Burnout?

[delguidance]

Hey hi,

I stepped away from world building for a while, and I'm having some trouble getting back into it. In May I was reading up on Köppen's climate classification and mapping rain shadow's. Then June was busy and now it feels like a slog.

Any tips for how to ignite the fires and make map-making fun again?

[Kellerica]

Honestly, in my experience it'll happen when it happens. Manually reigniting inspiration has never worked for me, and in worst-case-scenario forcing myself to do creative work when the timing is wrong, often leads to the burnout being even longer. Mapping just is fun when it is fun, I've never found any specific way to make it fun.

But I don't know, maybe that's just me.

[Azélor]

Working on climates in definitely not the best way to get back into mapping.

[Falconius]

Yeah, don't start bogging your mind down with a bunch of regulations requirements and other things that your maps have to meet before you even start. Just doodle.

However I think the best advice, would be to not worry about the subject matter at all (as in mapping/world building specifically) and every morning just write whatever comes to your mind for 3 pages. Don't worry if it's good, bad, meaningful, important or anything, just let it flow onto the pages. That should help kickstart you if should you choose to bend your mind to world building, or other creative things later on. You can also do this with sketching just sit there and fill up a page of your sketchbook with anything. It's a method used to help shut down your idiotic stupid inner critic for a bit, for many people this inner voice tends to be what halts them from doing things.

[Jaxilon]

I myself like to be inspired when I'm mapping and at times that can be a challenge, especially if I'm not that "into" what I'm working on. So, my advice is to work on something small that you can finish quickly and you would be interested in. Perhaps a deserted island for instance, or a one man space ship. Usually, if I start something small I end up going way beyond after I get rolling. That first line or stroke seems to be the key.

It could also be you need to do something other than mapping. Try going for a hike, or doing something physical. Perhaps you already do that but if not sometimes just do something opposite of sitting and drawing you will find your energy levels get reset.

[Augustinas]

Of course it's different for everyone, but what used to work for me was to draw something ridiculous and not try to be too serious. Don't start with anything too big, just a quick project and and try to draw some fantasy thing that amuses you. If you are not having fun than what's the point.

At least that would work because I draw by hand which gives me freedom to do what I want, I'm not sure if you use some programs for map making or not.

[Greason Wolfe]

I don't so much burnout as I distract myself with too many ideas, or get pulled away from mapping projects by family, medical, or work issues. But I totally get where you are coming from, too much time away from working on a map makes it very difficult to get back into the flow of what I was trying to accomplish.

[Gamerprinter]

Hope to Hell, I don't hit a burnout situation - I do this full time, that would not be good. While I've technically created maps all my life, doing it professionally since 2007, no burnout yet... knock on wood.

[AlexLanfear]

I find watching videos/streams made by other artists is great for getting me in the mood, this is usually general art stuff rather than specifically map drawing, but I imagine it's much the same. Another thing is, if you don't have a deadline, being patient with it and understanding this map could take you a a really long, time. So you just do little bits here and there, slowly building it up. It's not an easy state of mind achieve though ^^ Good luck.

[JoshStolarz]

When I am feeling that slog I turn to inspiration from creative sources outside of map making or worldbuilding. If I focus too much on maps and what other people are doing it may discourage me more than it motivates me. But if I watch a show like Chef's Table on Netflix which creatively tells the story of a chef and really the art behind their cooking...I really feed off their creativity and it inspires my own. It can be music, carving, bonsai, architecture, pretty much anything that requires creativity and motivates me. In fact, it's usually best if it's something I'm not skilled in.

Hope that helps!
- Josh