"Hello everyone. I'd like to talk about what I'm feeling in my artistic journey. I've been on CG Cookie for quite a while now, and I'm really happy with it. First of all, the courses are very high quality and plentiful, suitable for all levels. The community is warm and encouraging, and the staff is always available.
I'm a melancholic and solitary person by nature, and I have this visceral, almost vital need to express myself through imagery. I do what I can with my limited skills. I go through phases where everything feels possible—like I could move mountains—and others where I'm just a spectator of my own life, incapable of even going out to buy cigarettes.
At the same time, I’ll admit I use MidJourney to experiment and find inspiration. I never post those images because, to me, they have no value due to the lack of effort involved.
What pains me most is not having the technical ability to visually express what I feel deep inside—all the images I could create without having to learn so many tedious things, like UV mapping, for example. I have Photoshop, and I took a course a while ago, but again, all that technicality killed my creativity and plunged me into deep frustration.
I know some artists, like Magali Villeneuve, learned everything on their own without any classes. Back in school—long ago—I was terrible at everything except drawing. I'm not suited for traditional academic systems and I learn better on my own. I think I’m going to try finding a balance between taking courses and learning through experimentation.
These are just a few thoughts I wanted to share with you—and that ChatGPT will translate at my command."
Thank so much for sharing Injaw. I relate to your journey deeply. In fact I'll bet there's a substantial portion of this community (and the broader 3D community) that relates the same. The technical hurdles of 3D can be a major speed bump to creativity.
For me, the creativity is something that bloomed later. As a teenager I was enamored with the craft of 3D first and foremost. Figuring out how to push and pull verts, set up materials, lights, rigging and render - these tasks were more rewarding than self-expression or stories I wanted to tell. To be honest, I didn't have any stories to tell until my 20's. As I've grew older, a self-expressive / story-telling inclination has developed. This has breathed fresh purpose into my craft and I finally feel it's accurate to say I'm an Artist and not just a craftsman.
All that to say, I can imagine how frustrating it would be to have stories / artistic expression ready to be let out but lack the skills to execute them effectively.
This topic is so fascinating and I hear folks mention it commonly. I hope more people contribute their own experience. I'm even inclined to try and turn this into an interview-style deep dive video for our YT channel. I think I'll draft some questions and get that ball rolling.
