Boredom itself is not exactly lack of interest it might mean something else.
Perhaps it means that you are bored doing the same thing over again.
Let’s say you create a character, then you create another one, then you consider to create another one, see? If you are determined to do only characters then it seems reasonable, otherwise you feel that you would like to move forward to something else, eg. lighting or texturing.
Or it means that you do not get the results you want
Either by putting unbelievable high goals, or setting too low goals (e.g. making a cube) the feeling would be the same and not rewarding experience. The trick is to set goals exactly to your level plus a little bit increased challenge.
Also boredom might be a way for the brain to chill out and strengthen the skills.
This is some neuroscience theory, that says that actually spending time “offline” not doing something makes you better.
But the bottom line is that your hard drive needs to be filled with organized folders and lots of work.
There is also the aspect of understanding that not all the work in 3d is directly ‘fun’ in a sense… There can be a lot of repetetive tasks, and those ting can be very tiring to do, and also feel really boring… But after i worked with this for so many years, i came to the understanding that generally i like doing 3D, and the boring stuff is also part of that, and actually also very important. The trick is to find ways to stay motivated in spite of that. I’ve been doing 3D for 17, almost 18 years now and i -still- get bored with my tasks sometimes. The ones who will end up with a 3D job, will have to endure though. But also in between the boring stuff comes also the very motivating stuff to do, and those are what you need to use to motivate yourself. At least that is what i do.
And if you should get really bored, so bored you can’t do anything. Then try creating a little side project that is really fun to do, that lifts up the spirit and makes it easier to continue the ‘boring stuff’. At least it does the trick for me…
If I’m bored of 3D I just play some Dark Souls and again have inspiration. Maybe it’s Uncharted for you. Or maybe it’s Avatar. Everyone has their muse. You just have to rediscover them. Or discover new ones.
Maybe simple advice, work structured, and split complex goals into smaller manageable goals.
Splitting up larger problem in smaller ones is essentially what programming is also all about.
And eventually that can endup with programs like Blender… so that’s a powerfull way of doing things.
And keep yourself motivated now that you can get goals done (as they there are more but smaller goals now)
It also helps you with problem solving in general, really handy in life.
One thing that I’ve noticed for me is that I’m less inclined to be creative when I’m looking at what everyone else is doing. It’s like what Const said, “Or it means that you do not get the results you want Either by putting unbelievable high goals…” If you’re looking at all the high standards set by others you will be less inclined to work on your own ideas. Just my .02!
It’s not uncommon to be bored by something even if it’s your passion. What works for me is to make a little break when it gets too much.
You need to get a little bit of pleasure from all of this , that is at last why we do that.
If you’re not ok with doing something completely different (look at film, play some game, do some sport) , maybe you can just watch some tutorials, find new ways of doing things . Or try to start a fresh new project , simplier and different than the one you’re looking after.
I’ve been working with 3D for years , I never missed a deadline but when it comes to personal projects (I’m into animation) I barelly succeed to finish something and that can be a bit depressing. At last I learn a lot even if my project is too ambitious.
Solo game development ,if this is your case - It’s all about breaking barriers…lazyness…lack of motivation…loss of inspiration…everyone has that…you’re not in this alone:)…when I get this I’m googling some screenshots of old games ( playing old games ) or a new games or movies or I’m learning Python and that helped me start my motivation-inspiration
This is ART…many artists stops painting…sculpting for several years but in the end it your way and it would be a shame to let it go…talent won’t let you.
When the project is run by passion (ie does not have to be a trade secret) I believe that many people write WIP-threads or blogs about their projects, getting friends and family (close mourning) and other people with similar interests reading about their project (in the latter group people tend to find online friends who comment each other wip-threads - here of course you’ll loose time reading others threads and commenting on them, but if you are among the group who gets inspiration from seeing other peoples progress as well it might still help you). Also if your endproject is a complete game divide it into smaller subsets of features and (while it will increase the end time to create your big goal) consider each such subset (or smaller project) a goal to help the feeling that you do reach goals and accomplish something. The problem is of course if you have a big project that will take 3-5 years if you ever finish it it can be very nice to feel that you “finished something” in several steps along the way that hopefully at least does not take more than 3-6 months to reach.
Maybe art is simply not for you. The wonderful world of art is the most unappreciated and the most competitive pursuit known to man. And, to actually raise a family and have a home while pursuing it is indeed a feat and not all that common. And, I bring this up because of your lack of enthusiasm for lack of a better word.
Hell, we have talented young people out here who live, breath, and eat art and they will never make it. Make it being a comfortable secure living.
It just occurred to me most pursuits have a well defined path from point A to B. Most college majors have that and all trade apprenticeships have such a path. Not so with art. With art you are simply on your own dear friend. And, anybody and everybody will undercut your talent. From business types to other artist.
However, knowing the Blender Forum maybe I don’t know Jack shit. Then again how many artist do you know with even a modest home in the burbs with three kids.
My youngest daughter carved out a life for herself in insurance. Then able to put food on the table she opened a rather lucrative photography business several years. ago. Chasing a interest she had for many years. She sometimes does ten shoots in a weekend at 400 dollars per shoot in U.S. dollars. Then many times they purchase extra pictures. But, she holds on to her day job which is not dependent on the economy. Thereby insulating herself from the dreaded artist thing. How in the hell are we going to pay the light bill. By the way she has raised three kids and the latest is on the way to college.
As I mentioned we have talented people on this forum who will never turn art into raising a family or a home for that matter. But, your lack of passion might mean a basement hovel if lucky. Maybe pursue something else if bored. One guy suggested enlisting in the military. I can say that will kill your boredom in spades.
At least that is what i do.