doubt

I have a bad habit of getting discouraged in the middle of the design process. I just feel like I’m not capable of making attractive forms. My designs always seem to look utilitarian and “boring,” and I don’t really know where to go from there. Some people seem to have a knack for it. I’m more the type of person who practices and hones a skill rather than just having innate talent. As far as I know, there isn’t really a methodological way to construct interesting and attractive forms. Suggestions? For me, feeling like my design just doesn’t look right can really kill my interest in the project. If I’ve worked for a few weeks on developing an exciting concept only to have my final design look as though it’s a first attempt, I get so frustrated that I have a hard time following through to the end. Ultimately, I think it hurts my portfolio. It’s hard to communicate an exciting idea without exciting visuals. I feel like I’m a capable designer in many ways–I love working with computers, and I feel like my technical skills are pretty good. I can sketch reasonably well (after a few years of practice), and I think I can usually manage to solve problems really well through my design. It just doesn’t look that great. So, how do I solve this problem? How can I create more attractive forms? How can I carry my inspiration all the way to the end of a project? How do I document and describe these projects in a meaningful way? Will I be able to make it as a designer?

On a different note, I’m really looking forward to learning how to use more of the shop tools. Currently, I only really feel comfortable using the lathe, bandsaw, sanders, and drill press. I’ve never used the milling machine, and I’m slightly terrified of the tablesaw… I’m slightly terrified of all the machines, actually. I think that’s just because I haven’t had much practice with them. Usually, when I ask about how to do something, someone else just ends up doing it for me because it’s faster to do it for me than to explain it. I feel like I learned a lot this morning, even. I didn’t realize that you could use pink foam on the drill press and power sanders. Those are definitely time savers, and they allow more accurate forms, too. It’s also nice to have an instructor who actually wants to teach us these things…