11 October 2022
They say that you need to make your own dreams come true, so here we go… again. Voluntarily unemployed, enough money set aside to last roughly 20 months, and a laptop with Blender 2.93.
Seemingly starting from scratch again.
Is it logistically possible to make a living (or in my case an existence) in this time frame?
Here goes nothing…
Just a quick update... Blender 3.0 had given me horrendous issues (constantly crashing), so I went back to 2.93 as my go-to. I have just downloaded Blender 3.3 in hopes that whatever issues I was having have since been solved. I shall see as I go through the tuts.
Of course you can. I have myself to account for that. Back in 2012 I started learning 3D and back then there were much less resources to go by. I kept at it, found CG Cookie, started watching tutorials, learning, traded movie hours for tutorial hours, 12 months went by and I got my first freelance gig. That one gig lead to two, two to four, to eight and on it went and I was able to save enough to help buy an apartment. Blender and 3D were hobbies and have remained so, I only do it on my free time, which is very short, I have always imaged what I could do if I did this full time.
Now, I can't also help but be realistic. I hated doing freelance, all the crunch hours, the crazy little time to do something, absurd changes from clients, etc. I worked for studios on a few movie and TV productions and the experiences were awful. Plus I was doing all of that while I had an 8 to 5 job and doing those freelance was eating away all my free time so I was not resting enough. I've always thought that with different circumstances I may have enjoyed it more.
That being said, that's just my experience, that doesn't have to be yours. The end goal is to make a living and I believe 3D and Blender are able to do that for people. Plus there's a great community behind CG Cookie how can help out and make that learning curve easier.
Omar... I appreciate the feedback and candor. Doable, but with pitfalls along the way. So the journey begins.
Thank you.
11 October 2022 (eve)
Yep, literally started over with Blender 3 Basics and very glad I did. Some things I’ve forgotten, new things in a new Blender, and (knock on wood) Blender 3.3 seems to be more stable with my poor laptop. Blender 3.0 constantly crashed, so I am pleasantly surprised.
Looking forward to completing the Basics course and hopefully onto Fundamentals of 3D mesh modelling. Notes. Notes. And more notes. And lots of fiddling around, too.
Thank you Jonathan
12 October 2022
Okay… either I don’t remember going through Eevee settings or it’s something that was added to the tuts. Whatever the case, I’m super stoked that I can do most stuff in Eevee and not have the time lag that is Cycles (at least for the hardware I’m currently strapped with).
LOL… 24fps “Just don’t tell Peter Jackson”. I about spit water out of my nose on that. Love that you inject a bit of humor into these.
Oh, but the chickens got in my way today, lol. I will sculpt that blasted apple from the sphere… but before that, had to find my tablet. Then had to figure out how to set up the pen. Suddenly, I find myself pricing out computer hardware (extremely premature). Dear god, I need to focus - but I passed that off as needing a break from it all. Just can’t use that excuse often. Tomorrow starts the Fundamentals of Meshing.
Night all.
p.s. Omar thank you for the link. Very enlightening
13 October 2022
Was a nonproductive 3D day. Folks’ anniversary, except my father passed away this past March, so out doing stuff for mom (shopping and such). Brother and I took her out for supper and trying to figure out what she wants to bring with her when we move her in with myself. That move takes place next month (assuming everything goes as planned).
14 October 2022
Back a it and tackling that sculpted apple prior to moving on. Still trying to get used to this pen/tablet. Methinks me mouse is on its last legs. Replaced the batteries and its still cutting out. If I switch it off and on again, it works just fine, so not sure what’s up with that. Apple - done (posted to Discord). Primitive modeling - done; although, I think I may have gone a bit overboard with it. Had fun with it nonetheless (post to Discord).
What’s the best way to show work? Here on Cookie site, DIscord, some other medium? I think I may finally be getting into a schedule swing - something that at least gets me active with Blender or tuts 3 to 4 hours a day.