Ask Adam Savage: Managing Negative Emotions During a Build
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- čas přidán 3. 05. 2021
- Has Adam ever had a build go wrong because he wasn't in the right headspace? Has he ever avoided a project due to a fear of failure? How does Adam overcome creator's block, and did he experience any embarrassing failures at ILM? In this excerpt from our April 20 live stream, Adam answers questions from Tested members Amanda Ryals, C2 Lawson, Vickie Bligh and Lee Marsh relating to failure. Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks, such as asking Adam a question:
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Hi Adam, I think the movie industry needs to hire you, doing great job man
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"I don't necessarily have to feel good in order to proceed".
I call that one "piloting the body". Some days...I just need to pilot my body. Put the food in the eating hole, take it for walks, focus on work until life makes sense again. Glad to know that's an accepted coping method, haha.
yup. i call that my auto-pilot mode
Hi Chris Drysdale and Chris Hernandez, Yep totally agree with both comments and since you guys started it, I to am a Chris ,maybe we need to start a group.
"My emotions can exist in this space and I don't have to respond to them". Poetic. Live long and prosper
I don't really understand the sentiment at all surely your emotions are your response. Maybe he's better at detaching himself from his emotions than I am although watching this channel for a few years suggests otherwise.
@@davidbrennan7422 ok, so it doesn't pertain to you. Personally, just me; I enjoy how he explains the human condition.
Again, it doesn't HAVE to pertain to YOU
@@drockjr No it doesn't have to, I agree. I'm not having a go at you for finding it poetic, I just expressing an opinion, as you did. Adam seems to wear his emotions on his sleeve when he's making, but that might just be how it looks from the outside. And he does seem to be describing a practice, rather than a mastered behavior.
@@davidbrennan7422 that man has seen some shit it’s a reflection of another great story teller robin Williams; you may see him as always happy but when you see his perspective could be much graver. His is a high functioning thinker who’s locked in a box with no one but a camera. Love you savage
It's the essence of Buddhism.
“These are weird things, these minds of ours.” The quotes that come from Adam are second to none.
I know. This man is dropping some serious actual wisdom.
Welp... This spoke right to all sorts of things in my life right now.
I just started watching the channel about a week ago, and I really like this format of Adam doing/talking about stuff alone in the shop. It feels a lot more... interpersonal? It's nice seeing this celebrity from my childhood taken out the highly produced, edited, and sanitized environment of cable television and dropped into the much more candid CZcams medium
cleaning or tidying your hobby area is great because you see all the stuff you'd forgotten about. it's like christmas all over again.
Wow, I needed this video. I'm not a maker, but all the answers still applied to my situation. A thought had passed through my head that left me feeling the strongest amount of distraught I could ever feel. And this seriously happened about two minutes before I noticed this video. I'm applying for college finally. I'm 27 years old, and after several years of dealing and still dealing with a deep dark depression and full dead-stop paralysing anxiety, I figured I needed to do something with my life NOW. The thought that just plagued me was, "What if I'm denied?" And I was just about to spiral into a mental trap, that I always fall into, until I saw this video. I was able to apply Adam's answer to my situation, and that LITERALLY saved me. It's unlikely I'll be denied. But even if I was, I can explore other avenues. I can pick myself up and continue moving and don't go back to being stagnant. I don't need to "feel" anything if I need to just apply to a different college. And I can rely on the resources that other people can provide.
As someone who also delayed going to college due to paralyzing anxiety, (and finally went for similar reasons) I want to wish you luck!
I was in the same boat 2 years ago when I was 28... Stagnating, isolated, bored and depressed, tired of applying for jobs that I hated, feeling like I had wasted my 20s. I came across a college course that really appealed to me, and I just went for it. Now I'm working on my final major project and hopefully go onto do a degree next year.
For me it was like a nothing to lose moment, so I went for it without fear, and I'm so glad I did... I'm confident it was easily the best decision I've ever made. I've found that failure is something you never actually regret, that what you regret is turning down the opportunity, and forever wondering what might have been if you'd actually gone for it.
Had to pause this like 4 times to talk to other people about how the themes of this episode apply to all aspects of life
Mad introspection my dude, solid set of questions here
Thank you. We don't talk about feelings and emotional health enough. The more we see others model this, especially one that introspects and reasons as meticulous as Adam, the more we learn how to do this ourselves.
