How to get over impostor syndrome (for creatives)

Today we are doing a deep dive into my own personal struggle with impostor syndrome and some tips to overcome it. This happens to a LOT of artists, you are not alone if you are feeling it at the moment.
impostor syndrome is defined as: the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own efforts or skills.
not fun! but many creatives go through this, here is my experience with it and some advice I hope helps many other artists and creatives out there!
My past video on feeling like a failure: • STOP Feeling like a fa...
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About me: I am an Lead Lighting Artist who has been working in the game industry for 13 years at studios such as Ubisoft, EA, Relic, Capcom and United Front. I have worked on games like FarCry 4, Watch Dogs 2, Splinter Cell, Sleeping Dogs and Spacemarine. Currently working on Godfall (PS5)

[@peterallely5417]

Miss your content dude, would love to learn more from you but I get this must take a bunch of your time to produce. Hope you're good.

[@PolygonAcademy]

thanks so much! i miss making it haha havent had much time lately, but will try and get back on my grind soon! happy to hear ppl are eager for more ;)

[@kineticraptor3318]

one of the best advices for impostor syndrome and burnout i've ever heard was from matt rhodes who said to "just do some other shit". Go hiking, pick up a different hobby, connect with your friends/family, even picking up a side job could help.

[@PolygonAcademy]

yup definitley, for me its travel/scuba diving/riding motorbikes etc, something to change up the scenery and stir the ol' brain a bit, I always come back refreshed and ready to tackle something new

[@Ascherrit]

Thank you a lot for this video Tim. "If you're uncomfortable you're probably learning" it gives a lot of hope =D

[@PolygonAcademy]

The words i live by haha. Thanks for watching!

[@Ascherrit]

​@@PolygonAcademy Ahah, I am actually in that position and hearing what you've say gives me strenght. Thanks a lot to the artist that allow you to share your conversation. =)

[@sat.chid.ananda]

Damn, this couldnt have had a better timing, i'm starting at a big studio next week and this impostor syndrome was giving me a hard time, thanks for this

[@PolygonAcademy]

you're welcome, hope it helps! good luck, I am sure you will kick some ass!

[@aaeriam]

I just wanted to say thank you for the video :) For a lot of artists like myself out there that are just trying to learn enough to be able to qualify for that junior position, I think we're aware that imposter syndrome is a thing but it's hard to fight off the negativity that it invites. It's like you know that you shouldn't beat yourself up too hard but during the moment of self-doubt, you just feel like you can't help it and it can really tear down your mentality. I finished a mentorship at the end of 2019 feeling really strong and confident in my texturing and substance designer skills but as I started to work on more complex materials and couldn't land the shapes or composition that I really wanted. The imposter syndrome set in hard after multiple failed projects and despite trying to power through it and keep working on my stuff, I ended up burning myself out and having no motivation to work on anything at all. I want to stress how important it is to have a hobby or something other than games and art as a game artist, especially as a fallback when you're struggling and need to take a break. I know it probably feels like you're wasting time at first because you could be working on stuff but your mindset, your mental health, and ultimately your art will be better of for it in the long run.

[@PolygonAcademy]

thanks so much for sharing your story. It sounds like you developed some high level self awareness around the way you work in terms of avoiding burnout moving forward, which is amazing! its a shame you hit the burnout phase tho, but yea, having hobbies and stuff outside of pressure filled advancement is critical :)

[@DomAnt2]

"keep grinding out the revisions until you're on track" - that's what scares me. Sometimes it feels like there isn't enough time to!

[@PolygonAcademy]

Realizing there is no huge rush helped me. Long term 10 year goals and plans. Try to enjoy the process as much as possible so long projects are not too scary

[@WilliamThompsonJ]

I recently found this channel and I'm new to 3D game dev. I learned so much more from your channel than other things I've found and tried to do for the past 10 years as a 2D hobby game maker. I watched every video and loved everything I've learned from you. I can only hope to see more content in your channel in the future and I would love to be the excuse you use to continue. Thank you for everything, it's amazing and so much useful info.

[@PolygonAcademy]

thanks for the kind words and for watching, so glad it helped! I will resurrect the channel soon hopefully :D got some plans in the works!

[@jacksonsmith8860]

I don’t usually comment on youtube but I must ask, please continue making these excellent videos. Very much appreciate you sharing your knowledge. You’re content is as good as it gets, thank you!

[@PolygonAcademy]

thanks for the love :) I am planning a bunch of new videos for the new year, this is a long term project for me that will definitely continue! thanks for watching, I am happy to hear you enjoy the content!

[@ArtofWEZ]

What gets me to feel imposter syndrome is when someone actually much younger than you with less practice is pulling off better work than vets lol.

[@PolygonAcademy]

Hahaha this does happen, but age is pretty irrelevant in the long run :)

[@vasilmilchev9362]

Since I am pretty new, what gets me is when I see someone that has started at the same time as me, is self taught as me, doesn't have a formal art education as me and is doing things that 80 lvl. did an article on and has a job at a big studio. I recently came across a person like that and man .... it hit me hard.

