Self improvement thingy

[DiffydaDude]

I think its time i did some self improvement. I do some things that i feel like have been very dumb. One thing is that often when I think about making something, I dont just go along with the flow, I think far ahead about what itll look like and all the little details and stuff and what will make it perfect. I feel like its a bit too much thinking for me to do and its a bit of a bad habit I got. I also end up taking myself too seriously sometimes and i think it makes me feel like, rigid, if you know what i mean. anybody got tips?

[Melooon]

Its quite hard to tell what's wrong for you in a thread like this since I cant see inside your head! However I'd start by asking, What is perfect and what is serious? Why are those the things you are thinking about instead of making what you wanna make? Why is thinking a bad habit? Do you enjoy thinking about those details?

If you do enjoy thinking about details; then maybe you enjoy thinking about them more than the thing you are trying to do? In that case, you don't have an issue, thinking is great so enjoy it and forget about doing the thing Eventually you'll finish your thought and you'll want to do something else!

If it's the other way around though and you don't enjoy thinking about all these details, then firstly; ask yourself why you're doing something you don't enjoy. And secondly, find out why these details that you don't enjoy seem so important to think about (For most people the answer is that they're trying to live by someones else's rules or live up to expectations) ~ thats exhausting to do; and in that case, maybe thinking is easier than the fear of doing and failing. So then its a matter of finding out what you're afraid of failing at  And so on!

I'm not sure how useful that is; but thats how I work my way out of mental situations; I start with one question for myself and I answer it and then look for the next question; and somehow when all the questions are answered, the issue often becomes resolved 

You aslo might find some more practical info and answers here! https://forum.melonland.net/index.php?topic=934.0

[KibbehTheKib]

I definitely struggle with that sometimes! when you tie some part of your identity to being a good artist, writer, whatever the case, it's easy to lock up because you're worried about making a mistake and calling that part of yourself into question. and if you have enough artistic knowledge to understand what works and doesn't in other people's art - but are still building the skills to implement it in your own work - it can be easy to turn that internal critic against yourself. and so, it's easy to get lost in the weeds of details and planning because it FEELS really productive, but you don't have to fear that it won't turn out well since it's just the planning phase.

I guess the first thing I'd ask is, what are you looking to get out of whatever you're creating? what parts do you like about the process? like, if you have a story idea or maybe some character concepts, you might feel the expectation to make it a full start-to-finish story. but if what you really enjoy is drawing the characters or worldbuilding or writing some isolated scenes, there's nothing wrong with just... doing that instead. it's for fun, you can do whatever you want with it!

as a second suggestion I'd say, even if it's not easy: try narrowing your scope. it's tempting (and really fun!) to come up with ambitious, sweeping ideas - but if you're still learning or you're having trouble finishing things, starting small really helps in not getting bogged down by the details. try your ideas in a short story, or a simpler drawing, or whatever the case may be for you. it might feel like "settling" or "wasting an idea," but you can always incorporate the idea into a bigger project down the line! a lot of artists take an idea from an older work and reuse or remix it.

and even if the outcome is imperfect, or not what you expected, pick out what you think is good or even just has potential! there's plenty of media I'd say is flawed or even just sucks, but somewhere in there, there's a neat concept, or a fun character, or even just a single line I think is cool. your internal critic can turn on you, but if you can find things to appreciate in media you think is flawed, that can come around to you, too! and in general, just try to have fun and express yourself however you want - hope you find what works for you!

[e-]

I really do believe in the value of not just creating but living creatively.

Your direct existence is the well from which all creative energy comes from. So no matter how hard you try to force yourself to do better, if you have a lack of life in your life--you know, doing things you'd never do, meeting new people, seeing new places--Well it'll always be hell scraping together the meager amount of gumption you've got lying around.

That goes for self-improvement too. Of course everyone wants to better themselves, but where does the incentive to do so come from? Where does the concept of 'better' come from for that matter? It can only come from your experiences and your surroundings.

This is super important to remember at this point in history. The arts were created out of this need to channel powerful experiences in life. Today, there is this sort of telephone-game problem where peoples experiences in life are overwhelmingly derived from media. Therefor they are deluded somewhat (Experiencing a real relationship is more deeply affecting than playing a dating sim for instance) A generation affected by media is inspired to create more media but there less energy to work with because the experiences have been less intense an direct. The increased volume of media and increased scariness of the outside world works to incentivize taking less risks and living more vicariously than directly. It is safer, it is easier, and it leaves one with a shallower existence which results in an overall lack of creative umph for doing whatever it is you really want to.

So I'd say, really live your life, earnestly and with as few regrets as you can get away with. Don't hesitate to question everything you think your certain about. Make room for new stuff in your brain by letting go of old stuff. Think of fears as an opportunity to grow when met with. Choose the more difficult, more rewarding thing as often as you can.