Works in progress

[arbhor]

I would appreciate insights and comments on sharing works in progress that anyone might have. If there's interest, I also invite sharing any in-progress creative works you are comfortable showing off: I would love seeing (or otherwise experiencing) what people are up to!

I frequently struggle finishing my creative projects and waffle on whether or not it is useful/attractive to share it in a partial state. Sharing my sketchbooks and getting encouragement on unrealized projects has been really helpful. On the other end, I think the mental strategy of treating everything like it can be reworked later hasn't been an effective mental strategy in the way I've been using it. Either as a producer or a consumer, what are your thoughts?

[amos]

I've severely limited sharing in-process works or honestly even talking much about in-process works for the simple reason that it gives me a similar kind of satisfaction as actually sharing the finished work. That satisfaction genuinely makes me complacent because I feel like I've communicated what I wanted to communicate, so I intentionally avoid the satisfaction to keep the engine running. I think posting WIPs is a really standard part of the rhythm for visual artists making a living on the internet but for me it's dangerous.

It's different when the work is being shared among peers for specific feedback/critique though.

[evanonline]

I've always been a big proponent of showing off WIPs, because I really enjoy feedback and seeing how people respond to certain things. It helps me keep myself from being precious with my work. I used to fall into this death spiral where I was afraid of showing off things I was working on because I hated the idea of something unpolished being seen, but then I'd get all sad because I was tricking myself into thinking, "no one cares... no one cares about what I make at all...!! no one's excited!!!!!" Sharing progress knocks that out of my mind.

As I've become more confident & secure in my art, though, I'm starting to see the value in keeping things private again, though. It's really, really fun to go,, "Surprise! I've actually been working on this project and you can see my fully formed, finalized idea NOW!!"

I think the way I'm going to try and split the difference going forward is to post extremely vague and meaningless teases of things I'm making.

Case in point: Here is a picture of something I'm making in GB Studio. It's barely anything right now and I'm not going to elaborate!! But I AM making something!!