Success is not defined or celebrated by only the end result of your work, regardless of what that is. It is defined by everything you experience, overcome, and learn throughout the process, and makes it more memorable and rewarding in the end. When I get frustrated or feel like I am not getting anywhere, I just think of Adam's words of wisdom from his time on Mythbusters. "I reject your reality, and substitute my own!" then try again.
"...but I don't necessarily have to feel good in order to proceed"
The most meaningful phrase I have heard in a Long Time, Literally Words to Live By.
Thank you Adam, for keeping it Real, helping to keep Me Real, through All Of This.
There's a trick for writers... sometimes just scribbling... holding the pen, writing swoops and swirls... It kickstarts muscle memory, and it calms the mind...
What if I exclusively write on a computer?
@@ShatteredPsyche Tapping keys Might shake something loose... or just break out pen and paper to see what happens. Can't hurt to try.
@@nixhixx Fair play, I appreciate the answer. I HAVE found, anecdotally, that the act of writing - or typing - anything at all can have something of a "snowball effect" which ends up working through the fog that had been obscuring me.
@@ShatteredPsyche the only way out is through.
I do this all the time when I'm typing something on a computer and I hit a road block. I just start typing random words until something pops into my head. The ones that frequently come to mind first are "potatoes" and "hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliaphobia".
Otherwise I will sometimes pull up Typeracer and just enter a race. It's a great way to shut off my brain and refocus. It's the same task with a different goal in mind.
You know, alot of people dont like to talk about these things. I think it's a very important thing to not keep buried, as it can just consume you from within. I've been having bouts with anxiety, depression, physical pain from a back injury. It really takes a toll on our bodies and minds. This stuff can effect our work, projects, passions, family and just our lives in general. Thank you for all you do Adam. You've been a huge inspiration to me since the mythbusters days, and you continue to show me why you still are an inspiration today. You are an amazing and genuine person. Thank you.
Adam, sad to see the joy waning through these times. Maybe look at this season in life like a farmer. You will toil for a long time with no instant gratification but in the future you will reap many rewards faster than you ever could have in a normal world because you planted the seeds and worked the fields during 2020 and 2021. Thank you for the content and all those that support the channel.
I appreciate the honesty of mistakes made in the past and dealing with stress. I have the same turmoil at my engineering job, and it's comforting to know that even the most experienced builders incur the same mental hurdles.
This definitely spoke to me so much l am in a place my self that l have never been before
Welcome aboard
Cleaning in the shop has a very Zen sort of effect. It frees the mind and allows you to re-focus on a project from a fresh perspective!
Also, sometimes it helps you randomly see that tool or material that can solve your problem. You might never think of it, but if you dust it or put something back in place next to it, it re-enters your mental world. Great advice.
"When you have that blockage that feels like you don't know what direction to move in, my advice is to move in any direction. Stationary is the wrong move. When you're stagnated, remaining stagnated is not the solution. You've got to push things in some direction."
True in creativity. True in life.
Thanks Adam, I'm a (hopefully) soon-to-be-graduated engineering undergrad in Australia trying to push through a tough final project and this made a real difference. Have been a fan of Mythbusters and your work and philosophy since I was a little kid and it's good to know even the best of the best is human too.
You are absolutely on the money. When in doubt, do something. If it's wrong, fix it. If it's bad, burn it (strangely satisfying). If nothing else, you learn your limits. But most often, you expand them. Great video!
I wish I could deal with stress, and not attach my emotions to my actions. It doesn’t work like that for me. My anxiety and the anger and sadness it brings with it just get the better of me. I also fail to start things cause of my anxiety.
You're not alone my friend. Same thing with me. I see red and get so frustrated that I cannot continue. "Take a break" doesn't help. It's like an anchor around my neck that I can't shake off. I frickin hate that I let it destroy me...
Just because you are that way now doesn't mean you have to stay that way. I'm not going to pretend I'm just like you, but I've had (and still have) similar issues with stress and emotional paralysis, and it's gotten better because I got help and found resources that helped me get a hold of it. You can do it.
Learn to meditate, and then do psychedelics lol. But for real. Also what you eat greatly affects your emotions & stress levels. We don't like to hear that, but it's true.
Adam, your contributions to this world have been insurmountable. We can't thank you enough for your commitment to our world and your exuberance when you share. You are an honest and wonderful person. Please stay with us and know that we all appreciate you. It's simple. The world is wonderful and much better for you being in it. Thank you.
