How do you all deal with burnout with 3D printing? I’ve had zero drive to design anything new and print much of anything.
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I also have this feeling for a while. But recently i start a printing service and people start asking for my service. Doing that helps as you can print customer things that you never print before, able to look at them and enjoy. Also earn some petty cash at the same time. Once motivation kicks in, i start to print my own things more.
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That’s a pretty cool idea! Seeing what other people want would inspire me to come up with ideas.
I experience burnout, anxiety and depression more often than I like to admit.
The one thing that will always help me is helping someone else. Not for money, not for rep, but just to help someone who is not me. Getting out of the negative feedback loop within my isolated brain.
My daughter is now the primary person I help.
She is only 3.5, but has been 3d printing, and working the farm, with me since she was 2. She loves building things and will often pester me to design some accesory or replacement for her toys, or something she imagined. She picks models she want to print, sits with me when doing CAD, and helps run the printer.
The joy and education she receives is rewarding enough for me to push through that initial I just can’t phase. From there I start having fun again.
Before my daughter was born, I volunteered at the local library running different educational opportunities. From 3d printing hands on demos to electronic repair to helping start a seed library.
In my opinion a supportive community is the best perscription for mental health. We are all in this together, we should act that way.
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I’m only a small stuff makerworld designer and I do get the lack of drive as we all have good and bad days. You have a gift that some of us either envy or can only dream of having. Sure at the moment your stuck and I get that and I’ve even gotten frustrated more then I care to admit. Yet your designs have given more then your know to others who can’t. Let me ask this, what gift is it to others to print and enjoy you’d like to design next?
I have wrestled with this in not only printing, but in my miniature painting as well. One thing not everyone will mention is that there needs to be discipline in your drive as well as inspiration. If you discipline yourself to find one small thing to print per day or a small design to create, then when those days of burnout or lack of inspiration/motivation hit you, you have the discipline to continue and keep your self going. It isn’t any different from going to the gym and exercising. In the beginning you are hot and ready to get those gains or lose some pounds, but as the plateaus hit you lose the motivation instead. The discipline gets you past it. Don’t think I don’t still struggle, but the discipline helps.
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Wish I knew what people want. I also used to walk around stores and get ideas, and now, I just see a bunch of junk that will end in landfills and no ideas.
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We could possibly have a rolling design challenge ala monday makes…
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Why not ask? I don’t know about your area, but around here there are a couple 3d print kiosks around. And always some at saturday markets and fairs. I stop to chat with people who are browsing.
I once chatted with a logger and he mentioned a bunch of accesories for his chainsaws that are either not made or insanely expensive. Most would be trivial to design and print. I would never have thought about those things. Ended up making them a few air filter housings/caps in exchange for some tree work.
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This might be cool
@spannmagoo I’m not sure what you’re looking to design next. And here’s my thought…With all the gadgets/tools, which are great. However, most are designed for 2 hands, yet not enough for those of us to use one handed.
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That is really good advice.