Home Forums The Think Tank Creativity My love-hate relationship with my computer

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 18 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #461972
    benleb
    Default

        Hello everyone,

        Even though I love paint, brushes and canvas, my favourite creative tool is my Macbook Pro. That’s where it all starts for me, using Photoshop to transform photographs into some kind of pop-art, abstract impressionism and minimalistic digital art. I absolutely love creating images this way but resent what comes after: the production part. It all goes downhill from there, as I start uploading my work on sites such as Society6 and Red Bubble, hoping to sell my art printed on various products (art prints, t-shirts, etc.) and build a following. The artwork I create has massive potential but I always give up early in the game, because of the enormous amount of time I have to spend working on the computer.

        Working more that 2-3 hours a day on my computer affects me physically and psychologically, quickly filling my body and mind with stress and anxiety. I had previously worked as a graphic designer for 15 years but had to quit because I couldn’t endure sitting down all day in front of a computer anymore.

        I could produce my artwork using silkscreen or reproducing it on canvas (or wood panels), but I like the freedom of working from a laptop from, basically, everywhere I want to. My goal was to establish myself online and then be a travelling artist.

        Creating from Photoshop has been both a blessing and a curse, I as love the images I create, but have to sacrifice my health to make them available to the public. It’s a repeating circle, where I sit in the morning creating my images, feeling good about it. But then I start uploading them on the websites and the trouble starts… leaving me to quickly quit because of the workload and accumulation of stress.

        I have all these awesome images I have created but may have to keep them for myself. One again, I closed my Society6 account and feel like I have to put my art aside for a while, maybe for good.

        Any advice? Thanks.

        #694575
        La_
        Default

            a standing desk chair might help the physical aspect, but your psych issues are unclear so i can only advise you to not bite off more than you can chew [upload an image a day, five minutes, done].

            la

            _____________________________________________
            When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know Peace

            #694579
            benleb
            Default

                a [URL=https://www.staples.com/standing+desk+chair/directory_standing+desk+chair]standing desk chair[/URL] might help the physical aspect, but your psych issues are unclear so i can only advise you to not bite off more than you can chew [upload an image a day, five minutes, done].

                la

                Thanks for the feedback! I’ve tried working standing up and I like it, allowing me to move (which helps evacuate some of the stress) and do other things when images are saving/uploading. I might also buy a new laptop to get more speed, my 2009 Macbook Pro still going strong but not fast enough when working on 2 GB files.

                #694582
                Mettaphorica
                Default

                    Hey Ben
                    computers are exhausting! They can and do sap the energy out of you. I often find I feel better physically and emotionally and have a better mood on days I stay off the computer or keep it to a minimum.

                    Also 2-3 hours is about the maximum the human brain can sustain intensely focused work; after that performance starts to slide. Combine that with a medium that is, by it’s very nature, exhausting (computers) and you’ve got a double-whammy. I think the anxiety comes partly from trying to override that and keep pushing through.(It happens to me). Computers are also addictive and so they encourage this pushing on until overload.

                    I would suggest making a diary and scheduling 2 hour work sessions or putting limits on yourself. Set an alarm for an hour, have a ten minute break, get away from the puter,give your brain and body a chance to re-set. Set alarm again, come back and do another hour. Then that’s it. Done. Over. Move on to non-computer activity for at least 4 hours. Don’t even check your mail or FB!

                    If you still want to achieve more that day, then schedule another hour or two to do your social media/marketing etc. Bite it off in smaller, manageable chunks. I personally believe that energy management is far more important than time management. This means some days you may only work on uploading and not creating. If an hour is too long, shorten it.

                    I have the same issue with ebay. Whenever I want to sell a bunch of stuff, I don’t mind taking the photos or looking up prices, but cropping and adjusting the images then filling out the ebay form and uploading images really takes it out of me. Yet I don’t mind cropping and adjusting and playing around with filters for an image I love or that is artistic. Yesterday I just put a whole bunch of clothes in a bag to donate because the thought of trying to sell them online again was exhausting. It felt like it was an assault on my psyche to try and sell them again, and I was resenting myself that I was trying to force myself to do this task. So I think also that the exhaustion and overwhelm comes from what looks like a mammoth task ((many images) that is also, well, boring. As the previous poster suggested, you may need to start out posting only 2 or 3 images at a time (see if you can hold them in draft form before having publicly viewed all at once since that is where I suspect the stress is coming from).

