Reply To: How does one “create” something?

[Jonathan Gonzalez]

If you feel you’re missing lack of control then build a system to better control how you create something. I’m a compulsive list maker. I write down a list of todos every day and have it on my desk. It’s a way for me to control what I plan to do that day, but more importantly it gets it out of my head and into a logical set of things to accomplish, usually in the order I plan to complete them. 

If you keep it all in your head you’ll go crazy. It’s funny how when you write it down, literally or in some digital format, that these ideas you had in mind really weren’t worth fretting over. They just have a habit of buzzing around and bouncing in your head. 

I don’t consider myself a skilled digital artist, but when it comes to modeling something I typically follow a routine. That involves brainstorming what I’m trying to build, finding reference photos online, then doing quick models in Blender to see it come together. I’m not great at it but it’s a routine I use.

For games it’s a similar process. Brainstorm what I want in the game, everything from how the UI should look, to player mechanics and music. Concept art is sometimes used to sketch out rough ideas for the game, building a game design document to keep track of it all then proceed forward with prototyping. Then go from there. 

Having a system doesn’t mean everything will go smoothly, especially if you’re neurotic about perfection, but it makes it that much easier to organize and move forward.

To address the other issue of feeling like you need to create something completely unique to become an artist, well that’s not really an issue. Everyone gets their creativity from those they admire. The book Steal Like an Artist might be a great book to pick up to alleviate some issues you may have with this.