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[MekanikDestructiwKommando]

I have a problem with focus and motivation  . I inquire of you, TiGers, how do you focus on a project? What motivates you to finish it? Does the work come alive in your head? Do you feel at one with your art? Do you consider it art or work in your head? A beautiful mixture of both? Do you not think at all, but only "do"?
Techniques, observations, what you feel-when-you're-in-the-zone, please 

[Golds]

Joel Spolsky has written a lot about the state of "flow", which always kind of resonates with me.  His articles are geared towards programmers but I think they probably fit well across a range of creative endeavors.

[ChevyRay]

I go into a zone whenever I work on something, so once I'm started, it's never a problem. The bigger problem is stopping.

BUT, I do have trouble getting started in the first place. I usually get by this by not thinking about any long-term/large goals I have to accomplish, but just with something little. For example, if I have to program some big engine for my game, I instead load up my files and start pixelling small things, or filler items.

This does a couple things:

1) It gets me in the zone, which is important. As soon as my mind is going "GAME, GAME, GAME" with my pulse, then I'm set, and thus unstoppable.

2) It gets small stuff done! There's nothing like having to do all the small stuff at once; it becomes meticulous and bothersome. But you also learn to look for small things to do, and find things that you'd otherwise overlook. For example, you're like: Hmm... I want to pixel something, so I'll add a little animation to my character's "hit" image. NOW, when you get hit, your character has that little extra flair and bug-eyed animation to his action, and it brings your game alive.


I find this works in all sorts of ways, no matter what I'm doing. Just start small, and accelerate from there on. And while you're at it, you're hitting two birds with one stone.


Of course, it's not ALWAYS that simple. But that's my way

[Chris Whitman]

I find drinking something that you only drink while focusing helps: particularly an aromatic drink. I tend to have a glass of scotch or black tea when I'm sitting down to get work done.

[___]

I'm really bad at .... wait what.

[Pixelworship]

I try to avoid listening to Magma, for one thing, and then I kinda drop everything and play Morrowind for a while.

I tried making games before, in both MMF and GM, but I have no patience and no ideas.

[cyber95]

So I opened Firefox and I find a blank Post reply box open, and I haven't been surfing the net for an hour.


What does that tell you about my focus?

[battlerager]

As I am a music guy, its a bit different for me.


But still:
It used to take MONTHS for me to finish a tune. I only continued when "I had thisone idea totally planned out".

Well, now when I'm stuck, I just listen to old unfinihed tunes, eventuelly scavenge some unused parts. Or I tighten up some parts of the song instead of adding new parts. Or, I have a vague idea and instead of topping and thinking about it, I just try that basic idea and build from there.


And if my motivation is low, I just listen to some (other peoples') music.


So, in short:
- Look back at what you have done already
- DONT STOP. Much like ChevyRay said; just work on something else. Something small maybe.
- If you are unsure, just go for it. You will know soon enough if it works or not.
- If motivation is gone, experience other people's games/songs/whatever. At least for me, that immedediately make me go "I want to do that, too."

 

[Inane]

Disable stumbleupon, delete bookmarks, and check the forums less (I'm still working on that last part.)

[Kekskiller]

Getting into it is pretty hard for me. Once I'm at least 50 percent focused on a thing, the rest comes quickly. I reach these 50 percent by preparing my mind for development or creativity - whatever I want to do. For games it means I'm playing all the stuff I just love, where I can see and feel the force in it. After that, I'm playing something I really HATE. It induces me to make things better, because I'm annoyed of big loading times, crashing programs and superfluous senseless gamedesign aspects. And you should avoid listening to music over and over again. At some point in your working flow you'll get a little, two-seconds-long nuisance -> time to stop music, avoid memory lacks!

For Coders: Read The Daily WTF! Awesome for getting in to the mood

Thats all - plus a 5 hour working limit per day (for me).

[Tobasco Panda]

Personally I find that putting on some epic or pumping music (my go-tos are the SotC or Katamari Damacy soundtracks). If that isn't enough I try to start making a list of things that need to be accomplished, preferably on a physical notepad. I find a simple bullet point list is enough, but then I choose one item and start to work out how to implement that feature. Sometimes just getting SOMETHING down and thinking through a problem or something you want to add gives just the right kick in the ass to get going.

After that it is all momentum.




And booze. 

[Ishi]

For short term focus, coffee and my coding playlist (chilled out stuff mixed with super cheesy eurodance). Long term my interest and motivation for a project usually comes and goes, haven't really found a way around that yet. That doesn't apply at work, but there I'm getting paid which is always good motivation.

[Robotacon]

I find that giving yourself a short term goal every day is a great way to keep momentum. Never ever wait for inspiration. Sit down and work! Show people you trust what your working on so you get useful comments but don't rely on feedback to energize your project.

[dmoonfire]

For me, it is a good music (typically techno, high bpm, or great beat) and just break something down into small pieces. Easier to focus when you can just check things off as "2 minutes, done! 4 minutes, done! 15 minutes, got it!"

[Lucaz]

Once I get myself to start something I do it in in a constant rythm. The problem, starting takes a while, like... say... 2-4 months minimun. Also, I can't get any ideas just thinking, they always come suddenly, and I find it hard to move on to another idea woithout doing something with the first one.

That's why I only get myself to work on games for competitions, like right now with the Bootleg Demake.

[Hempuli‽]

I usually create small, unfinished games on after another, and when I find an idea I enjoy by myself, I start working on it. Usually my projects go quite well to the halfway, and then i start losing my interest. I get it back by thinking angry stuff, being on rage and thinking 'now I'll make that game! ROAR!'

[konjak]

When I believe my idea has something fresh to it and/or when the setting and aesthetics feel right and in my interests.

Sometimes I'm not sure what I like...

[Cymon]

Disable stumbleupon, delete bookmarks, and check the forums less (I'm still working on that last part.)

But if you don't check the forum, like twice daily, you end up with 20 pages of new topics to check.

Personally I keep my projects very small so I can finish them and keep telling myself I'm working myself up to something bigger, tho I never am.

[godsavant]

I'll have to go w/ Tobasco, and say 'beer'. 

Beer.

Nothing hard, mind you, just a little lubricant, to loosen up and try new things you would normally avoid.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

I don't really need focus or motivation to get work done. I just do it, regardless of whether I want to, regardless of whether I feel like it or not. It's called self-discipline

Work, and the motivation follows. If you're trying to feel motivated *before* you sit down to work, you're doing it backwards. Motivation automatically arrives when you're working, not the other way around. Motivation is momentum, and you can't get momentum until you start the ball rolling.

The best way to get a large project done is to start it as soon as you wake up, even before you go to the bathroom or eat breakfast, and don't put it down until you go to sleep. You can take breaks, even long ones if need be, but that's all they are, breaks. If you stop working on a large project for a few days, or even for a week, it's as good as dead.