                    There is a way around this and you can still achieve your goals, just recognise that you have physical and emotional limits and that you are working with a medium that makes people hit the wall quicker.
                    HTH
                    cheers
                    Donna

                    PS

                    #694580
                    benleb
                    Default

                        Hi Donna, thank you so much for the feeedback. You’ve pretty much nailed what I was trying to explain in my original post.

                        Creating art is very rewarding but producing it is painful… and computer work is indeed addictive. That’s how I’ve been seeing it lately: an addiction. I just can’t put it aside, even though I’m tired and stressed because of it—to the point of anxiety. I’m excited about getting my art out there but keep on pushing on way passed the point of overload. The workload of getting the files ready and uploading on websites mentioned in my original post is astronomous…

                        Computer work affects my mood and others parts of my life, such as my regular job, and even if my art became that “regular job”, I wouldn’t be able to cope with the negative effects of computer work. I would need to put 7-8 hours a day to be able to keep on having a steady income, and it would be the same as when I was working as a graphic designer (finishing my workday full of stress and anxiety).

                        What’s sad is that I was hoping to build this project of selling my images through these websites over the next few years. But I will have to spend almost all my free time working at it, which is not realistic and the price would be too costly to pay, in phisical and psychological health.

                        I think I’m done with using the computer as a working tool, which I’ve been for 25 years, with 15 years as a 40-hours a week job and the rest as a hobby creating art. I don’t think I could create without a computer, since I use my photographs as subjects. But If I decided to work with traditional medias, it would be ok to use it again.

                        Cheers!
                        Ben.

                        #694583
                        Mettaphorica
                        Default

                            Hi Donna, thank you so much for the feeedback. You’ve pretty much nailed what I was trying to explain in my original post.

                            Creating art is very rewarding but producing it is painful… and computer work [I]is[/I] indeed addictive. That’s how I’ve been seeing it lately: an addiction. I just can’t put it aside, even though I’m tired and stressed because of it—[B]to the point of anxiety[/B]. I’m excited about getting my art out there but [B]keep on pushing on way passed the point of overload[/B]. The workload of getting the files ready and uploading on websites mentioned in my original post is astronomous…

                            Computer work affects my mood and others parts of my life, such as my regular job, and even if my art became that “regular job”, I wouldn’t be able to cope with the negative effects of computer work. I would need to put 7-8 hours a day to be able to keep on having a steady income, and it would be the same as when I was working as a graphic designer (finishing my workday full of stress and anxiety).

                            What’s sad is that I was hoping to build this project of selling my images through these websites over the next few years. But I will have to spend almost all my free time working at it, which is not realistic and the price would be too costly to pay, in phisical and psychological health.

                            I think I’m done with using the computer as a working tool, which I’ve been for 25 years, with 15 years as a 40-hours a week job and the rest as a hobby creating art. I don’t think I could create without a computer, since I use my photographs as subjects. But If I decided to work with traditional medias, it would be ok to use it again.

                            Cheers!
                            Ben.

                            Hey Ben

                            Yes, it is addictive and yes, ,I know all too well that feeling of pushing on until it creates tension, anxiety and overload. It’s not worth the suffering. And I agree, a job at the computer all day then art at the computer is too much. I suffer the same thing. I”m not a graphic designer but I started to study it about 3 years ago and one reason (apart from my age) that I decided not to pursue it was the amount of time required in front of the Adobe Suite. If it helps you feel any better, you’re not alone. My husband has a mostly outdoors supervisory job, but every now and then is required to do a bit of computer work. On those days he comes home grouchy and tired and complaining. Not because he dislikes it, but because it saps him. It saps us, it’s just that many people either put up with it or are not as sensitive as us creatives.

