Why 90% of 3D Artists Give Up

In india the life or vfx artist is not so good, day night work not proper office timing , no proper salary and the name of we are artsit max studios fools us and they just treat artists like
slave and its reality

Firstly, this advice is the only advice I can recall where it feels directly applicable to me, as I am, for where I'm aiming.

Secondly, the rest of this comment is personal reasons for why your advice is so meaningful to me. Feel free to skip.

People have been giving me advice for so many years now. Two years ago I randomly came across a co-worker that had a real interest in 3D art. The moment I realized that (in the middle of a conversation with a stranger), I started stammering and shutting down -- grappling with intense emotions of fear and elation. Just for the small chance of speaking face to face with someone who had some idea about what I love. Before I understood what was happening, I had shut the conversation down. The rest of the day, I kept asking myself why? What I would give to be around people who want to do, or have done, what I want to do. Sorrow that I hadn't felt so... happy?... fulfilled? to be talking with another human being whom I didn't know. Kept going back to that moment in my head, trying to understand why I did that. Why I was so stunned, so happy, so afraid, so sad. How could I reject such a chance without any "no" or "yes" from me? It wasn't a decision. Like I wasn't even in my own body.

Last year I met someone randomly who had been working as a 3d artist for years. So many years! I asked them so many questions. I completely hogged their attention among the group outing almost the whole evening. It passed too fast. If I honestly tried to keep them as a contact, they could run away. My own thoughts sounded insane, & it felt wrong to use a person that way. It's not like I wanted to know them -- just learn from them, talk to them more. Who they were meant nothing to me (probably defense mechanism). My boyfriend later said, "You needed that. Your eyes haven't lit up that way in years." He was right, but I was just trying to keep my tears in.

I realized I'd been starved of creative conversation, starved of input that mattered to me, starved of the simple opportunity to receive advice that felt applicable to me-- to what I was going through, and to what I wanted for my life.

I'd become so used to expecting to feel rejection, criticism, & judgement from people who are well-intentioned, but quite literally don't know what they are talking about. AND of me attempting to understand them, figure out if I was the one who couldn't see. To where any mention of animation, or 3d modeling, or my desires in life -- I brace for impact automatically & had given up on allowing anyone to see that side of me. Going it alone was better than feeling empty. I guess I figured if I could just create an untouchable mental space, only for me, maybe I could last long enough to change my life -- and then at least I could show me, instead of using words.

I'll keep taking steps to come back from that, but I'm not sure what to do with the grief of segmenting the parts of me that keep my blood moving-- and the anger that living in this world brought me to treating that route as necessary for me to survive. Money, energy, time, emotional wellbeing, a sense of connection with others, & the ability to direct your own attention -- these are so regularly taken for granted. If I could teach someone else something I don't know -- it would be how to prevent dissociation when you're struggling to keep your head above water.

Thank you for this video! It comes at a right time for me even 2 years after you posted it. I think my biggest thing is the motivation myth... Do you have a some good tips on how to develop a routine? I feel that I would get so hyped up with a new project and then get overwelmed with the creation of it and adding technical difficulties, I have trouble finishing some of my projects...

My issue is tedious tasks for such a small reward with some models. I want to do lots of props but such simple objects can be so damn tedious. I have ADHD and once my mind is like nope even though I know the workflow it wants to move on.

The guy from the interview, you must be joking!!.. you've seen your friend die right in front of you in Afganistan and was less shaken then after doing courses..

Where do you get a 3D mentor? How does that work?

Sometimes I look at my work and it just doesn't look good. It's not bad, much better than my first few attempts, but still. It's a bummer.

Thanks!

I just don't have the mental capcitiy to learn it all. I just want to sit in a cubical 3D modelling things concept artists send me. However for the last 7 years every job just wants everything. They want you to be a Concept artist, Technical artist, Prop artist, Environment Artist, Level designer, Material/Shader artist, Lighting arist, VFX artist and on some roles even want you to outright program aswell. I can do a lot of these things but doing ALL of them is just too much for me. I can't do all of them and yet 90% of jobs I see its a basic requirment. That's the main issue i've been experience for a long time.

good one

If eminem did 3d, he's be JL Mussi! You guys are a like in style! Its a compliment ;) from a new follower!

Awesome words

You are very kind jlmussi

Hey bro, this video really helped. I'm not much of a guy who writes a comment, but I felt good after watching this video. I was not on a path to give up, but I was really frustrated with the slow process of self-learning. It's sometimes really frustrating to decode the difference between professional art and the art you make. How to make such beautiful art from which we get inspired!! I am on the journey to get all those answers, and one day I will. Till then, keep making such videos where you don't just talk about the technical side of 3D art but the other side that rarely people are talking about.

I personally would chalk it up to abuse from the higher-ups at work and no real passion and/or love for what they're doing, but that's me, I don't know how others work differently.

For instance, I'm barely known, I get little to no appreciation for the art that I create, but I keep doing it because I really enjoy doing it, like music videos out of my own gameplay footage!

Thank you so much for sharing these experiences

Man, the way you speak just like a rapper,

This made me jump back to 3d art, I still have so many questions tho but the problem is I don't know what questions I need to ask, all I know that jumping back to 3d art helped me mentally.

