Lost Motivation

[Rooster]

So about a month ago I started an ODST build, beginning with Kirrou's rookie helmet. Weeks in, about halfway into bondoing, I decide to do a visual test fit, as I had been growing increasingly uneasy about the final size. Disaster. It was way too big, looking like "Big Cat" Williams' (nfl lineman) helmet. Back to square one, which is fine(sort of) since I'd rather do a reach style anyway. But since then, I just can't bring myself to get back on the horse. All the drive is gone.

So the question is, how does everyone stay motivated, especially when disaster strikes your project?

 

[krad2004]

I chuckle to myself and then print the next one off lol. I find pepping relaxing tho so I'm always happy to pep

 

[Chernobyl]

Simple answer? Don't.

Seriously, however, this isn't a pastime you can force yourself to enjoy or participate in. The best results come from your wanting to get involved and work on your projects, so I would suggest putting down the tools for a few days or so, and taking a break. You'll find it a lot easier to come back fresh and willing than you will pushing yourself through, believe me - sometimes I've taken months off of a project to do other things, until I've had a hankering to get along with something prop-related.

I wish you all the best of luck regardless, Trooper!

 

[MoeSizzlac]

Been there: For me, motivation on the bigger projects come from 2 things.
1) Completing little one day build projects along the way. Example: I was loosing the drive to do the rest of my suit until I modified a NERF gun into a Halo-ish AR. Got me all excited again.
2) I stopped watching certain television series to lightened my TV load a lot. It freed up my time more and helped me start right after work and the kids were put to bed. This helps cut some fatigue and I'm more energetic to give it a go. (This can basically be applied to anything that unnecessarily takes up too much time.)

I do like what Chernobyl suggested as well. Take a break. You'll most likely get the itch to create again.

All the best!

 

[Reclaimara]

Repeat "suck it up, princess" and you surely will get motivated. You can always add "I'm not interrupting naptime, am I?"...
But seriously - I didn't loose my motivation yet, I just want to make the armor and this build so my motivation isn't fading... Even finishing my first piece, the gloves... such tiny detail, but gotten me even more motivation.

 

[BlazedStarbon]

^ Listen to these folks, they know what they're talking about. I'll have to agree on the part where you should take breaks when you feel the motivation is being hindered. For myself - I lost all foam base components of my spartan build due to a flood about 2 weeks before attending a convention earlier this summer. Motivation definitely went out the window after that, yet I found myself taking a break and re-thinking my options.
Sometimes deadlines are helpful, but don't rely on it to hold your interest or else you'll begin to dread what should be a fun pass-time.

The best you can do for yourself is to be patient with trial and errors. If it means you take a year off before you're able to find the drive to continue, then do it. : )

 

[ErMaC]

Get motivated Spartan. The 405th needs you to keep going. I built 15 helmets to get it right. But I got it right to the extreme. It was totally worth it. I recently found the motivation again to rebuild my halo 5 noble helmet. I failed once so I'm going to try it again. We love seeing updates. So give us want we want

 

[027]

Dude, I've scrapped 2 sets of forearms and one helmet due to sizing issues. Kinda killed my motivation for a while and then I looked here on the 405th and Facebook convention pics. I thought to myself, "I could be part of that." That's all it usually takes to get back into things

 

[BuildsByBaz]

Every time I stuff it up, the next time I try I am MUCH , MUCH better at it!!! Failures are the very best of lessons.

Success first time? Pfft! Amateur!

Competing against myself for excellence is far more fun than competing against others.

There's my motivation.

SB

 

[Absol898]

Well, disaster will always strike.



when it does, your options are make it work or try again. I decided to work through my mistake. After 2 months of sanding it turned out fine.



To stay motivated what I do is:

-Listen to music while I build
-Look at other peoples builds
-Take a break
-Play some halo (nothing more motivating than playing in the armor you're trying to build)
-Create deadlines
-Work on another build (work on another part, make the gun, or WHEN you have another cosplay, work on that)

 

[vern 01]

Don't look at your situation as a bad thing, it gives you the opportunity to step back and evaluate, what, how, when and if you want to continue. As a metal fabricator building race cars and street rods, I work daily with challenging projects. Sometimes I am building from a simple idea in my head or with a CAD drawing. I build scale plastic models as well, some from kits, most from scratch, and of course pepping Halo stuff. What do all these share in common, some days you have a pile of debris on the shop floor or work table and little progress to show for your efforts, frustrating, yes, a motivation killer sometimes.