                            The only way I’ve been able to overcome it is to set limitations to the time spent. A timer is really useful. What happens to me is I start to ignore the little signs that I’ve had enough and am getting fatigued and push on. Set a timer on your phone and try that. It has the effect of giving you the reassurance of knowing when you can stop.

                            Another suggestion for you if you really want to get your work up is to pay someone to do it…maybe Fiverr or Airtasker or some such? Even if someone else gets some of it done for you, you might find the result is enough to give you the energy to do more. My ex-partner suffered depression and for months he was meant to produce a manual. When his friend started to put the pressure on, I took on the job. After I got it going, my ex then decided he could do it and then took over and finished the job (sadly he refusd to pay me for my portion of the work, but that’s probably why he’s an ex) but anyway, point is, sometimes it’s worthwhile engaging the services of another person to help give you energy and momentum.

                            Your art is unique, it would be a shame to quit

                            Donna

                            #694578
                            StevoJ89
                            Default

                                I hear ya, I bought expensive drawing tablets and software and used to do a lot of digital work.

                                It burned me out I was exhausted from staring at a screen and after a while it just felt souless as I fell into the “speed painting” nonesense and when I showed people something that took hours to make all you get is a “hey that’s nifty” lol

                                Until one day I painted my first real piece with acrylics it was a silly bob ross thing and I enjoyed doing it so much, the feel of the pencil, looking at something not a screen, I GENUINELY enjoyed doing it it was so relaxing and most of all it was “real” I could feel the texture of the paint I could hold this piece of canvas with layered paint on it, it was just a weird feeling that I did this

                                Then as family and friends came over I got more “Hey I really like that! You did that?! from that silly painting of a mountain with a lake than ANY of the most complicated digital pieces ever, it was real, it was tangible and mistakes had to be fixed with care, not a ctrl+Z

                                Anywhoo I’ve not done anything digital in sometime, I’ve moved on to physical art work, it just feels more special, relaxing and unique for me.

                                People can’t just click save, it can’t easily just be copied and printed, it’s unique it’s real and it’s one of a kind.

                                That’s not to say I hate digital painting, I just don’t treasure my digital work nearly as much it’s saved to some drive buried in my pc somewhere…..however I will say good 3D render or photo manipulation work still knocks my socks off hehe :lol:

                                #694587
                                Pthalo White
                                Default

                                    Hello everyone,

                                    Even though I love paint, brushes and canvas, my favourite creative tool is my Macbook Pro. That’s where it all starts for me, using Photoshop to transform photographs into some kind of pop-art, abstract impressionism and minimalistic digital art. I absolutely love creating images this way but resent what comes after: the production part. It all goes downhill from there, as I start uploading my work on sites such as Society6 and Red Bubble, hoping to sell my art printed on various products (art prints, t-shirts, etc.) and build a following. The artwork I create has massive potential but I always give up early in the game, because of the enormous amount of time I have to spend working on the computer.

                                    Working more that 2-3 hours a day on my computer affects me physically and psychologically, quickly filling my body and mind with stress and anxiety. I had previously worked as a graphic designer for 15 years but had to quit because I couldn’t endure sitting down all day in front of a computer anymore.

                                    I could produce my artwork using silkscreen or reproducing it on canvas (or wood panels), but I like the freedom of working from a laptop from, basically, everywhere I want to. My goal was to establish myself online and then be a travelling artist.

                                    Creating from Photoshop has been both a blessing and a curse, I as love the images I create, but have to sacrifice my health to make them available to the public. It’s a repeating circle, where I sit in the morning creating my images, feeling good about it. But then I start uploading them on the websites and the trouble starts… leaving me to quickly quit because of the workload and accumulation of stress.

                                    I have all these awesome images I have created but may have to keep them for myself. One again, I closed my Society6 account and feel like I have to put my art aside for a while, maybe for good.

                                    Any advice? Thanks.

                                    My advice to you is to get off your computer. Presently, I just woke up (it’s 10am here) and while I’m drinking enjoying my coffee, Forrest Gump is on tv, and I’m basically trying to wake up.