[@blueexe9999]

for me i think the younger generation should always accel given the advancement to everything. That should be a good thing :)

[@fernandaz3227]

I didn't know it had a name, that feeling of never being good enough. I struggle with that a lot. Knowing that is a common thing and that it has a clinical name it makes it more...I don't know....real (?), and more manageable. It's like " I'm not the only one feeling this way" Thank you so much for this video, awesome channel!!

[@NeonFraction]

I’m starting my first environment artist job next week, and really needed to hear this. People tell me I’m good at art, but they used to say that about my old art too (which I now look upon with horror). Hopefully I can take your advice and just keep moving forward!

[@PolygonAcademy]

Awesome! Congrats on the first job! Im sure you will crush it! Enjoy the experience! 🔥

[@khorrorps2674]

7 months later… how did it go at the new job?

[@OmarEfr]

Please keep making videos, I feel super identified with you, I just found my first job in Vancouver and you helped me a lot

[@Pixelon_]

Didn't even know this was a thing, thank you for this explains a lot. I never had a real reason why I dropped out of uni and i feel this imposter syndrome contributed towards it :/

[@spaceman2202]

Hey Poly, im a 16 year old whos wanted to work as an environment artist since i walked out of the first cave in Skyrim and saw the massive mountains and forests with the structures of Bleak Falls Barrow peeking over the treetops. There isnt much "Workflow" videos on youtube for environment art, or just tips or tricks that i can find except your channel. I cant wait until you come back and continue to teach us.

[@PolygonAcademy]

Cheers! Glad you are enjoying the channel, ill be back soon :) that moment in skyrim is certainly awesome 💪

[@whyismynametaken123]

A few years ago I joined a small startup studio working on a semi-funded mod for a game + some experimental stuff for the game that we were making the mod for. I got "hired" based on a very, very small discussion with one of the more experienced people, but there was no art test nor did they really know the right questions to ask due to their lack of experience. Essentially I think they thought I was way more capable than I actually was. This was a mix of impostor syndrome and legit tasks that I purely was not capable of doing. I made a very good impression early on and helped them figure out a lot of tech problems that no one else could figure out so I got a LOT of praise. As time went on I kept getting tasked with things that I either wasn't capable of doing / figuring out or things that I legit had zero interest in (refurbishing acquired assets from ue4's marketplace) and eventually I quit the startup due to both lack of interest and also the pressure of not having time to figure out the things that I wasn't capable of doing or having issues dealing with people who also did not know what they were doing (custom models w/ textures were thrown at me, but the baked textures were not baked properly and we could not properly connect to fix the issues). This left me at a point where I was completely frustrated and burnt out and stopped doing any game dev for a long time. I still occasionally mess around with substance designer because it's still super fun at times, but the other day I opened up ue4 and really struggled to do a simple blueprint even though in the past i was rather proficient in that area. TLDR: I failed and burnt out hard now I'm struggling to not only get back into both what I knew and since forgot, but also the passion for learning what I don't know. I used to geek out super hard when learning new things :(

[@DBGajzen]

Great vid, I started my first job in games a few months ago and had troubles with it for a little while, once I got used to working there I started to see my own potential again and the doubt went away. Starting a new job is always a big impact in life so having faith in yourself and giving it some time will fix a lot

[@MarieCool888]

Hi Tim ! First off, I'm glad you're back on KZbin ! I look up to you a lot, as a student who is going to graduate very soon and enter the industry (next year !!) I'm also in Montreal so I guess you're a big role model for me haha ! I watched your trim sheet tutorials and your Feudal Artstation challenge and I learned so much ! So thank you for taking the time to make those videos, it's very much appreciated and I share your videos a lot ! I think I'm slowly becoming the impostor syndrome itself hahaha ! As a uni student, I see better people all the time. I work really hard to better my skills, but I never seem to be satisfied with what I make (which means I learn hahaha). I just feel so overwhelmed about all the different things to learn concerning environment art. I also feel like this comes from the lack of ressources available to learn. Oftentimes, the teachers can't really help with specific problems, and a thousand internet searches don't seem to make it either ^^' Good news is, I finally decided that I had enough ! I am currently creating a wiki to put all the tutorials, troubleshooting and good practices at the same place, and I'm going to share it with everyone at my university. I think it's also going to help with the solidarity, so I'm really excited about this project ! Can't wait for the next videos, I think I almost reached the burnout this year by participating in the Ubisoft contest, definitely need some tips from someone who has an idea of what they're doing hahaha ! I'll share this to my fellow classmates ! Congrats on the new post by the way !

[@felixgagne7002]

Im in the same boat here.That’s a great idea to put all your resources into a wiki pages, my steal that for my fellow BDEB peeps :)

[@ctfan]

I feel mine is quite the opposite. I tend to hang out with rather experienced veterans. I get so used to them being around that I start to feel that I'm on the same level as them,and then I start to neglect my own work . But then when it's time to show my own work,I get really anxious about it. I get more anxious when they say it looks good and I'm in the middle of "are you sure?" and "yeah right". I think this whole lockdown has made me center myself cause I talk to very few people during. Thanks for clarifying the meaning of impostor syndrome there by the way.