A friend taught me long ago that when a project turns out in a less than desired outcome to look at it as a result, not a success, not a failure. A result is a learning! With every success or failure you take something away from it, those learning build your skills, those increased skills will allow you the chance to change your focus/mindset and challenge yourself

What ever your chosen project, build for yourself! In the plastic model world I have from time to time been confronted by those I call the accuracy police, these types will wander around the contest hall eagerly pointing out all the short comings of other builders, "that colour is two shades dark, that panel line is to deep, etc."I could tell your how I deal with those types but my goal here is not to get barred from the 405th.It suffices to say, if the get as much enjoyment from doing that as I did building for me, then we both have satisfied or selves.

I have found as well whether building with plastic, metal or foam and paper, breaking down the builds into sub assemblies and providing yourself with multiple projects of same or different media will help from getting stuck in an area of a build that is going nowhere. It doesn't take long to spend hours of zero productivity staring at a project that is not going well, when simply side tracking yourself with a change of scenery, a different component will refresh and recharge you

Enough of my ramble, build, enjoy, and share

 

[eiros]

i have lost my motivation many times and then i played halo and remembered how much i love it and how much i wanna build armor. the other way i regain drive is hang out here and seeing all the awesome builds and seeing them makes me wanna get back to mine

 

[foxleader]

Well, disaster will always strike.

[url]http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y466/Absol898/th_image.jpg11_zpszewq8tpl.jpg[/URL]

when it does, your options are make it work or try again. I decided to work through my mistake. After 2 months of sanding it turned out fine.

[url]http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y466/Absol898/th_image.jpg3_zpsxqac3s0h.jpg[/URL]

To stay motivated what I do is:

-Listen to music while I build
-Look at other peoples builds
-Take a break
-Play some halo (nothing more motivating than playing in the armor you're trying to build)
-Create deadlines
-Work on another build (work on another part, make the gun, or WHEN you have another cosplay, work on that)

I do all but the deadlines unless its a commission, then I do, plus if you work on something non halo and then come back to it.

 

[Reclaimara]

PS. I have pepped 95% of the parts for my build 2-4 times. Only chest area was first good try. All other pieces took multiple tries.

 

[Dirtdives2424]

I have been working on my son's MC helmet for almost 2 months now. Sometimes I get home so tired from work, and don't put a minute in to it. Then there were times I stayed up late to finish off some small detail..........You put your energy and time when and where you can. You can loose your motivation and still finish the project, just don't give up on it.

 

[tomboy]

I made my first attempt at making Halo armor in 2009. Since then, there still is not a complete set of pep files for my armor anywhere, I've warped every bicep I've built, lost my forearms, had a piece fall 3 stories off my balcony, ruined my shoulder pieces, lost what was every usable piece I'd built during a move, broke my shin piece, broke myself, and after 6 years I still have 0 suits to show for it. AND I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!

Whenever I'm frustrated or lose motivation, I go back to what motivated me in the first place: Red vs Blue, Halo, and a love of cosplay.

There's been tons of good advice in the other posts, too. Stepping back and taking a break can do wonders for you. During my Navy years, every time we'd go on a longer underway and I couldn't work on my project, it'd be all I could think about. I couldn't wait to work on the suit when I got home. Just make sure you learn from whatever failures you have.

 

[PEPAKURA TURTLE]

I-
Listen to music
go rage mode on my pillow
suck it up
dream about
watch anime while working
go shopping
mess around with super glue
...lots more, but my mind has gone blank

 

[Rooster]

Yeah, I guess I can only take so many failures in a row before I need a real break from it. I'm not going to stop entirely,but I had been going at it for days at a time. I'm going to slow down drastically and keep the projects shorter for awhile. Thanks for all the support guys!

 

[Harri51]

I completely understand where you are coming from. Like I lost mine once the holidays hit. (having two kids takes up a lot of holiday time,) Like you disaster and frustration is just apart of this love of armor building. I have mine hanging in the living room as a constant reminder and a kind of pride maker to keep my drive and know i got till august to make revisions and make the armor perfect. You can do this no problem, besides we need more Troopers haha. Best of luck.