Love this video, I’m just startingg my 3D journey and feel like it’s a lifestyle change that helps me in other areas of my personal life! Such a beautiful art journey to be on

Im learning by my self too, but if you get a mentorship is great because you see thinks in dif way, but dont help a lot if you dont know what r you doing , its sad iknow but it is what it is. Also i a gree not worth it pay som uch money in school, like cgspectrum or other schools. I actually pay vertexschool with mentorship, but like i say doesnt matter if you suck, they can point you 1000 things and still be bad sucker xD. until now i still suck and im shit. But i keep going.

youre the best mussi❣

Has anyone had experience with the cinema 4d course taught in School of Motion

I'm going through everything you talked about , and i feel like i stucked and i thought many times to give up

Hey JL Thanks for the video, Never give up. I always watching your videos, I like your advices & tips, keep the good work up.

In the end i am having a great education but also a nagging about the path i want to chose . I am passionate about everything in the NPR-department . In many cases i now have to pursue the self taught route cause nobody has expertise in it . However the nagging about not to pursue npr because it would be to niche is extremely demotivating . What is also extremely overwhelming is not knowing how high the standards are to even get into the industry. from what i understand it is extremely high but not impossible ... having chosen a niche part will probably leave me not finding a job after the education ends for quite a while... i am stubborn though . knowing this will not stop me from pursuing this path. I am aware that the majority of jobs are in pbr content and less in the npr route but i wanna at least try my best to get in that industry. it's just extremely frustrating to encounter that this route is kinda seen as a taboo for most people to even talk about . Not just that it is also alienating to a point.
what do you suggest people to do when following this path ? and do you maybe know some listing sides to find potential employees other than art station ? Also what is your take about uploading the not so good work to sides like artstation as well ? (i only know artstation to be a good place for 3d ... there is deviantart but i don't think you get taken serious there when uploading content ) Some people i hear say to only upload your best 5 and keep the rest out of it ... and others say that consistency is more important than having good pieces. So you get two very conflicting point of views on how things should be approached. I am currently studying cg and vfx and before that i had no touching ground with anything art related ... i never had art class before starting to study cg and vfx and everything i knew about art was completely self-taught . so when i often compare myself to my classmates ... i feel myself being ... not good enough ... but then again there are some that are just very gifted ... but there is no exchange. with my style of npr i am pretty much an outsider and just mentioning it makes the others cringe. i also do not know of any community where you could exchange with others and learn from each other on this route to it .

Ur special boy❤

I've just graduated and it's extremely difficult trying to find a job. I feel like I've left uni with so many skills but none of them mastered. I really want this, and I hope I can get there.

Making mistakes and I mean a lot of mistakes is what makes anyone confident.

I know there are a lot of people have worst er than me, but its just painful feeling hopeless even you did everything.

This video is absolutely amazing! I’m 3 months into my 3D journey and you are part of my Top5 artists I watch. This video is perfect for all creatives but gets into detail with the 3D speed bumps. Thank you for your videos!

it brings tears to my eyes after listening what that guy had been gone through . I can relate this too, when you have questions but you have no one who can give you the answer :( and this is sad . thanks you so much for sharing this video :)

soon thanks to Ai with just a voice prompt and no modelling lessons a 6 year old will be able to make instantly what you've just spent months of your life on

sir you just give me another hope! from few month im thinking about give up on my life , dont know is it a right place to say but however thank you sir

I don't like long explanations but, thank you anyway

Thanks so much for the video. As someone who didn’t study 3D Design or Game Design, I always ask my self „Am I going to be good enough by learning everything trought yt tutorials or courses?“ „will Someone actually hire me if I just have self taught experience and my portfolio?“ Especially in Germany, where many find it important to have a scholarship. But I’m not giving up, working towards the best portfolio they have ever seen, so i can work at a job that won’t feel like work, by doing what I love.

It was great to hear from someone that did accomplish so much, it’s all possible if u work towards ur goal without giving up !

Heey JL Mussi, Thank you so much for your help and feature here, I really appreciate it. Confidence goes so far in this industry and the phycological help was much needed in that time of my career. So, much love to you and all the aspiring 3D artists here <3

Yes, it looks hard to understand a lot of knowledge as a beginner, and the concept of completing 3D Art is like a dream sometimes. Thanks for inspiring and motivating me.

Nice video... I can relate.. maybe its the instant gratification thats the root cause of everything...

My biggest issue trying to get a job in the game industry are the recruiters. They are the most useless people on earth. The amount of times i ask for feedback and they give me nothing or say something completely irrelevant. It just kills my motivation and makes me think that graduates are screwed

Yeah, this hits home. i'm currently going back to school after giving up a cupel of times.

I still continue to find 3d artist job for almost 2 years. This year will be the last year for me to find 3d job. If I unable to find a 3d job, I guess I have to give up soon.

I cried quite a few times watching your video because this is exactly what Im going through right now. Pursuing a degree in game art as a very artistically inclined individual and not really motivated by anything technical. I'm in my second 3D modeling class and I am just still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that this can all be made in the most perfect way, but I can't figure it out. I feel like once I get it, hopefully it will click for me if I keep at it. I dont want to give up because I have come very far and made some really awesome work. But I will continue to push through and give it all I got at the very least. I know one thing for sure is that I cannot afford to fall behind. If I stay on top of everything and continue learning I believe I will have that breakthrough.

Im getting ready to get automated

Wow. I did not expect a lesson in life. As a 40 year old newbie on 3D i have to thank you. Also this applies to everything not just 3D. Thank you.

Dicslike for sprinkling in your off topic content.
Unwatchable.

Things and other people will get in the way. Other important things. This is why you must build a schedule.

This video came exactly the day I felt very bad, and was about to give up, it helped me a lot. Now i'm watching it again, and I'm recovering and want to continue. Thank you!

My biggest fear is AI. We already have models text to 3d. Yes now it's horrible, but we have example how it's can improve in 2d. I wanna learn 3d but my motivation after this so low.