[@Arxontas10]

Hey! i know you are probably busy with work and stuff, i hope you are doing well. I will be waiting patiently for the next video whenever it comes out cause all your videos are masterclasses! Cheers!

[@PolygonAcademy]

thanks man! yea I am eager to get back at it asap, been dragging my feet lately and I think getting back into the swing of things with a new video would help! appreciate the love :)

[@Hall00117]

Hey Tim I just wanted to say I really appreciate your advice in this video! I was just offered a job as an environment artist at a new studio in Iceland ( I live in the US currently) and I've been super worried I won't be able to live up to the standards they expect from me. Hearing that somebody as skilled as you has gone through these same worries has really helped calm the worries so I guess I just wanted to say thanks and I'm looking forward to more videos from you in the future!

[@Helgrind44]

I hope you come back buddy, your videos are amazing and very useful. It's a very unique kind of content on KZbin.

[@ficoreloj]

This video is just so timely. In fact, I've been feeling exactly these same things you discussed without even knowing what exactly this feeling is. Especially, I've been involved in doing tasks that are just completely outside my area of expertise though I am aware it will open so many doors for me. But majority of the time, i just cant help but feel intimidated by it. Plus with the pandemic and all, it just exacerbates this whole feeling. Hearing this just truly brought a wave of assurance in myself. Thank you good sir for this video! I really needed to hear this.

[@viratith9944]

Thank you for this video. It's comforting to hear that!

[@PolygonAcademy]

You’re welcome!

[@lorenaignjatovicivanovic8195]

Impostor syndrome, depression and burnout ? Hell yeah, where have you been all my life XD Thank you so much for sharing your story and tips, I've been battling with this syndrome for my whole life, it kinda makes it easier when you see that those who we aspire to become can deal with these thoughts too. I''ll definitely pull this video out often when my mind hits me hard. Specially the "If you're uncomfortable you're probably learning" quote. p.s Awesome tattoo Mr.47

[@naprimerjenya5158]

man, i just take a look at this vid right in time. i got my first gamestudio job as 3d junior, interviewed 2 times and made an test asset for them, and still think from time to time, that i'am not worth this. its a self-sabotage, and its so irrational. Thnx, for your vid, its raise me up a bit from depth of impostor syndrome))

[@Weeartbook]

Been looking forward to this one! Definitely helped put things into perspective. Thanks for this Tim!

[@PolygonAcademy]

awesome! hope it was worth the wait haha. happy to help!

[@ZephrusPrime]

Great to see you back Tim. Excellent subject to get started with!

[@PolygonAcademy]

thanks! feels good to be uploading again!

[@Spag_Zonkman]

As a junior artist struggling to find ground anywhere in this industry, I've been dealing with this a lot lately and have been feeling like a pretty epic failure. I am mentally and emotionally exhausted at this point, and sometimes I'm convinced that, despite all the work I've put into it, I will never be good enough, so why even bother anymore? But then I watch videos like this and I suddenly find the strength to keep fighting, and keep growing. Thank you for the heavy dose of hope and positivity, you are truly a gem of a human!

[@PolygonAcademy]

cheers! I am glad the video helped you out :) it can certainly be tough at times, just knowing others go through it as well was a big eye opener for me, made me feel less like i might be a werdio! although at this point I dont think there is any stopping that :P hahah

[@hakametal]

If you're putting the work in, you've got nothing to feel ashamed of. All you can control is how you turn up. Focus on the process and try to enjoy the grind. Every one of us has been there. I also recommend reading The War of Art, it will help you understand this mindset.

[@ivanortegacalamar7312]

Hey dude, love this video. Many thanks for all your advices here.

[@PolygonAcademy]

My pleasure! sorry for the late reply, but thanks for watching and I hope it helped you out!

[@victortomassanchezcarnero9329]

I've been in a bit of a down mood for a while and mentally punishing myself by questioning my work and my skills as a 3D artist. After a few years practicing, I've even thought about quitting and taking up any other job. These kinds of videos are very inspiring and make me want to keep on improving. Thank you so much for your advices, Tim.

[@PolygonAcademy]

You’re welcome victor! Hope they help in some small way. Everyone questions their skills at some point, sometimes its ok to take a bit of a chill period of time and then when you are recharged, hit the gas hard again and crush it 💪

[@Elliott3D]

You are the man, switching from focuses like I am. This helps a lot. Thanks for the tips you have been giving me. I am sure that you are helping amateurs and pros alike. Keep it up!!

[@luckyKumar-ur9xh]

I am fighting from this about a week its hard but i know i will get through it Thanks Tim :)

[@PolygonAcademy]

you got this! keep at it :)

[@spinomcar21]

Thank you for this, Tim! It gave me motivation to finish my current personal project. Can't wait for your videos! More power to you!

