with motivation sometimes but whenever I've reached that point,
I just like to watch like my favorite movies or my favorite animated films or read my favorite
comics and whenever I like fall in love with these characters that I look up to and I relate
to, it makes me want to draw them and want to get back into drawing. So, I guess I just
you know, go back to all my favorites and that's really what gives me like that one
up to get back and get drawing again.
Stan: Cool. Do you ever struggle with motivation and if so, how do you deal with it?
Cutter: I love to draw us so much that it covers most of the things. I have a few
injuries that cause me pain when I draw, a crush disc in my neck that goes down my arm.
So, I had to get past that, I mostly do traction and take care of it and really eat right and
get enough sleep. And as long as I do that I can usually pull.
Stan: Nice.
Marshall: Do I ever struggle with motivation.... No, I don't really ever struggle with motivation.
What you need to do, find something you love. The reason I never struggle with motivation
is that I just love the art form. I just love pictures, just love entertainment art. Even
if I wasn't doing it, I would love it enough to be a DJ for it, which is kind of what being
a teacher is, is that you're hosting all of this great art. I trust that answers the question.
Stan: It does. That's great.
Sean: Do I ever struggle with motivation... Yes of course. I mean, I think most artists
do. A lot of the ability to get over it comes from sketching my sketchbook. I'm feeling
like you know. I'm loss for ideas, I always go back to the sketchbook. Sometimes I actually
even go back through old sketches and find ideas that I was excited about at one point
that I hadn't thought about in a while, so that provides a good place to sort of reboot
when I'm feeling like things aren't going the way I want them to go. And then also I
find that when I travel or when I explore new places, try new experiences, that often
gets me out of those ruts or are those moments where you're feeling uninspired.
Pascal: No, actually I never had an issue with motivation itself. I always want to draw,
there's always something I want to, if not draw at least tell a story. There's always
the desire. What does happen to me though sometimes is I get mental fatigue and when
I get mental fatigue I have to find different things to deal with it, like I just go for
a bike ride like - all the classic stuff. But mostly I just you know, sit down and draw
and something will eventually happen.
Stan: Do you ever struggle with motivation and if so, how do you deal with it?
Colin: Yes, working late I guess ends up being how I deal with that. Every creative
process ends up having a lot of hiccups or things you end up hating or like redrawing
or going through an emotion after emotion after emotion. Sometimes it's just straight
up working through it or just accepting the deadline and moving past it and then coming
back to it at another time as well.
Stan: What superhero power would be really useful to an artist?
Colin: Waterbending... I mean, think about it, just like ink is essentially water
right? And so, if you could just kind of like gracefully manipulate it over the page, you'll
never need to use a brush.
Stan: That's a new one. [Laughter] Thank you so much.
Colin: Yeah, no worries.
Stan: Awesome.
Stan: Did you ever struggle with motivation and if you do, how do you deal
with it? Brian: I listen to music is the best
thing. A lot of visual artists get in the habit of having movies of TVs and things like
that on you know, episodes they kind of pay attention to but not quite. Music or again
I think inspiration for creativity is out of boredom. So, turn the phone's off, close
your eyes, take a deep breath and your mind will start making stuff up.
Stan: Oh, interesting. So get bored - Respondent: Yep. Stop texting, stop looking at phones,
stop watching whatever... Silence, quiet and just because you will get bored, you'll make
something up. It may not be great but it's a process that's going forward.
Stan: Nice, that's an original one, I haven't heard that one yet.
Bobby: Do I ever struggle with motivation... That is an awesome question. Of course, just
like everybody else. But you know what, what I struggle with, what I learned I struggled
with is this little voice in my head that was the problem. It's was telling me "I'm
tired, oh, I don't want to do this anymore". Well, the great thing is that we - once we're
aware of that, we have control over that and all you need to do is just grab that little
voice and just smack it in the face and just tell it "shut up, I need to do some work.
I got to get some work done. I am in control" and then you got to just keep going. You know,
one of my heroes is Forrest Gump. I know he's fictional but he just puts his mind to something
and stops thinking and sometimes that's the best thing that you could do.
Stan: Right, I love that.
Stephen: Do I struggle with motivation... Yes, I struggle some days where I just go
to the drawing board and I'm trying to work on something and it's just not there, I'm
just not feeling it and how I deal with it a lot of the times is multiple projects. If
I just transition to doing something else and oftentimes I may even just walk my dog
and go out around the block or something, that's what I usually try to do when I sort
of lack motivation.
William: Hi, my name is William Stout and my website is www.williamstout.com or you
can also reach me on Facebook.
Stan: OK, so the first question is, do you ever struggle with motivation and if so, ho
do you deal with it? William: If I have any kind of block, like
an artist block, I have two sure fire ways to get over that. If I'm trying to solve a
difficult problem, I solve it one or two ways; I either take a shower and something magically
in the shower the answer to my problem comes - it bubbles up or to keep in shape I run
3 miles of hills every other day and if I set myself to that problem at the beginning
of the run, by the end of the run I will have solved it. The other thing is, you know, sometimes
you just get burn out because you've been working so hard and you get drained and sometimes
it's good to just take a break and recharge and one of the ways that recharge is I look
at the art that inspired me as a kid and I get re-inspired by it all over again.
Stan: Do you ever struggle with motivation and if so, how do you deal with it?
Lucio: That's a - Stan: You can just say no if you don't.
Lucio: Sometime I have troubles to find the right mood in very short time. When I
have to do covers in a few days, I would like to have like more - like a couple of weeks.
It's very hard to stay awake all night and find the right idea, the right concept, so
this is the most difficult things that I usually - Stan: Yeah, how do you keep that motivation?
Like what do you do to make sure to finish it?
Lucio: I just think that at the end they will pay me so. Stan: You have no
choice.
Lucio: Yeah, exactly.
Stan: Alright guys, I hope this helps you get motivated. Let me know in the comments
what you do to stay motivated or which of the answers from this video helped you the
most. We got seven more of these videos coming up, so stay tuned!