Lesson for life. No matter how bad you think your screw up was at work.. at least you didn't crash a ship in the Suez Canal.
Interesting. As an artist, a painter, I start with the most difficult aspect of a picture. If I can conquer that the rest is going to be easier as I get more fatigued.
FWIW, I had no idea that you did all this stuff until COVID. Because of COVID, I began watching CZcams videos more for entertainment, than for looking for a video on how to fix something. Your work, as well as all the TESTED members, is absolutely amazing!
I love bits like this, "My emotions can exist in this space and I don't have to respond to them". Your honesty with yourself about who you are is amazing. You can articulate your strengths, weakness, and success and failings so purely and honestly. I and many others I think can resonate with your experiences. I joined this channel to learn from a builder on how to become a better builder and instead I've found an amazing person who can help me become a better person.
Of all the videos of yours I have watched, this one hit home more than any other. Thanks.
Thank you so much for giving us this kind of permission to feel human, and to still create no matter what. This was the pep talk I needed. Thank you for what you do.
I always tell my son that it's especially when we're in the midst of strong emotions that we have to be the most aware of how we act.
"Your results may vary." Truer word have never been spoken. Covers nearly everything.
Thank you for always being so real and open with us Adam!
There is a difference between stationary and sedentary. When you're stationary your thinking and planning the next move. Stationary is a part of creating. Love this channel.
I’m now obsessed with the idea that one can be a ‘skill collector’. For years I felt guilty that because I was interested in so many different things and didn’t really focus enough to become a specialised expert in most of those skills (mainly learning just enough to complete the thing I was doing) that it meant I had been wasting my time and life, but thinking of it this way is very validating. Thank you!
(And especially as a software developer where people in my community obsess over specific languages or frameworks or tools I’ve always felt like an outsider for being a generalist who picks the skills/tools for the job)
Adam this was very helpful to hear for so long now I have been a slave to my emotions stopping me from my making, as to not knowing which way to go. Sitting a pondering I thought was what I needed but after this video it made me realize I have sat and thought TOO much about the project I was on and how to proceed. I cleaned my area and gave things a look over. The realization that my emotions don't have to dictate what I'm working on is so freeing! Toss emotion aside during a build and follow my intuition. Thank you so much for helping me free myself from my so long making block for now I WANT to make again!
“I don’t necessarily have to feel good in order to proceed.” Wise words!
Ya. Remarkably applicable to my recent situation. Thanks for some of your advice on this Adam and your experience with negative emotions. Especially since you’re very much a role model for many, it helps a lot knowing you deal with them too. So if we overcome, we can do just as you strive to.
Watching this has really helped me - I’m working mainly alone on the restoration of a railway coach, and this has kept me occupied during the lockdowns in the UK, and sometimes my feelings / emotions have made me wonder why I’m doing it…
So hearing your method / process has really helped; thank you Adam - take care & stay safe
This was super helpful thank you - I've been following one of these ideas without thinking: I tidy up my space when I'm stuck, and lay out the project again, or give away materials that I don't use / make me sad to look at. It's helped a lot. I'm not at the point where I'm through the awful art block yet - I'll get there
Your joy may have diminished but our joy has been increased with so much more of you in the shop
had a bad day and this helps.
I'm a wildlife artist in England. Mainly painting studies of birds with a white background so the birds pops into sight without the camouflage effect of the bird. I love and adore what I do. Since this pandemic I've completed three paintings. All commission work.
When I have builders block I dream the answer that night in my sleep, pop up in bed in the middle of the night with a smile knowing the fact the day to come will proceed smoothly.
Got this from my dad, he also did this when building/making projects.
....This Was The One Of Best Thing He had Left Behind For Me.😘🙏☝💕💕💕
languishing within a way better workshop hiddy space than most,mine is still in a limbo due to illness ,what makes me want to keep going and feel part of things are people trying as hard as you mate,ive bought a mini lathe ,it sits unused still not even properly unpacked in my workspace ,as a fitter and turner but very rusty lol,youtube vids literally refilling my brain as i have pernicious anemia and brainfog alot lately thankyou for your very unwaisted energy and time
Very candid,and true for many makers cycle,nice piece Adam
You said it yourself 40years of experience. Write a book, break new ground , fuse the skills known to produce new things. Creativity can be it own journey direction and peace. But grounded in business can't hurt right.