[@PolygonAcademy]

Cheers bud! Happy to hear that :)

[@ArtofLincolnHughes]

Huge issue for artists.. good call on the video man

[@PolygonAcademy]

Thanks bud, and thanks for your support throughout the years when my mind goes on the fritz

[@Jen-kv6hw]

Thank you so much Tim! To hear that someone with so much experience goes through this as well is insanely helpful. I'm in my final semester at school, working toward my first studio job and will definitely re-watch this video before I go into any new experiences/jobs. Really appreciate your input and that you take the time to talk about this kind of thing. :)

[@PolygonAcademy]

Awesome! Thanks for watching :)

[@Marcryzk1]

Thank you so much for this video, I personally feel this way because I run into so many problems just trying to get through an environment and I'm graduating from 3D art school next semester, but man I feel like I don't belong I have issues with such basic things, like how it takes me forever just to figure out how I can get the scaling right when making a 3D scene from a concept. I just can't figure out where to start in Unreal to even begin getting that scale right and it really gives me that impostor syndrome sometimes, to struggle with something so basic.. People do it so easily like the blocking is extremely simple and you just put it together but for me it takes forever just having to guess what the scale is and do I place my camera first or what to do really. Went on a bit of a rant but anyways, thank you for this video it helped a lot🙂

[@andynguyen2084]

Awesome video Tim, thanks for the info and welcome back! Can't wait you have planned next!

[@PolygonAcademy]

thanks for watching andy, feels good to be back at it! was procrastinating for far too long :)

[@andynguyen2084]

@@PolygonAcademy Story of my life! Haha

[@charlyros]

Watching your videos has actually been a huge boost to my own confidence in my own work, as I see a lot of the techniques you talk about I often use. (I work in a small company as a 3d artist but have no-one above me to learn from so just sort of go for it and hope it's all ok.) It's nice to know you're going in the right direction as the professionals. Just gotta get on and make that portfolio sparkle!

[@ChristenSmith604]

I just now found this video, but thank you so much. I myself am an Environment Artist and struggle with this even now, after 5 years.

[@mikewake1024]

Hi Tim for the last 3 to 4 month I am struggling with the impostor syndrome. My partner and I are working on our first game. For over a year I put alot work into the game while still having a full time job. My partner just finished studying and will join in now much more and help me with alot. Still, the more I read into things related to gaming I feel like I know nothing at all. That is hard an so some day I get nothing done. That makes it even harder for me. The thing is though, I am not willing to give up. I want this to become my full time job. Well, just my little story. I really like your content and it helped to get to know the business a bit more. Thank you for your time. Michael

[@PolygonAcademy]

hey dude! thanks so much for sharing your story! thats really ambitious and inspiring to hear you are keeping going despite it being hard. My biggest advice when tackling a big project like that, focus on something small and master it, then move onto the next smallest task etc, before you know it looking back you will have a snowball effect where you have achieved a lot! thanks for watching :)

[@mikewake1024]

@@PolygonAcademy Thank you for your response Tim. I will take that to heart. The best of luck at your new job.

[@toxicsludge77]

Awesome vid again Tim, I suffer from this immensely! Taking your tips onboard so I can push tthrough, and looking forward to your next video!

[@PolygonAcademy]

ToxicSludge thanks! Gonna get the other 2 out soon!

[@wobb819]

What a great topic ! Such a nice talk. This is something everybody will go through more than once in their lives. Thanks for being so well spoken and show that even experienced and adavanced artists like you feel that way from time to time. You're the best !

[@PolygonAcademy]

Appreciate the love! Thanks for watching!

[@emmanuelebiondi_3dart]

so useful and so true .. awesome dude

[@AkumaAshe]

I just wanna say thank you so much for this video! It gives me so much relief to know I'm not the only one out there who has these feelings because they really don't teach you these things at all when growing up in school.

[@PolygonAcademy]

you're welcome, thanks for taking the time to watch and comment!

[@lcabilo]

OOH I was looking for you :D Glad to see you back!

[@PolygonAcademy]

Lucas Cabiló cheers! Happy people are excited for more! It’s been too long since my last video haha

[@trekull-]

Welcome back, Tim! I think it's very cool that you bring such mindset issues to light. Good luck with the ps5 game, looking forward to it!

[@Alaby]

Thats awesome that you were at WB for some time! I live in Montreal now... And I am going through this at the moment. I worked at an animation studio for 4 years (2 as texture, 2 as lighting), and I am trying to transition into the game industry. I have been unemployed since May of last year... and the replies I get from companies is always "we are looking for more senior people". I consider myself a mid level artist, but studios consider me Junior. It is a bit frustrating as I have 4 years of working experience.. And I study game engines on my own time, and I have also made some demos in Unreal. I want to focus on Environment art, so I took a CGMA course, but I have applied with that, and still no luck. I am finding it is really competitive in Montreal. I am making a sci fi environment at the moment, in Unreal, so hopefully when that is out it will turn out better... Thank you for the videos

[@adamplechaty]

Great timing as always, Tim. Just bombed hard in an art competition that might have landed me an internship or at least get me noticed, which left me feeling the last two years of effort have been in vain. Your video brought on some moist in my eyes even, but the end was so positive it actually helped me pick myself up and get going again. Cheers!

