Trying to make it before it's too late.

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Hi, I'm in need of some advice and I wasn't sure which forum to pick, so I took my chances with this one.

I'm an 18 year old student and I have a moderate form of social anxiety. My passion is 3d art which I have been practicing for over 3 years now. I am not skilled enough to be hired at a game company (which is really hard in the industry), but I do believe I am skilled enough to create my own game of a minimum quality that is acceptable.
Now the reason I mentioned that I have SA is because I am doing my education solely for the reason I don't have to start working and get stuck in the system, where I just know I won't be happy which is all I really want to be. 3d art can be learned in (expensive) schools but just as easily at home. It's a self-taught thing if you are persistent enough.
I'm trying to start earning money with my own projects. Even if it's a very little amount. I believe once I start earning I am past the hardest part and I can build from that and increase the amount. Which means I can quit school (once I finished the current one so I have a basic certificate as a backup) and really spend all my time on improving my skills. If I failed earning money at the end of this school I just have to go to another school by lending money from the government until I reach success.

Problem is, it's hard to keep going in this environment. People tell me I should just get a job like everyone else. Then they enforce their statement with things like: "How will you provide for yourself in the future?", "We all have to go to work, just deal with it.", making me even more anxious. It's also hard coping with the fact that I will start earning money years from now, while my friends are earning decent money right now. I know that's completely my decision and it will pay off eventually but still it's hard.

Am I wrong with this way of thinking? I am losing my mind while all I want to do is work on my projects with a clear and happy mind not letting any negativity through. It's clearly affecting my performance, making me doubt myself, my future and increasing the negativity. Like an infinite circle.

I don't really have a question, just looking forward to your insight and advice on this matter. As myself being the only person to think like this, I'm not sure if my thinking is completely skewed and I'm dreaming of the impossible.

Thanks!

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Type: Discussion • Score: 5 • Views: 876 • Replies: 10

@Unrealskies,

Let's start with the basics.

At age 18, unless you've got a terminal illness where you won't reach age 19, is not "too late" for anything. Chill out.
Of course you aren't skilled enough to be hired yet. You're still in High School or college. Again, chill out.
Does creating a minimal quality game help you get a job in the future? I have no idea. It might. It's certainly a reasonable exercise, and you will probably learn a lot from doing it. So go ahead, no one's stopping you.
Don't knock school. You'll likely get other perspectives and the chance to work with equipment you probably can't afford. Making contacts is often one of the most if not the most important part of school. Seriously. School is, in part, to help you develop a network in order to be hired in the future.
I'll repeat that. Go to school not just to learn, but to meet people in your industry. Staying at home and teaching yourself is probably fueling your social anxiety but it's not helping you to network. And you'll need to do that even if you work for yourself until the day you die. Why? Because you can't do everything (nobody can; even people who are in business for themselves need to network with suppliers, accountants, sales people, etc.).
Do not quit school. It is hard to go back. I say this as someone who is in the process of being back.
Please do not mistake your talent or your dreams for a market. I have worked in the startup scene, and it generally sucks. Think you're going to make enough to live on? 80% of businesses fail within the first 18 months. Don't just take my word for it - this is according to Forbes - http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericwagner/2013/09/12/five-reasons-8-out-of-10-businesses-fail/
You honestly think you're going to be able to market if you've got social anxiety? I don't mean to be harsh, but you have to be hustling every damned day when you're in business for yourself. No degree, and just a certificate? One mediocre app in your portfolio? Do you see where I'm going with this? I'm sorry - I know you have dreams and I don't mean to crush them but you really do need to think about this, and I don't think you really have thought it through.
Taking out a loan as your fallback position is not a good fallback position at all. Lots of people have college debt. How many? Let's go back and look at Forbes again - http://www.forbes.com/sites/specialfeatures/2013/08/07/how-the-college-debt-is-crippling-students-parents-and-the-economy/ They say $1.2 trillion (with a T). Debt can hobble you for decades. Please do not look at it as a panacea.

What's a better fallback? A degree. US News and World Report says the difference in income between degree holders and none is $17,500 more for degree holders, per annum. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/02/11/study-income-gap-between-young-college-and-high-school-grads-widens

The good news is, it tends to not matter much what the degree is in.

Go to school. It can be regular old art school, by the way. Even without using the equipment all the time, you'll still meet people and you'll learn helpful art basics.

I also suggest school (which I recognize is not for everyone, but at the same time, it should not be just tossed aside) because you may find your chosen field doesn't exist in 5 years, 10 years, 20. You say that's impossible? When I was in High School, being a typist was something you could do for a living. So was a key punch operator. You may think I'm a dinosaur for admitting this, but 20 years ago a pretty decent summer job was to work in a video store.

2 Replies

@jespah,

Wow Jes I'm genuinely impressed

Also I for one much appreciate the profile, they're so very rare. I'd guess for some reason most a2k'ers are paranoid about ID

1 Reply

Jespah
A very good and well thought thru advise. It could not be better.

0 Replies

@jespah,

First of all, thanks for the fast reply.

I might have chosen the wrong word for certificate, English is not my first language. I meant degree. Only shows I should stay in school for a while longer Wink

I completely agree with you on the fact that school brings contacts and it has been a big motivator to finish school.
I don't think the game industry will cease to exist in my lifetime, as two years ago it made twice the profit the film industry did.
https://www.quora.com/Who-makes-more-money-Hollywood-or-the-video-game-industry
Even if my own business fails, by then it shouldn't be too hard landing a job in the industry. By that time I have spent a lot of free time on my skills + I finished one or multiple 3d schools.
I guess I'm just way too stressed and I really need to chill out, thanks for the advice, very helpful.

1 Reply

@dalehileman,

Dalehileman
In social skills one thing is not polite and that is to shorten everybodys name all the time.

2 Replies

@Unrealskies,

My pleasure. Smile

I'm sure the game industry will exist. It's huge. But the means you are looking at to break into it might not exist later. There was a time when Pong was the apex of gaming, another time when Pac-Man was, another time when Wolfenstein was.

I wish you the best of luck in your studies. One place where you can network, also, is at fandom conventions. Even if you don't care about, say, Star Trek or Supernatural, there are often people in the field or in adjunct fields, and you may be able to make connections that way.

You don't need to have a crappy job as a fallback, but having an education, particularly in art (so you can develop your eye for design), should help you no matter what.

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@saab,

Quote:

to shorten everybodys name all the time

Well then Saab, maybe just some of the time

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@dalehileman,

Be careful
Robert Taylor I do not want to see as Bob Tail

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@dalehileman,

So you say. Again

0 Replies

@saab,

saab wrote:

In social skills one thing is not polite and that is to shorten everybodys name all the time.

You're very right. An individual who does so, is said to be "Loose as a Goose".

0 Replies

Trying to make it before it's too late.

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