                                    In my studio are to-be finished paintings, color charts to finish, and a kazillion to-do’s (gesso this, frame that, etc.) I used to be super addicted to the computer til four years went by, and I had produced nothing but sorrow and regret. I realize that all my life all I’ve wanted to do is play in my studio. Instead I had to put up with horrible low paying jobs, etc. where there was never enough time and life was passing quickly.

                                    But now, I can spend all day here, and if I spend it tapping away on my laptop, than I look at it as self-abuse, because I’m keeping self away from what I most love… painting, and playing in the studio, and playing, and living life.

                                    My advice to you is to get off your computer.

                                    My guess is you’re afraid. And all of us are, you’re not alone. What would happen if you turned off your computer, and realized that, yes, you are alone, there is no connection to the virtual world, and you are indeed on your own. My advice to you is to take courage and find out. Don’t just turn off the computer, but unplug it, put it away from a shelf, just for five minutes. You can always take it out again. But for five minutes, put it away and be alone in your environment without it. I’m giving you free advice. See? You don’t have to go to a support group to get it. There are computer-addiction groups everywhere; it’s not just you.

                                    Addiction to anything is a trap. Best of luck to you.

                                    #694581
                                    benleb
                                    Default

                                        My advice to you is to get off your computer. Presently, I just woke up (it’s 10am here) and while I’m drinking enjoying my coffee, Forrest Gump is on tv, and I’m basically trying to wake up.

                                        In my studio are to-be finished paintings, color charts to finish, and a kazillion to-do’s (gesso this, frame that, etc.) I used to be super addicted to the computer til four years went by, and I had produced nothing but sorrow and regret. I realize that all my life all I’ve wanted to do is play in my studio. Instead I had to put up with horrible low paying jobs, etc. where there was never enough time and life was passing quickly.

                                        But now, I can spend all day here, and if I spend it tapping away on my laptop, than I look at it as self-abuse, because I’m keeping self away from what I most love… painting, and playing in the studio, and playing, and living life.

                                        My advice to you is to get off your computer.

                                        My guess is you’re afraid. And all of us are, you’re not alone. What would happen if you turned off your computer, and realized that, yes, you are alone, there is no connection to the virtual world, and you are indeed on your own. My advice to you is to take courage and find out. Don’t just turn off the computer, but unplug it, put it away from a shelf, just for five minutes. You can always take it out again. But for five minutes, put it away and be alone in your environment without it. I’m giving you free advice. See? You don’t have to go to a support group to get it. There are computer-addiction groups everywhere; it’s not just you.

                                        Addiction to [I]anything[/I] is a trap. Best of luck to you.

                                        Thanks for the feedback.

                                        I am very creative in Photoshop and love digital artwork but it is indeed an addiction because I continue working passed my stress tolerance limit. My intention was/is to eventually be able to live as a digital nomad, so the laptop is the ideal tool.

                                        Everytime I decide to put the digital art aside, I feel very relieved; the stress is no more but I eventually feel the void of not creating art…

                                        I recently picked up the brushes again and started to paint without any stress, creating minimalistic abstract images using black and white only. It is fun, relaxing but very intimidating—and scary—to not rely on a photographic image to create art.

                                        As an art lover and artist (musician, graphic designer), I enjoy a wide array of styles but I am naturally attracted to black and white minimalistic art (Franz Kline, John Virtue, etc.) asian ink calligraphy/art and native art.

                                        Perhaps I should put my digital art images aside again and focus on creating freely using the ink and brushes.

                                        #694576
                                        Use Her Name
                                        Default

                                            The idea of being a travelling artist is great. I have looked into this, and actually have tried to figure out how to do it with my own art, (sculpture) and actually could only do it if I had one of those massive campers and worked on small pieces, then stored the molds afterward at some warehouse where I go often. It is doable through mail and so on. I would probably only want to do it part time though. What is the difference between creating acrylic paintings, waiting for them to dry and then boxing and mailing them somewhere? I suppose your idea of a traveling artist is more of a “cyber-nomad.” But if you are on the web 8 hours a day, what is the point. You are on a chair in front of a computer somewhere. What is the difference between being here, and being there? You know what I mean? Do you drag the trailer 800 miles to a beautiful scenic place where parking the monster costs 80$ per day, or you have to stay in a Walmart parking lot overnight to escape those fees? What is going somewhere if you can’t be “there?”