[@PolygonAcademy]

ouff that sucks man, but good to hear you are gonna dust yourself off and rock it for another set! you got this :) appreciate you sharing the heartfelt story!

[@Shpuld]

you really are a gift, I only make games as a hobby and I'm not primarily an artist, but I'm still getting a lot of value and information out of everything you make! especially topics like this are useful no matter what your profession is

[@PolygonAcademy]

Awesome! Glad to hear my videos are useful to more than hardcore game art ppl! Thanks for watching

[@furlerer]

Awesome post as always! Love your videos that focus on mental health, personal development etc. I'm turning 30 later this year, but only started 3D properly in 2016 after hating life working at an internet company. Even though I'm working full time as a tech artist now, I definitely live with a lot of impostor feelings, so it's helpful to see it being talked about openly. Your previous videos have helped me manage my mental health a lot too (especially about the age thing), so a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart!! Also - perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I kinda miss the chilled out ambient beats that used to be in the BG of your earlier videos 😉

[@quockhanhlk]

Thank you very much for this video, it helps me a lot ! and the timing is kinda perfect. I'm currently working on my first contracted work for a high profile game company as a (unknown) freelance artist. I'm still in the middle of it and i can not believe how hard this is. The self doubt and negative thoughts have been there from the start. But hey, maybe its as you said, maybe they pick me for a reason, now is not the time to give up. Thank you !

[@PolygonAcademy]

yup dont give up! thats awesome, congrats on the gig. flip the mindset: imagine how boring life would be if everything was super easy the first time!

[@deanpountain59]

You've hit so much on this that I can take away and apply to myself. I tend to find this comes up more when im looking at job openings (as I'm still hoping to get that first art role), and I just remember all the rejections and failed art tests and I doubt myself and look away, as I see all these fantastic artists and beat myself up to much. But whenever I hear more people going through this, and how it definitely helps ground me and give me a little shake. Thanks as always for the great vid dude :D

[@PolygonAcademy]

Dean Pountain you are very welcome! Best of luck on your art grind bud! Keep at it 💪

[@deanpountain59]

@@PolygonAcademy Means a lot to hear this dude, again thanks :D

[@domen8666]

Everyone hits a wall on occasion. Even people in the industry (I've been in concept art for about 6 years now). A nice art career isn't just for the geniuses or incredibly talented people, but also for normal people like us. If you love it and are willing to put in the work, you'll get there guaranteed. I've found that a good work ethic is sometimes just as important (or more) to a studio than raw results, so keep at it and you'll get in eventually.

[@PolygonAcademy]

@3rd Way yup :) www.artstation.com/pixelmasher

[@angiemon897]

@@PolygonAcademy and you think you're not "good enough"? are you insane? (I know that's basically the point you were making with this video, still wanted ti point it out ^^)

[@dougieladd]

Thank god you're still alive Tim :) :)

[@PolygonAcademy]

Haha yup! Was just taking a break :)

[@Blastphemer]

Whenever you try something and you feel you dont get the achievements you desire, it is best to take a break and start from a completely different perspective because you have obviously chosen the wrong path and missing out things you currently dont pay attention to

[@scarabrae]

Compassionate video - cool. Thanks for being honest.

[@teodorivanov7405]

Tim is back at it!!

[@PolygonAcademy]

you know it :D

[@dez8506]

OMG I can't tell you how happy I'am that ur back uploading!!!

[@PolygonAcademy]

Its been a while! But lots more to come :)

[@dez8506]

@@PolygonAcademy Your videos help me and other people so much, Thanks so much :)

[@talaalhabashi1243]

I used to be confident in my art. But so far I feel like I can’t draw. I have this feeling inside of me the same kind of feeling you have when your guilty. Whenever I look at other people’s art i loose confidence. Art is my passion and I really want to draw, but I feel like I don’t know how. I really want to overcome it but I don’t know how. Their is a profesh artist that I really look up to but whenever I try to draw like him I feel like it’s fake, and that I’m just copying and don’t know how to draw like them. It even feels like I have anxiety it just won’t go away. Thank you for this video I feel like it helped me but I don’t quite know we’re to start, or how I should go through this.

[@sebastianrivera9122]

Hope you come back making videos, it’s amazing content and extremely helpful. Thank you so much

[@quentindonnaint1138]

Great video, it's nice to see someone talking about those things, as a junior artist I totally agree about "pushing my work to the end", there always a moment during the production I'm like "it's not good as I was imagining, I can't show that thing". Especially on Art station when there is a ton of awesome piece of art share every day. So in conclusion, I've got so many unfinished projects on my computer, but seeing this video is a good motivation. I don't know if you ever think about create a Polygon Academy Discord where people could help each other with their projects.