I remember seeing this live and waiting for this to come out! This is definitely a video I'll keep in my back pocket!
Adam, thanks so much for this. This advice is so helpful for any creative person. I'm going into video game development, and in this field these kinds of worries and struggles are extremely constant. Thanks again!
1:26 Adam...
You didn't build an amazing prototype today, but you helped a lot of people to built themselves.
Love from Montréal,
Alexandre
this video is F ing amazing. Thank you so so much for making it. It hits so close to home on every question. Just gold. Picasso said about inspiration "that it exists....but it has to find you working." Im closing down and going to clean my shop. Cheers
Detatching emotions from physical actions is a deeply meditative practice.
I would really love to see Adam stream his builds (more). I think it would inspire and teach viewers of the small knickknacks that go into building and imagining such things.
Additionally for Adam, it could be a source of instantaneous encouragement and pride; hopefully allowing him to obtain the feedback he desires when a project has been completed during covid (and beyond).
Plus, depending on the direction he goes down, the influx in any potential support (both emotional and financial) could allow him to create bigger and better things. Which as a creator, artist, community role model and businessman, I think it would be nothing but amazing.
Would love to see a build along type episode. Viewers (im in Aus so timezone might suck but i'd make time :P) buy a kit from the website or something and on a set day/date everyone tunes into a stream. Adam and the community can build along, ask questions, share ideas etc and then maybe have a showcase at the end (people tweet, reddit post, facebook etc) and we all get to watch Adam be the amazing inspiration he is as we all have fun learning from eachothers techniques and/or mistakes.
“The volume of my joy is lower”... oof that hits harder as a person who tries to make for joy.
I’m going through the same languish without the openings and the events I’m used to as an artist. Pushing through is the professional response but psychologically this has without doubt been the most challenging year of my 45+ year career.
Adam! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the this topic. It maid the difference to me.
I have felt this same issue. I stopped building things because I don't have the face to face outlet of showing it off that I had previously. Thankfully, things are slowly getting done that suggest we might start seeing people face to face again.
Great advice, clean! Now that I think about it when I did clean up , a lot or a little, I was always in a better mood, crisper, and willing to tackle problem or makers cramp.
Great video...love your thoughts/suggestions! Thank you.
As a long time sewer who recently has been trying woodworking I can so relate to cleaning your work space when you feel stuck
It's pretty normal nowadays to let emotion rule our will and our brain. Many people grow up with no concept that it's even possible to put mind and will back in the driver's seat, being taught that "your emotions are valid" while self-control is de-emphasized. Yes, your emotions are real; that doesn't mean they perfectly reflect reality, or that they will unavoidably rule your actions and life. Self-control does take a lot of practice, but is SO rewarding.
Note: your beliefs about truth (or its non-existence) and reality can make it easier to submit to your emotions or rule them.
When I get to a point that I'm getting frustrated or angry, it's often coming from fatigue. In order to avoid injury or damage to the project, sometimes you've got to set it aside and walk away. As a hobbyist its easier to do that, but even professionals have to stop and take a break from time to time.
I have had the same response as Adam when facing a hard problem I'm not sure I can do. "Pondering" is the word I use.
I just took a break from an incredibly frustrating for a bit and this video came up in my sub box thanks Adam I really needed it today
Second weirdest miracle in the world that I know about is the timing of this video. Thank you, Adam!
Wait wait woah woah woah. "When you are stagnated remaining stagnated is not the solution." This is a gem. I wish I knew embroidery.
What a great question!
Thank you Adam
Sometimes taking a time off, away from the routine you love... brings another emotions and reasons to continue. Don’t give up!
Adam make sure you're taking breaks when you need them. I thought I could handle way more and just kept going and now I just feel raw. Take care of yourself.
Edit: should have finished watching before posting as he basically addresses this. Leaving it up as a reminder to others
I think that’s less of the point he’s trying to make. I think he’s more saying to put your emotions aside for a second and not let them disturb you or an important task until you have the time to fully work through that emotion.
@John Lawson This is a new situation for all of us. You're right we need to find our own way but just saying to be mindful of it.