                                            The only way I can see this really working is if you move somewhere where the cost of living is lower than the US or EU and then you could cut down on your work because you would not need to make as much money. Maybe Costa Rica, Mexico, Indonesia. Become an ex-pat who works on the computer and so is not breaking any working laws. That assumes steady income from whatever source you are getting money from.

                                            Through your writing, I can feel the pain. I think maybe you might try some physical art. See how that makes you feel.

                                            No longer a member of WC. Bye.

                                            #694584
                                            rednova
                                            Default

                                                I have something to say brother.
                                                Many years ago, when i started learning 3d animation on my pc,
                                                I decided to work very hard on my computer everyday, very soon
                                                my wrist felt hurt with carpal tunnel. Needless to say I cut down
                                                my computer time. My wrist is now good. For the last many years
                                                I only work on my computer for animation 40 minutes a day, and
                                                is good enough to be happy and and get my work done.
                                                The last 2 weeks I started spending an extra hour a day to
                                                learn 2d cartoon animation. This is good and I am very happy, I have
                                                enough strength to work every day. The wrist is now good, and I can
                                                work everyday. BTW I use lightwave 3d for cgi animation and

                                                anime studio for cartoon animation.
                                                Hope this helps. Also, every day I spend one or two hours listening
                                                to music and relaxing.
                                                Cheers !!!

                                                rednova

                                                #694577

                                                Hello everyone,

                                                Even though I love paint, brushes and canvas, my favourite creative tool is my Macbook Pro. That’s where it all starts for me, using Photoshop to transform photographs into some kind of pop-art, abstract impressionism and minimalistic digital art. I absolutely love creating images this way but resent what comes after: the production part. It all goes downhill from there, as I start uploading my work on sites such as Society6 and Red Bubble, hoping to sell my art printed on various products (art prints, t-shirts, etc.) and build a following. The artwork I create has massive potential but I always give up early in the game, because of the enormous amount of time I have to spend working on the computer.

                                                Working more that 2-3 hours a day on my computer affects me physically and psychologically, quickly filling my body and mind with stress and anxiety. I had previously worked as a graphic designer for 15 years but had to quit because I couldn’t endure sitting down all day in front of a computer anymore.

                                                I could produce my artwork using silkscreen or reproducing it on canvas (or wood panels), but I like the freedom of working from a laptop from, basically, everywhere I want to. My goal was to establish myself online and then be a travelling artist.

                                                Creating from Photoshop has been both a blessing and a curse, I as love the images I create, but have to sacrifice my health to make them available to the public. It’s a repeating circle, where I sit in the morning creating my images, feeling good about it. But then I start uploading them on the websites and the trouble starts… leaving me to quickly quit because of the workload and accumulation of stress.

                                                I have all these awesome images I have created but may have to keep them for myself. One again, I closed my Society6 account and feel like I have to put my art aside for a while, maybe for good.

                                                Any advice? Thanks.

                                                what I do not get is.. how it takes you more time to upload images to websites than to create it? What you exactly do that is so time consuming?

                                                "no no! You are doing it all wrong, in the internet we are supposed to be stubborn, inflexible and arrogant. One cannot simply be suddenly reasonable and reflexive in the internet, that breaks years of internet tradition as a medium of anger, arrogance, bigotry and self entitlement. Damm these internet newcomers being nice to to others!!!"

                                                "If brute force does not solve your problem, then you are not using enough!"