[@georgestabon984]

Great video this helps alot

[@PolygonAcademy]

awesome, thats what I like to hear :D

[@flaviodcardoso]

Great video. I'm struggling now switching from VFX to Videogames and trying to fill up those gaps in the workflow.. sometimes I really feel like you said. Taking my time now to build up new portfolio and taking my time to create somthing well done before jumping back on job applications. I guess it was hard for me to take that coming from top VFX studio means nothing in the wildlands of videogame industry. So as you said.. time learn, dont get drowned, keep learning and pushing.. and kind of start over if I really want to swtich to a new industry. Great content of yours. Cheers mate.

[@vn2025]

Oh Tim where are you, we need more content! :D It'd be amazing to hear your in depth insights about level design and greyboxing...just a wish. Or about pretty much anything game related.

[@PolygonAcademy]

Cheers! Ive just been busy haha, i have a video on greyboxing on the channel, episode 2 of the art station challenge series i think, but will try and make more videos soon enough!

[@vn2025]

@@PolygonAcademy Yes, I know that episode, but like a deeper insight into the subject... although level design and environment art are basically different professions(?)

[@mfrancisco_850]

I think I'm in love with you man this is gold 🥇

[@speedfreakpsycho]

Oh man I am a huge fan of your channel. Recently been thinking about this issue exactly. Needed someone to review my thesis work in unreal, and after like 5 days of back and forth I just didn't have courage to ask you :(

[@Zkay360]

Holy fuck I could not relate more. Thanks for all the cheering comments and sharing your experience, you really helped me out a lot

[@hossienasadi7063]

Thanks a lot dear Tim, I think I have this Syndrome some how when I watch art of The Naughty Dogs Studio artist or some other cool studio. You mention good point for that, and I'll be all of them.

[@theodoreharris9557]

Hey man, love your content, are you going to make more videos? would love to see more workflow tips/tricks, i know there are 100s of different ways to approach making game assets, would be nice to get more in depth thought process when making an asset

[@PolygonAcademy]

yup plenty more videos to come, just super busy at work at the moment so no spare time, but that will wrap up soon :)

[@ammonn9930]

Thx so much for helping^^

[@PolygonAcademy]

You’re welcome :)

[@DaiZRB]

I left the game industry and realized I don't want to make games as much as I want to play them. But I still appreciate your videos man, great insight in general. Ps: I'm a freelance editor and producer now

[@PolygonAcademy]

Thats great you had the self awareness to make that call. I keep telling students to think about that same thing all the time! There is no right answer, just whats right for you :) thanks for watching!

[@DaiZRB]

@@PolygonAcademy I definitely use the knowledge in 3d which I got from my experience in game design to my benefit in my line of work to make graphics and such. Of course man, your content and experience are useful even if I'm no longer in the game design field anymore. Keep it up!

[@vaanian6610]

Tim Where did you go? your, tutorials are gold! ive learned more about environment modeling and level design then most other channels i have seen out there if you have any paid tutorials out there i would definitely buy into them!

[@hamzariaz4690]

Welcome back king 🤴

[@PolygonAcademy]

Cheers! Glad to be back :)

[@hamzariaz4690]

Coming back after imposter syndrome creeps in again , thanks again Tim :)

[@hypersapien]

I'm trying to get into the game industry after 13 years working as an environment artist in arch viz. Almost every game industry job has a requirement of "X amount of years working in the game industry", and I'm really worried about my experience not being counted for anything. I know I won't be eligible for a senior position, but I also hope that the skills I've developed for over a decade count for something...

[@Aussie.Owlcoholic]

Awesome tips here! I've had those thoughts so many times, not so much my peers being better than me (generally no other artists) but I feel like what I produce comes too easily if that makes sense? Like I hear people praising my work for game mods and in my head I'm thinking that it wasn't much work, like I just extruded some shapes or armour or whatever I'm making. It's a weird feeling, like I feel like what I'm doing isn't worthy of praise and I don't know how to respond to the praise then. I'm glad I'm not the only one, this will reply help me in the future I think :) PS. Still working on a course? Can't wait to buy it!

[@Fengtos]

Such a coincidence , I sort of had a conflict because of this at my current job. Very good video

[@PolygonAcademy]

Thanks, hope it helped a bit!

[@remon563]

I feel this to the core. Even though I managed to get a killer portfolio I feel just overwhelmed with my lack of experience. It does not help that the quality bar is really darn high. Consistency, I suck at it xD

[@PolygonAcademy]

*looks at the time since my last video* yea, consistency is something i struggle with too haha. just keep at it with a long term perspective, you wont notice improvements as they happen, but looking back over the last couple years, i am sure the difference is shocking.

[@remon563]

@@PolygonAcademy a year went by.. and your totally right mate. I spent the last year diving deep into technical/environment art and it is finally paying off. Hope all is well on your side and looking forward to future videos.

[@i-anc.262]

It's damn reassuring to hear that even someone with a decade of experience in their pocket still can feel insecure.