Truly inspiring. Sharing your wisdom has been an enormous help to so many people. Here are some of the lines that spoke to me (and others, it seems);
“My emotions can exist in this space and I don’t have to respond to them. […] I don’t necessarily have to feel good in order to proceed. […] The emotions don’t have to be attached to the physical actions, and for me, that was liberating. Not to say that I succeed all the time, because I don’t; I fail because of overloaded emotional content all the time. […] That’s real; that’s being a person.”
(Please note this is slightly abbreviated and not an exact transcription, these are pulled from roughly 1:45 to 3:52 in the video)
Great video, thanks 😊
When my guru says that "the methods to enlightenment don't matter"
The method does not matter. Adam is really in the 'shop class soul craft' school or church
I'd love adam' book recommendations for soulcraft
Thank you so much for sharing that thought about " moving in any direction - stationary is the wrong move " quote of the month Yes Sir! - me ,music producer, songwriter, musician, I fine learning one of the many classic songs of my Youth whether it's figuring out how to play it or arrange it or produce it.. Smashes that creators Block ...Dats Sum industrial truth you are sharing sir - Cheers - BIG Fan keep doing the damn thang
the hardest thing, the hardest thing ever, is to ask for help.
This was all information I didn't know I needed, but I absolutely did.
Thank you for this.
Move in any direction: YES. Even if it’s the wrong one, you will have eliminated one option and that’s progress!
That was a great question!
I read a couple of these anecdotes in your book over the past week!
Thank you
Remember Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - When things are going wrong, sit back and polish your spanners.
I know you don't read the comments much, but if you see this. Know you are loved Adam. Your open humanity is a great part of your warmth.
I'm having the same issue in my shoppe. It has been hard to do the cool stuff. There is so much fabric that needs to be cool.
Hey Adam... can't wait to see you in SLC UT for FANX!!!! can't wait!!!
What a great question.
I know Adam probably doesn’t read these comments but this video is what I needed tonight. Sometimes I get into very moody points in a build and it does effect the work.
He actually often does read comments (shhhh), and other times we share them with him. He will appreciate yours.
It's funny, Hunter Thompson used to type pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald's works just to get him moving, to get his fingers moving on the keys that was his trick. I wonder how many times he retyped the great Gatsby.
Thanks adam
So true, just do the work. Like going to the gym. You won’t always feel like it, and it’s a mistake to engage in negotiations in your head. Make the decision to work, then execute.
5:03 with this funky audio, for a second I thought you said “I make lists, I make notes, and sometimes I make drugs” 🤣
Thank you🖖
Big subjects, very interesting thoughts :)
One of my favourite books along this line is "How to Be Perfectly Unhappy" from The Oatmeal (Matthew Inman).
Love the conversation as always, but we need to talk about the very subtle vignette lighting. It kicks ass. Totally sets the mood. Happy accident or well thought through setting, don't know don't care. Just enjoying it.
Hunter S.Thompson once said he would write The Great Gatsby when he had writers block.He said why not write a masterpiece for inspiration.🖖🏿🤓
Thanks for this video. I have depression and anxiety, and it makes being a maker so hard. Ive started doing commission work on Titanic models (and others), I turn them into about anything. Titanic, Olympic, Britannic, wreck models, Raise the Titanic film model replicas. People always tell me how professional my work is, and how low my prices compared to other builders. But Im still not getting work and its really starting to get me down, even as more models build up around me. Im currently working on a Trumpeter 1:200 redesigned version of the Raise the Titanic model. I love building, and since I dont have the space to keep everything I build, I thought I could sell some to help make some extra money and keep my love of being a maker going. But its getting so hard, Im just not sure if I can keep going with proposed commission work.
solitary work is depressing. I am like you....when I was young! I did things to IMPRESS my dad when I was young! I love your work!!!! Do you think another TV network will pick you up?
Can you go into detail about when you learned "proper dueling" for the High Ground myth in one of the Star Wars Specials?
Echo all the comments below. Awesome content. Thank you very much.
I can totally relate to the those questions. I get stuck and get frustrated so I put it down and I start something else also I just walk away from it all. Take for example I'm trying to make a Star wars stormtrooper helmet as much as I want to use clay I'm going to have to go into dealing with foam and uncharted Territory.
Adam, I may be a little late to seeing it, but have you seen the short film Slice of Life set in the Blade Runner universe? I loved it and there are lots of cool behind the scenes with miniature builds. I’d love to hear your views on it!
9:20 haha you actually lived in a loft on baker street. That is just so great.