An AR Walking Teapot Video and a Few Thoughts on Personal Art Projects

Hey there!

I'd love to show you this walking teapot video I made last week!??

(Yay, cute teapot)?

I am super happy to share this small video with you and it's for several reasons. If you decide to read on - prepare yourself for a medium long, poorly written, semi-inspiring LinkedIn article.?

I haven't shared a personal project on any of my social media channels since I guess 2019. Why, really? Because I just didn't have time after work? Because I don't have a good setup at home for rendering? Because there are only 24 hours in a day? Maybe. But the main reason was something else.

It all started with a bad teamwork experience that took quite a bit out of me mentally. The worst part was that I felt like I had somehow lost my connection to my creativity because of that experience. For a few months, I felt like that source of creativity that had always been there was now just a black void. I tried to be patient and have faith that it would come back with time. The good news is: It did.?

A year passed, and I started having some random, little ideas again. But having an idea is one thing, you also have to start working on it, right?! Here's the bad news: I couldn't bring myself to start working on it. Instead, I got extremely good at finding excuses why I shouldn't start. Because I mean, if the idea is bad anyway, and my execution is likely to be even worse, why should I even start? If you don't start, you can't fail!?

I was well aware of what I was doing there in my head and how stupid it was. So I tried to get advice from my friends. I tried making a to-do list (so it would be like a task at work, because work was still going well). But I just couldn't break the cycle, I was too good at making excuses.?

So last week when I was watching the Renderman A&SF stream and the AR Walking Teapot Challenge was announced, I happened to have an idea. Show a day in the life of the Walking Teapot by building a little miniature world and doing a day/night lighting change. That would be so cool!?

I knew I basically only had one evening to work on this project. Maybe 4 hours + the number of hours of sleep I would be willing to sacrifice. Since the time frame for building everything was so tight, there was no time to overthink, no time to second guess and tbh - if I failed, I would have only wasted a few hours on it.?

Long story short. I started. And it turned out to be SO MUCH FUN!!! Shortly after I turned our living room into a creative mess, my boyfriend wanted to join in and helped cut out some shapes :D We had a great time.?

5.5 hours, a nearly melted iPhone7 and 3 glued together fingers later, I had my entry for the challenge ready!?

DANG, THAT FELT SO GOOD!?

So what's the takeaway? Of course, I'm still my biggest critic and I could give myself an endless list of notes on what I could have done better. But it's a finished project! The spell of not starting has been broken! And what did the trick? I guess it was the short time frame and the next day deadline. I didn't commit to spending 80+ days working on the most ambitious piece of art the internet has ever seen. I just took an evening to do something I enjoy.?

If you too are struggling with starting a personal project, I just want you to know that you are not alone and that it can be done - even if it takes a while to get there <3??

To top off this story: The Renderman team liked the video too and I actually won the challenge.?????

EDIT: removed broken vimeo link