[@PolygonAcademy]

Happens all the time! A lot of people wont admit it but its a widespread issue :)

[@mattdonlan7745]

I'm a dinosaur in the field of 3D. I've been doing arch viz work and design work since 97 (you do the math :-). I've owned studios, run teams, been a freelancer for years at a time and i STILL feel imposter Syndrome when I start a new business or relationship with a client. I actually enjoy it because it keeps me humble and helps me realize there's always more to learn. That fear is what will push you to continue to grow and improve. It's a life-long process. Great video. Spot on!

[@PolygonAcademy]

@@mattdonlan7745 cheers! thanks for the in depth insight!

[@TLKMewthreeWarrior]

I’ve needed to get this off my chest for a long time now. I am a university student and I am close to graduating (December 2020). I am studying animation at a state school in the Midwest. This school’s animation department is small and relatively new and takes a generalist approach, which is supposed to let students figure out which part of the animation pipeline they connect with and want to pursue. I learned that I have a particular passion for character modeling. However, the fact that my school is like this now makes me feel like I don’t know enough and am not good enough as a character modeler for any actual position in the film industry. I just started learning to use ZBrush back in January. I don't trust my classmates who tell me I'm really good at it and I don't trust the professors who tell me I'm on the right path. I don't think I am. I don't think any of the extra classes I've taken for resume-building experience are actually going to be useful to me. I haven't learned enough. I see professional work everywhere and wonder how on earth I could ever have a chance when that must be what would be expected of me. Like some other people have said, I also feel like I have a time limit because I’ve seen that many internships require applicants still be undergrads or recent graduates. I’ve connected ‘getting a serious internship’ with ‘having a real chance at a career’ in my head. I’m scared that because I’m not from a big fancy art school and because I’m behind in technical knowledge and probably also behind in raw skill that I won’t be able to get anywhere with this.

[@ogamov]

Tim is a zen ! :)

[@neals2955]

Hey, thanks for making this video, It has helped a lot with my own experience :) By the way I just wanted to ask how u got that amazing wood texture for your torii gates for your enviroment challenge. Did u use a smart material or something :) If u can help that would be amazing!! Keep up the awesome work!!!!!!

[@PolygonAcademy]

awesome glad you liked it! the wood texture was sculped in zbrush and then used a peeling paint wood smart material i found online and tweaked

[@neals2955]

@@PolygonAcademy thanks so much for replying so quickly!! Can't wait for ur next video, they are really helping us :) Keep it up

[@likskirtspleetscreen]

The bricklayer fu*ed up the wall seam behind you.

[@PolygonAcademy]

hahaha yea the building that apartment was in was an old factory converted to condos, very montreal style, so the building itself is probably about 70 years old atleast :P

[@likskirtspleetscreen]

No worries Man, the problem is me, I’m seeing textures everywhere

[@erickh555]

Hi Tim! i know that you are very active in your comments, i wanted to ask you if you can make a trim AND modular building COMBINED like how to use trims in modular buildings and how to get uvs nice and clean. hope you and your close ones are doing fine in this times!

[@PolygonAcademy]

yea I am thinking of making a gumroad mini tutorial on advanced trimsheet techniques that will be used in this coming console gen, and will include a bunch of stuff on modular kit creation in there as well.

[@erickh555]

@@PolygonAcademy our boi just got premium, jkjk will buy day one

[@SuWoopSparrow]

The reason that this is so prevalent in the video game industry is that most "artists" are imposters. Video game artists run in circles trying to make things "look good" without thinking about what they are communicating through their work beyond the topical level. Art isn't about making things look good. By focusing so much on aesthetic and so little on philosophy, you end up with idiotic design decisions based on "oh, lets do this because its /cool/!" As a result, most successes end up the result of happy accidents rather than intentional, thoughtful, meticulous decision making. So then, how is an artist supposed to believe that success is deserved or legitimately achieved?

[@skyguy6247]

Been going through imposter syndrome for about 6 months now and im really trying to stay on top of my art i love it but its just so hard

[@patrykkowalewski8616]

For me the worst thought is that if i’m doing something wrong and the other guy next to me is nailing his stuff at the company then i don’t feel like i deserve the money i got for this time at work. I mean i’ll take it :D but the thought that it’s not fair and i don’t deserve it just doesn’t want to leave me alone :/ like why do i deserve to be paid for doing something wrong that is not going to be used in game... i mean i know that failure is part of the process but... it’s just hard

[@claymore2038]

We miss you

[@perfectacetales808]

Tim , i’m still waiting for that in-depth environment tutorial you talked about a while ago 😕😥

[@PolygonAcademy]

yea its on my to do list, probably after shipping the game im currently working on, the recent move to environment art director has meant very little free time at the moment unfortunately :P

[@UnFyKilianZ]

@@PolygonAcademy can't wait for it! :) All environment tutorials/courses are welcome.

