Loss of motivation?

**Guest** Guest

Anyone ever experienced periods of working on a costume, and just thinking "ARGH! [shoves into a corner and walks away]" or general shunning of? gonk

How do you personally overcome these periods of extreme frustration/boredom/apathy & get back to happy & bouncy sewing? What motivates you?

By sakuramiyabi. 29/01/09, 11:23 am

lol i leave it and procrastinate and then freak out when the event is nearer lol typically ... trying not to do that i usually take a break and not think of it for a while and then start again =3

By **Auroa**. 29/01/09, 11:27 am

Heh, thats where I am right now.
After working on Charmander so hard I really can't be bothered with any more cosplays at the moment stare

which is bad cause I REALLY need to start them, whatever they are.

For me I think its like anything else, if I'm working on it too much I can sick of it and need a break (at the moment this break is like a couple of weeks. oO;)

Iunno maybe just do a little bit at a time, or keep thinking how awesome it'll be when its finished to motivate you more... hms I dunno :think:

By Rolly. 29/01/09, 11:36 am

I suggest you take a break. Sometimes the break is long~
"Cosplay costume making burnout" I suppose. Go do something else, cool off, and think how nice it'll be when you finish the costume and wear it. :3
Otherwise, I would space out my working sessions so I don't get frustrated. Remember, procrastination is the most evil enemy of a costume! I prefer to think of it that way. ;D

**Guest** Guest

when i get like that i start on something new so far iv gone from Kaguya outfit to V.V. cape to Yoko weapon to Jenny outfit to Kaguya outfit to Jenny weapon to Haseo weapon dont know why im not cosplaying him tell AG << at the mo im doing nothing XD

By Rikashiku. 29/01/09, 01:12 pm

You can stop on the one your frustrated making and make different one til you get frustrated over that and then go back to it. :)

Thas what i do, thats why i dont have any pics :) that, and i suck sad

Its more fun doing multiple stuff at the same time. Like taking a poo while eating.....not that ive dunnit.....*shifty eyes*

By Rolly. 29/01/09, 01:24 pm

B3rry, I totally love your avvy. XD

Another method: finish up for that day and take a rest. Resume working on it the next day or the day after. But don't procrastinate! I sooooooooo leanrrd my lesson. DX
I now try to aim to do a little bit every night or whenever possible.

That reminds me I still need to get some interfacing when I go back to NZ.

By firecat70. 29/01/09, 01:56 pm

I lose motivation all the time -__- So many half finished costumes.

What I finds helps is printing out several pictures of the costume and sticking them around the house (I would have one on my wall, one in my bag, some on the table) then when I see it I get guilt/remember about the costume and it helps me to get back on the motivation train.

By Kelchup. 29/01/09, 02:53 pm

When I am unmotivated.. I set a date to go to a fellow cosplayers house to work on cosplays, then go do something else :3

By Cassiel. 11/02/09, 02:57 am

x3 I so know what you're talking about. But I've found that leaving whatever you're ready to pull your hair out and coming back to it a week later can often be a good way to gain motivation.

Case in point: While I was working on my keyblade I was about to scream. It took so long and all I saw were flaws. I shoved it in my closet for a week, then came back to it and I looked at it and thought "Woah, I made that?"

Keeping some distance from a project helps tremendously.

Or alternately you could just leave it until crunch time. I've found that you'll be -amazed- at whatyou can create when the con is a week away ;D

By kyokyogirl. 11/02/09, 10:01 am

Oh yes this happen to me. I'll often go weeks without doing any sewing at all, then have a sudden sewing frenzy XD

Knowing I need the costume for an event will get me going; also watching anime or drawing the characters will get me going.
Sometimes when I stop sewing for a period of time it's because I'm stuck on how to make a particular piece. So I brain storm for a few weeks lol.

By Kelchup. 11/02/09, 01:33 pm

At the moment I am doing so much at school and other things I have just left my Sakura hat sitting on the couch as a huge wire mess.

I really cannot be bothered making it x_x

By neimhaille. 11/02/09, 03:00 pm

No idea if it works for anyone else but I find doing a small project or a project that is simple really helps me get motivated again. I've been procrastinating and stalling some costumes for years, at least three in some cases... and have finally found the motivation to do them again.
Firstly I had a health scare and then a whole lot of other people have had hard times and the costumes I've been stalling on would be for a group known for doing hospital visits and such.
Secondly I started with the smallest element of one (a hat) and managed to do it in a day (well a few hours in one day anyway) and that made me feel pretty good. Good enough to tackle a style I haven't before (modern suit making) and I have been really happy working on the project since.

So doing something that gives me back confidence and joy of the process is my main motivator.

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