Day 16 – Pause and Pivot
Pause and Pivot
When it feels like you are getting nowhere and are not getting the results you want, you need to look for the things that are working out. You can pause, reevaluate your given circumstances, and tweak your approach.
Over the past three posts, I have been staring at a brick wall. Some Adobe Substance Painter introduction videos caught my eye and I thought I’d like to learn how to work with that application next. However, I have had some issues finding a way to export a file from Adobe Modeler to Adobe Painter. I have read content and watched videos that suggest you should be able to do that, but I just can’t seem to get it to work.
Focus on What is Working
Identify the positive results that you have had and then focus on those.
So, as I was viewing the files that I exported from Adobe Substance Modler (OBJ, FBX) I noticed that those files were associated with Adobe Substance Stager. Sure enough, when I double-clicked on them they opened in Adobe Stager. The Ocean Volcano Diorama I built came up small and that discouraged me. However, I took a breath paused, and stepped away and when I went to bed last night I asked myself what could my next step be. When I woke up the answer was provided by my subconscious. Look at what you can do in Stager because that is where your files are working. In addition to that I had another idea. I have by no means mastered working in Adobe Substance Modeler and I enjoy working in that. So after I look at how things are opening in Stager and get comfortable with how layers carry over, I could go back and do more advanced builds in Adobe Substance Modeler.
I feel like this second option is my path with heart.
Have you ever heard that phrase? Follow the path with heart? It is something my friends at University used to say. It comes from The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge.
I read this series at a formative time in my life and it had a big impact on how I view learning and knowledge in general. There is a very big emphasis in these books on finding the path with heart or choosing the path that will best serve you. In other words, be clear about what you want to accomplish and then give it your all. Yesterday I made fun of Using the Power of Your Subconscious mind because it sounds like a Pseudoscience book that tells you to take drugs and align your Chakras. (I have nothing against the concept of Chakras, I can do a separate post on those if there is any interest in that.) At any rate, my point is that this book (The Don Juan one) IS about Carlos Castenada’s experiences consuming hallucinogenic Peyote cacti in the deserts of Central America. So, as much as I like these books and enjoy the teachings and perspectives they provide, they are not far from new-age pseudoscience.
Now, for the record I never ate Payote, nor have I taken any mescaline, but the author, Carlos Castaneda did. According to the books, he also drove his car to Central America and spent time with the Brujo, Native American Shamans, or Sorcerers. He spent a good deal of time recording their practices. Although many criticize the books for not being true anthropology, they are still a very interesting read and provide colorful insight into the perspectives and traditions of that part of the world.
OK, so back to why I brought that book up at all. A person of knowledge will follow the path with heart. They will pursue what interests them above all other things. A person of knowledge understands that people don’t learn from hearing other people explain something. If you want to learn about something there is no replacement for first-hand experience. Do you see what I did there? I took some crazy new-age hippy novel written by a charming man who was on cactus, mushrooms, and all sorts of trippy datura roots and I made this about learning, I made it about how to improve yourself. Get out there and try something new. I am not recommending drugs, I am recommending experiences. (Not necessarily drug-related experiences.)
-Improvement Dave
Improvement Dave 