How's the drawing glove going? Does it still help with art motivation?
I'm trying to find art motivation, got any insight perchance?
It does still help! But what it helps with now is not the motivation part, but the routine of it all. I've managed to train my brain to go "oh, glove is on! Better pick up the pen. Oh, holding the pen! Better do a scribble to make sure it's working. Oh, we're drawing now!!"
Because the hardest thing to train, art wise, is also the best advice to stay motivated: Discipline.
Inspiration to draw is great! I love when it hits and you get that flow state. There is no feeling quite like it, I'll be real.
But sometimes that inspiration doesn't hit and you have deadlines or you just want to draw but have no inspirations. That's where discipline comes in. Because it helps you get to that inspiration point, or get to the point where an idea hits and you just go with it. Or, sometimes even, it just is there to keep you drawing. To keep up that routine.
Don't get me wrong. I've struggled with burnout before. (And might be fighting it again right now, I'll be so real.) But if you have a job in the creative field or take commissions, those don't care about burnout. They don't care about motivation. What they care about is discipline. The ability to work and to deliver. Which is why it pays to train that part of your brain and relate even a fraction of it to art.
Again! Burnout sucks. 0/10 would not recommend. You need to rest your brain and recover from burnout. And if you're able to do that, awesome. Do it. Please. For your own health. And if you're not doing art professionally and don't care about all this? That's fine too! Chase your bliss in your own way. But for those who struggle, or who want another insight or whatever: This is the best advice I can offer.
But, for the next question I might get: How do you train discipline?
That's a harder thing to answer. For me, it's all about developing a routine and sticking to it. Not in a "At 5pm I will draw" sort of way. But in a "I'm wearing my glove so I will draw" way.
College taught me a bunch of tricks that I've mostly forgotten on how to train discipline. But the biggest one they imparted that I remember is routine. And to make it as easy as possible to start that routine. Do whatever it takes, even if that means like. The night before you're setting up a canvas, getting your references together, and laying out the drawing glove so it's right there on your keyboard. So that when you sit down you have to pick it up. And if you're holding it, you might as well put it on. And oh look! All your stuff is set up and waiting for you. Might as well do a warmup scribble. And then you're drawing!!
Naturally this doesn't work for everyone, but it's what worked for me. And I hope it works for you! I'm not the best at explaining things but I hope I did a good job here. I'll happily answer any more questions!