[@TheUnseenDragon]

Man I'm definitely feeling this right now! I'm in my second year at Uni, currently trying to create a Saxon settlement for my coursework, but as I look up tutorials and find all these new terms that i've never heard about, I feel that i'm sinking lower and lower into a pit where companies will glimpse over my application for placement/internships as I realise I don't have an up to date workflow for modern games. It also doesn't help that I feel a bit burn't out right now, as in Jan I rushed out this competition piece in 15 days (yeah i left it really late to start it) and I forced myself to sit at my PC continuously working on it. :) (hehe here's a sneaky link - www.artstation.com/artwork/aRxQAz) hopefully this feeling passes soon lol! Love your videos dude so helpful! Perhaps you could also post an in-depth tutorial on foliage and using cards effectively in scenes as I find this section of environment art a bit vague online! :) Cheers!

[@jirimasak7483]

so much true.

[@jakelongartist]

Hey Tim, do you plan to put out any videos in the nearby future? I really enjoyed watching the others! Hope you've been well :)

[@PolygonAcademy]

yup, as soon as i have more time, now that godfall has shipped I am planning lots more content :)

[@jakelongartist]

@@PolygonAcademy Great, looking forward to it!

[@Aussie.Owlcoholic]

Hope all is well brother, Ould love to see some more videos soon though I'm sure you're busy elsewhere at the moment. Perhaps the Udemy course you've thought about in the past? :P

[@Kane3D]

This is me constantly.. people have told me I've come a really long way since I started in September but I just constantly feel like I'm not good and that I should just quit. It sucks a lot.

[@PolygonAcademy]

if they haven't fired you you are doing a good job! haha but seriously, improvement comes slowly over years, if people are telling you they have noticedyou growing in skills over the last 6 months you must be doing something really well! keep it up!

[@Kane3D]

Polygon Academy this means a lot from you! Thank you for that boost

[@azilie]

I feel like there's an aspect to imposter syndrome that is 'taught', after a fashion. When I was growing up, art was the thing I lived and breathed. Making characters, comics, whatever, if it could be put to paper, I was trying it. I could get all the 'these drawings are great' from friends and teachers, but the words of approval I was looking for from my parents never came. My mother would take one look at my work and just.. trash it. 'This is worthless. You aren't going to go anywhere with this kind of crap'. And my dad was helplessly silent because my mom was verbally and mentally abusive. That negativity was the kind of thing I grew up with my entire life, and it made it incredibly hard to look at anything I created and say 'hell yes, this looks good, this is something to be proud of'. I can only see what I make and hear my mothers words. And its this constant battle now of ignoring it, trying to not compare my work to other peoples. I'm almost 30, and I'm still struggling to find the confidence to just get into the industry. With two degrees, I can't stop hesitating. And it kills me because of this imposter syndrome and confidence failure bullshit.

[@PolygonAcademy]

thanks for sharing something so personal, i bet a bunch of other artists are suffering from similar situations and are feeling alone. That really sucks that you didnt have that high level support from the people that matter most. My biggest piece of advice would be to let go of that resentment if possible, might take time, and then focus on becoming successful at what you love, in spite of them, not to spite them. You deserve it for you, not to impress them. You brought up another good point: your friends! Find supportive communities of artists that will help you grow, and keep people in your friend group and social circle who raise you up, get rid of the crabs in the bucket who drag you back down. I really hope this helps in some small way, and you can push through and crush it this year 💪 thanks again for sharing!

[@kayjay6345]

ahh i need more videos plz

[@valentinepavliuchenko7309]

It also doesn't help when the bar is set very high and there is no way to lower it, just to reach it or go bust. My goal is to get a job with relocation assistance to somewhere nice, like Europe or Canada or the UK (you get the idea). And to get that, well, you need to be a real badass. And I kinda suck, apparently, heh. Trying to get better, but several years and hundreds of rejections later, well, still not enough. Doesn't help that my work doesn't really contribute to my skills (mobile gaming, boo!) and having to sit down to do personal stuff after 8+ hours at work is not easy, to put it mildly. Oh well, keep banging my head against that wall, I suppose, until either of them breaks X-D

[@vfxart1994]

last video 8 months ago...where did you go :(

[@PolygonAcademy]

been busy shipping godfall, will be back soon ;)

[@milantiquestudios7460]

Look at your past work and compare it to your present work. Then ask yourself if you don't deserve what you got.

[@PolygonAcademy]

Yup :)

[@Marcos_____]

Any chance for come back ? I am quite interested to hear more about the stuff you mentioned at the end of the video... burn out / depression things.

[@TheGrinchStoleIt]

I just posted my first Work on artstation. One part of this I'm suffering with, I don't even know what I should put in my "About" on artstation so iv left it blank. everyone else has so much experience that feels like my experience is not worth talking about. idk if that makes since. or that it would hinder my opportunity in some way.

[@PolygonAcademy]

Hey congrats on that first post! Its a big step and takes some courage to put yourself out there :) in your about just put some stuff about you and what you are passionate about, your favorite games etc, and add to it as you get more experience under your belt, just give some context about you! It wont hinder you, just go for it and dont overthink it :)

[@TheGrinchStoleIt]

@@PolygonAcademy hey thanks! doing it now :)

[@luisanthonyfamador5633]

Tips on what to learn on artists that take this path...like learn gray boxing first...learn modeling next... etc. I'm kinda stuck what is the sequence to learn