:b_sad:

As of late I can't even open Poser with an idea of what to render or create. I will sit in front of blank document window trying to find something to inspire me. I have started several projects yet have not finished one in the last 2 months. I even closed down my website hoping a store or two will let me be a vendor there (not here yet) and have not heard a reply.
What can one do you get out of a rut like this? I have read and re-read many books and watched movies that I thought would inspire me. I have stopped thinking, that would look good on Figure X when I see clothing. I am in a place I have never been before. It is like hitting a barrer that cannot be broken.
How does the rest of the artist fix this? Please give me something that can help, an advice will do (as long as it is legal).

Yup, being there, done that and had a t-shirt saying "artistic block"

What usualy works for me is just put it aside.
Listen to some music what I think inspires me.
Lit up some essence.
And lay down on the cough...let the mind go its way with the essence and music.

Most importand for me is anyway, stop thinking about idea's.
Usualy, the harder you think of it, the bigger the block gets.

Another one that works for me is going to a bar.
Just sit down, clear the mind and listen to others..talk a bit and taste the athmosphere (if there is any )

Anyway, stop worrying.
I think we all have our moments, and eventualy they pass.

download some freebies...nothing like a new model to massage the brain cells..;)

look at other people's stuff, and go with a visceral reaction...what does it make you think of? something off the wall? there's an idea

look at spelling and grammar on the titles; people here are as creative with them as they are their art..;) they may call up images quite different from the one you're looking at.

or learn a new program; modeling, texturing, whatever. It may let you bring up some things, even freebies or spendies of your own. 

There's always cliches - so something different with NVIATWAS (I used German V2 rockets once in a pic of that nature...;), or something like that 

just some thoughts, way too early in the AM...;)

Usually I read some books. I was more or less Poser-blocked, then the doorbell rang and I received from Amazon the last book of my favourite author. After finishing it  (a matter of hours) I was extremely excited about the idea of create pictures of the main character, and I am pretty nicely busy right now.

Giorgio

what i do, is just go through my content until i see something that strikes my fancy and then just force myself to build a render around it.  Might be a prop, an outfit, or even a character.  It might turn out great, or it might suck, but it helps me get back in the mindset.  Also, I put my mp3 player on my faves folder, and then just let the music inspire me.

Quote - :b_sad:

As of late I can't even open Poser with an idea of what to render or create.

Welcome to my world!!   I am rarely inspired to create much these days. All I can say is don't try and force it because it will only lead to frustration.

Look around for contests to enter even in you think you aren't good enough. It will still inspire you and besides, you never know. But you won't win if you don't try.

Try looking at magazines for ads. Have a favourite game or movie? Try recreating a scene from it.

You can also borrow my muse, who seems to be asleep on the job,  lol

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1310372

Never try to force the work, as Acadia said.  If it ain't there, it ain't there.

Me, I pick up the guitar and frighten the folks next door for a while, or read a book.  Sometimes listening to music inspires me.  In fact, quite a lot of my pics were inspired by music.

It's good to forget about Poser and graphics in general from time to time.  It's only something of major importance if you're making money from it and a deadline is looming.  Otherwise, just relax and enjoy life.

Been there too. Still am for the most part. I suppose I'd go along with the general "don't force it" advice. It's a real problem when you want to do something but your brain just won't co-operate. Not much can be done, but I reckon there'll also be times when you have so many ideas going on that you'll have to keep notes. :)

I've found lately that wandering through 1930's movie clips on Youtube is
a good source.  Let the "related" column lead you into places you might
not have searched by name............  (This is actually equivalent to Pakled's
suggestion of using misspellings, since the "related" column tends to
use out-of-context variations on keywords.)

I tend to sleep and cross my fingers.  This year was the first yeat I didn't spend November to February panicing because I had no ideas and I put that down to the fact I took the pressure off myself to create something but shifted the emphasis onto just having fun with it.  Sure there's a lot of dross but it keeps your hand in and the muse entertained and occassionally you hit on a good idea.

Ok, this is going to sound really weird.. but your best bet? 

Go camping.

No.. I'm not joking.  When the weather gets nice enough, pack some stuff and get out of the house.  Leave your cell phone, laptop, and anything else that requires batteries or electricity other than maybe a flashlight behind.

Don't take any CD players, portable TV's, portable gaming systems or anything with you, and get outdoors for a while.  A couple of days is good, a week or so is better.  Get away from all the distractions and noise that fill your daily life and just kick back and relax.

Lay out at night and gaze at the stars.  Sleep as late as you want the next day, eat breakfast cooked over an open fire, and for goodness sake don't spend a single second thinking about your computer, rendering, artwork, poser, or anything else that you normally think or worry about.  Instead go lose yourself in nature for a short while.

You'll be amazed at the results.

That is so not going to happen stepdad - I like a comfy bed far too much and that is where I get my best ideas, even if they do soemtimes stop me from sleeping because I keep expansing and expanding on them in my mind.

This may sound strange, but I'm often inspired by bad art, at least in my writing.  If I want to write in a certain genre, I'll read something along those lines that I consider to be horrid, which usually sends me back to the keyboard thinking, 'I can do better than that!'  Picking out the flaws also helps germinate ideas.  'No, that should be done this way, or a better approach would be . . . '  Similarly, when I'm in a funk reading great literature simply depresses me as I often think (quite wrongly) that there's nothing more to be said.

I haven't tried this with visual art projects, but it might help.  Look at something along the general lines of what you like to do but which you consider clumsy, unfinished, etc.  Who knows?  You might be inspired to produce a better version of what you've seen.

