When Life Gets in the way
So I am fustrated. I have a degree in 3D modeling, animation, with specialities in Game desgin, the problem is I currently work as a Customer Service Represenative for a Major Canadian Credit card. 
. In the seven years since I have graduated, I have fought to find time to look for a job in the industry, even thinking of giving up a number of times.
So here is the complications as I see them. One my original demo reel is . . . . rather crapy, due to losing 6mnths of work when a hard drive failed, and lost the backups in the process, and with one month to go to graduation. I needed money asap, so took the first job I could get, cooking. since then I have gotten married, on the assumption that I would get a better job eventually, and then had a daughter. It is now seven years after the graduation (yes in the one month before graduation I pulled together a reel, but was told the fact that I built one in such little time was the only reason I passed), and I am now bitterly sweetly expenting the birth of my son in the next six weeks. I am looking back and realizing that I could have probably had at least a crapy job in the industry if I had taken the time to apply, and so much has changed over the last seven years. I have taken the time to learn zBrush and Mudbox, (neither of wich were taught at the school I went to) and love zBrush now that I am not afraid of the interface. I also realize that I am having a hard time finding the channells that search properly for the avenues for job searches in this industry.
Any suggestions or help is greatly appericated.
Ps I will be posting old work and new work periodically.
. In the seven years since I have graduated, I have fought to find time to look for a job in the industry, even thinking of giving up a number of times.So here is the complications as I see them. One my original demo reel is . . . . rather crapy, due to losing 6mnths of work when a hard drive failed, and lost the backups in the process, and with one month to go to graduation. I needed money asap, so took the first job I could get, cooking. since then I have gotten married, on the assumption that I would get a better job eventually, and then had a daughter. It is now seven years after the graduation (yes in the one month before graduation I pulled together a reel, but was told the fact that I built one in such little time was the only reason I passed), and I am now bitterly sweetly expenting the birth of my son in the next six weeks. I am looking back and realizing that I could have probably had at least a crapy job in the industry if I had taken the time to apply, and so much has changed over the last seven years. I have taken the time to learn zBrush and Mudbox, (neither of wich were taught at the school I went to) and love zBrush now that I am not afraid of the interface. I also realize that I am having a hard time finding the channells that search properly for the avenues for job searches in this industry.
Any suggestions or help is greatly appericated.
Ps I will be posting old work and new work periodically.
Replies
Your never too old, you can still have several children, it doesn't matter at what stage in a previous career you decide to change over. The list goes on. I've seen people do it and know people who have done it.
Just start off with alittle bit at a time and it will gradually grow, both skill and portfolio. All those small props eventually turn into a large fully fleshed out environment etc.
And that adds up to a first freelance gig and those add up more opportunities the more experience you gain etc. Soon you'l be having interviews at one of those studios you admire.
Sure it may not be as easy to pick up and relocate every 6 months as a single 20 some thing, but that doesn't mean being a game artist becomes instantly impossible, life is never black or white and you don't have to live the nomad side of the game art life to have a career in it.
Like I said, make a small amount of time for art, no matter how small it will build up.
Peeps have been in worse situations and still made it through so you can do it too, so make it start here. Cheesy sounding yes but honest.
Move to a city where there are jobs. Rare to do remote work in Canada for established domestic studios cuz provinces wont share tax credit benefits to outsiders even if you're a citizen (but living in a neighboring province).
You can get lucky to get remote work from other countries but if you want consistent income to support your family you'll have to move.
Or teach at a for-profit where your degree might actually mean more than your reel.
If you live in Calgary, there's at least one props making studio that occasionally hires Zbrush artists but you'll have to wait and catch it cuz it's a rare chance.
Just model and model ! dont jump to zbrush or mudbox without having solid anatomy knowledge, i see lots of people doing that without even knowing how to poly model ,and their models look like mushy muddy crap.
@skylebones I know I need to get stuff up but between the three hard drives of stuff I have to wade through to find it all its a daunting task
Saying, "there is no time" is often a cop out.
In 18 months time, I started and helped finish Rise of the Triad while working a full time job in retail while also doing freelance photography and freelance videography. I also bought a house with no realtor, had a child, got married, applied and got a job in california, sold that house without a realtor and moved my family out here.
There is time in the day, you just have to choose what to sacrifice to get there. I knew I would never sacrifice family time. So I had to sacrifice other things. I rarely saw my friends, I slept for no more then 6 hours a night(often 4 to 5) and I played very few videogames. I worked with my wife, then girlfriend, to set aside at LEAST 3 hours a day of 'my' time. It's hard, but if you really want to be in the industry you have to sacrifice.
To this day I still set aside time for myself. My family is asleep by 10-11pm, so I get about 2 to 4 hours a night to better my art or play videogames which means I willfully only sleep 6 hours a night to have this time.
Some food for thought, if you can get your mind and body on a 6 hour a night sleep schedule, you will have been awake for 30 days MORE PER YEAR than those that sleep 8 hours a night. What can you do with that time?
Bill The OCD racoon (fought with the plugin for about an hour)
I have had diversions, sidetracks, etc in life from where I want to go (not just my career in video game art). At the time I didn't understand why I was doing it. But always I can look back and go 'ah I needed to take more time to level up my skills' or 'I'm so grateful for not being in that relationship' etc etc. Just keep at it, put in your 10k hours, and you'll back more resolved in the end.
You need to learn to enjoy the hard times. It makes the good times that much better.
Edit: Also
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