                                                #694585
                                                Sarah
                                                Default

                                                    I know this wasn’t meant to be a digital vs real medium discussion, but for me computers are too stressful, and there is something about spending hours and hours sitting in front of one creating that feels like my soul is being crushed. I used to do some digital art, both 2D and sculpture. I still enjoy simple photo manipulation. Once I started with pastels I mostly stopped spending time at the computer. It’s main purpose now is to house my reference photos. For me there is something relaxing about working in the physical world. Could be that I am getting old and value the ‘old ways’ more, or that my SO is a computer addict, but I just can’t stand spending hours on a computer anymore. I know that isn’t the OP’s point though. I have always despised everything that comes after the creation of an art piece. Probably because the reason that part has to be done is for money, and for me money is another soul crusher.

                                                    sarahrosefineart.com

                                                    #694586
                                                    picassolite
                                                    Default

                                                        Hi Benleb,

                                                        Just to confirm your hopes and wishes …

                                                        “My goal was to establish myself online and then be a travelling artist.
                                                        Even though I love paint, brushes and canvas, my favourite creative tool is my Macbook Pro.
                                                        I have all these awesome images I have created but may have to keep them for myself.
                                                        But then I start uploading them on the websites and the trouble starts…
                                                        leaving me to quickly quit because of the workload and accumulation of stress.
                                                        Creating from Photoshop has been both a blessing and a curse,
                                                        I as love the images I create, but have to sacrifice my health to make them available to the public.”

                                                        “Any advice? Thanks.”

                                                        —————————

                                                        I won’t give you any flat tires to run on!

                                                        How about painting something once –
                                                        and selling the copies thousands of times.

                                                        How about something you can sink your teeth into –
                                                        without driving yourself up the wall…

                                                        >https://graphicartistsguild.org/contractors-copyright-licensing/

                                                        * Licensing is a 70 billion dollar industry and “Art Licensing” makes up 10% of all licensing. Art licensing is growing everyday with a variety
                                                        of products focused on brands, and identifiable artists being collected by name and style.

                                                        > The art of licensing: how to sell your designs to market
                                                        https://www.creativebloq.com/design/license-your-designs-9134535

                                                        > https://blogjnet.wordpress.com/2013/07/31/20-benefits-of-licensing/

                                                        > https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-business/business-the-art-of-licensing/

                                                        > http://artlawjournal.com/how-to-licensing-your-art-successfully/

                                                        > http://www.laweekly.com/news/if-corporate-america-steals-your-creative-work-these-hipster-lawyers-stop-them-5589472

                                                        * Two Venice lawyers who’ve made a business of championing underdogs in the city’s growing population of creative entrepreneurs: Scott Burroughs,
                                                        36, and Stephen Doniger, 43.

                                                        Burroughs and Doniger have represented artists, designers, photographers, writers and other creatives in more than 1,000 cases in the last
                                                        decade.

                                                        * http://www.artlicensinginfo.com/how-to-understand-art-licensing-contracts/
                                                        ebook-was $87 now is $147
                                                        eBook, “How to Understand Art Licensing Contracts”

                                                        10 artists (& one who chose to remain anonymous) have shared their art licensing contract success stories and words of warning. They include (in
                                                        the order they appear in the book) Khristian Howell • Marty Qatani • Jill Seale • Debbie Mumm • David Billings • Paul Brent • Drew Brophy • Gina
                                                        Linn • Karen Embry • Kate McRostie

                                                        5 attorneys who work in the art licensing field also share their advice and insights in Part 8: Attorney Insights. They are Kyle-Beth Hilfer •

                                                        Sarah Feingold • David Koehser • Rebecca Stroder • Tammy Browning-Smith

                                                        Take time off from your computer and get acquainted with another way to make an exceptional living with art.

                                                        Best regards,
                                                        Picassolite :thumbsup:

                                                        PS– Watch a video on the world’s number one licensed artist.

                                                        I’m just curious … has anyone suggested licensing to you in the past?

                                                        #1315180
                                                        Rachel
                                                        Default

                                                            Personally, I don’t like to paint on any digital devices. I like to do it the traditional way.

                                                             

                                                            ______________________________________________

                                                            Hey guys! Rachel here! I love everything high-end and high-fashion. Recently, I am reading an article about replica handbags in which the author explains how high-quality imitation products are these days. I am surprised by the quality she shows.

                                                          Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 18 total)
                                                          • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.