Art student, how do you get yourselves motivated when working on boring projects?

Question

I'm back at college in 2 weeks and have barely started the holiday project we were given, it just doesn't interest me in the slightest, any tips?

Answer 1

same here, i have to do 4 whole pieces by tuesday next wk, im screwed lol i guess if you just go into a room, put all your art things in there, make sure the tv is off and there is no one else in there so you cant get easily distracted and just play some music or something. Start looking through all your art things to get you in a kinda arty mood. And just think... i need to try my best if i want to get the marks. It'l be worth it in the end. Your project will look gorgeous and you'll fell proud, and then you'l get the marks for it. :) x

Answer 2

Your endless imagination? (being an art student)??

Answer 3

What is boredom? It's the desire for stimulation. So find in your project something personal, something that makes it stimulating for you. Then as someone else said, break it down into manageable chunks and reward yourself for completing them. Make the rewards small though, no big parties. : -)  

Answer 4

Welcome to the real world. In life you are going to do many commercial projects or even fine art commissions where parts of the project are boring or just not your thing. Grow up. Seriously.

Boring projects reflect a boring artist. Sorry.

Why doesn't the project interest you? This sounds like your ego getting in the way. Are you that important that the project is beneath you? Get over it.

Listen up, as a creative director, I've done a gazillion boring projects. They seemed boring on the outside. But you know what? They're only boring if YOU are boring. Are you boring? No!

Unmotivated, yes.

It's one project. It's a process. And you have an opportunity to learn something new about yourself and perhaps about art. So, what's holding you up? THIS is the bigger question.

Why don't you take ownership of the project? Look at what it is that doesn't interest you. Examine this issue. Get into it. Explore it. Learn something about it, about you. Then put all that c**p aside. Because when you grow up, you're going to do work that is like this.

So what can you do to embrace the project and make it interesting?

Well, this is easy. Create a structure to get it done. Bite size bits. Work on it for an hour at a time. Then take a break for two hours and do something else. Then back to it for an hour. Do this until the project is done.

You may find that with this structure you actually end up engaging in the project and liking it.

But first get your ego out of it, accept the fact that in art we don't always get the groovy fun super hip and cool projects and then get motivated and get it done.

Answer 5

I break my work down into smaller sections. For example a 2000 word essay that covers 4 learning points gets broken down into;

minus the allowable 10% (1800 words remaining)

100 each for intro & conclusion (1600 words remaining)

Then 4 smaller pieces of work of 400 words each.

The first bit 400 word piece will be boring, but the open uni literature claims completion of work is a big motivator. Therefore breaking the work down & getting the some small pieces done first will motivate to do more.

Answer 6

a projects only as boring as you make it...what is the project?

Answer 7

same here.

by having a nice music around, everything becomes smoother and more enjoyable

art is the best subject for me. I get motivated because the teachers pat you on the back by doing good work.

Answer 8

Well i just rock out to my ipod and do stuff.

Answer 9

When I was at college one of my lecturers advised us to consider the job like being an office worker.Get up,get washed and dressed,have breakfast,travel to work,even if it's the studio in the next room at home.Do about 40mins trying to relate the work to your skills and preferences,have a short break,get back to the job for another 40mins.Many people do arts based jobs because they like the subject,it's a job like any other.There are going to be times like that.Remember that you work to make a living to get on with the rest of your life.It is very important that you have a hobby that is separate from your work.

Answer 10

I've waited 25 years to study art and I love every minute of it! There's always something new to learn or a technique to improve, that's what the projects are for right? Imagine you had fought hard and made big sacrifices to get on the course. Or change course.