Quote -
I haven't tried this with visual art projects, but it might help.  Look at something along the general lines of what you like to do but which you consider clumsy, unfinished, etc.  Who knows?  You might be inspired to produce a better version of what you've seen.

It seems a good idea, but.... it's hard to find someone who draws images worst than mine, at least here on Rendo. They are all so good!   :cursing:

Giorgio

Step away from the computer. You should only approach it when you have an idea. Cleaning house. Sounds weird but it's a physical activity while the mind is on auto-pilot. If you still have artists block, hey, at least you've got a clean house. One of my favorite exercises is the "eight minute stream of consciousness". Pull out a piece of paper (or open notepad) and write / type non-stop for eight minutes without reading it. Try and stay away from "I don't know what to think about"; more along the lines of "I had a funny dream last night...." or something like that. I can only go for about 5 or 6 minutes before I peter out (excuse the double and triple entendre), but you'll be surprised when you read it back.

I usually take a trip through a toy store (eithar a small specialty store or a big Box like Toys R Us) or  Hobby Shop (planes, trains, and automobiles)  next thing I know..... my brain is hurting

I've very rarely started an image with a clear idea of what I'm trying to achieve. Its almost always been a case of throwing random elements into my Poser workspace. After I've loaded a V4 I've usually no idea where the pic is going to go. On occasions I've even scrolled through my figure or prop library with my eyes closed and taken pot-luck on what figure or prop is under my mouse when I release the button. (Thats how a dragon and a hummingbird ended up side by side in one of my recent pics.)

I just had a long stint and ended up playing a game for a month. Now I have all kinds of ideas. Everyone has this happen, heard two ladies at the Starbucks complaining that they just couldn't get motivated on their scrapbooking projects. The housecleaning is a great idea too, got a lot of stuffage done this past month that I've been putting off. Now I'm working on my files to try to get them in some kind of order and am finding all kinds of things to inspire me. That's why they call it a rut, takes effort to get the wagon to move....lol

I actualy have the oposite problem at the moment.

Fidling around with some programs to learn them and visiting the forum for tips, I only end up with more idea's.

"sigh" so much idea's and so litle time  :ohmy:

My tricks are: 1) Daydream. Let your subconscious take the wheel. 2) Find your passion, your muse, and get inspired. 3) And if you need to be creative for work or on a dull project, "Find The Fun." bB

I also encourage you to browse through your runtime for inspiration. Sometimes that helps to spark the creativity.

If you do this as a hobby, especially,  it's best to get your creativity from browsing your existing content and getting inspired that way instead of trying to create images out of the blue and then tracking down stuff to fit the image that you have in mind. 

Wierdly enough, I have found one way to get inspiration, but it's not very nice..
Catch a cold.
I know it sounds strange, but during the "pre-cold" gestation period, when the viruses are sneaking through my body and the antibodies are mustering to the general call-up, my brain goes into some sort of sideways area. At the time I don't realise I'm coming down with a cold, that makes itself obvious about three days later, but during the build-up I suspect there's a great deal of chemical action going on internally and that's what triggers my "creative" period.
Don't recommend it as a general cure for artistic block, tho.

I agree with the "don't try and push it" advice given above.
A method I sometimes try when in a blocked situation is do something else entirely that I also enjoy. Go out and take photographs. Wander around the town centre. Chat with people. Go birdwatching. (Those are not suggestions for you, they're things I do.)

I also agree with Pakled's suggestion of playing with words, sometimes I notice a phrase and suddenly see it in a different light (a classic example of this is the phrase "Time Flies", which can be taken in several different ways, including using a stop watch as the flies negotiate an obstacle course)...

Cheers,
Diolma

(Who is currently trying to throw off a cold..)

I think my biggest problem right now is why I try to work on something, I get distracted either by my wife or 2 year old son.

This weekend I went through my "hunny do this" list and got it knocked out till the spring. So my wife cannot say I didn't do this or that. As for my son, think this will be a hard weekend for me due to he is getting is tonsils out this Thursday and will need constant attention. I hope he sleeps allot this weekend.

I did find something to inspire me and I did start work on it but as I said ... distractions.

This may be slightly OT but what I find works for me both with photography and my amateur Poser work is whenever I get an idea for an image I write it down on a scratch-pad document I keep with me on my memory stick. I know this sounds simple but I find that ideas pop into my head at the strangest times and in the strangest places. It can be while i'm working on something in Poser or in a meeeting or presentation, etc.

I go for longish periods where I have no inspiration but I find that when I get one idea a few more usually follow in quick succession. My scratch document has about 25 ideas I have not started on yet with poser and it grows all the time. I weed out the ones that were probably good at the time but suck on reflection and that keeps the list at a respectable size. :biggrin:

I am new to 3D rendering, but had creative blocks while working on my novels :(
Writer's block is terrible... mostly not because I lack ideas, more because I can't get it down on the virtual paper. It's like glued tight and too stubborn to get out.

If I have creative blocks in whatever appearance, I usually play computer games, read a good book, play Dungeons & Dragons Online... do something in the household (stuff I should have done long ago laughs), turn my garden upside down or simply chat with friends who share common interests and loosen up the creative-knot.

I didn't mention listening to music, since I listen to music all the time as soon as I sit at my computer, which is 80 % of my wake time... at work and at home.

Forcing the knot to open itself is very often a forlorn undertaking. Tried that and failed each time.