Unpleasent Newbie Feeling

Did any of you guys felt this way as well? I've just gotten into the whole SL addiction thing and even though it's addicting, I feel completely useless. It feel like everything has been done before and that everything I can do is insignifiant. I have a few ideas of things I could do, but I have the unpleasent feeling that they all have been done before. :\

"There is nothing new under the sun"..

But it's not uneasiness, it's more like a sensation of overwhelming. There are too many choices and it's hard to make up one's mind. I finally did, but it's still a vast place. Just find where your strength lies and go from there.

Oh, and welcome to SL!

Although I do feel overwhelmed I don't think that's what my unpleasant feeling is all about. The world is huge and unlike the real world where you are limited (or used to be limited, now you can shop online but people prefere buying locally to paying for shipping etc) by where you can go to buy things, everyone have access to every items in the world if they have the money for it. I don't even have the advantage of being a local craftperson like i would in real life for example, which is what make things hard. At least that's IMHO.

Thanks.

I feel like you that there is so much the has been done already by the veterans of this world. However, don't feel down about it; you have your own ideas and creativities to contribute to the world.

No matter how small or big they are; it is still a contribution to the community and something new that you're offering which is the way i'm thinking right now. Travel the world while you're picking at money trees and stop by the malls, clubs, etc. to get a idea of what you think you may like to do to contribute.

Hahaha, i know that i'm kind of lousy at house building since i got my first land and trying to learn how to make other things on my own currently while asking questions through IMs. Hopefully, i'll have something soon to try to sell, once i understand what options there are to do that.

Do your own thing and ignore the self-impressed culture-killers who tell you "it's been done before". They haven't done it like you're going to do it.

Never feel that way, man! There's always new ground to break!

For my first six months in SL, I wandered around without doing much. Just soaked up the scenery, bought cool toys, and tinkered around with texturing and building for my own pleasure.

One day I started to build a little robot, for my own amusement. I'd recently been given an animation that let me curl up into a small ball, so I could experiment with making avatars that didn't look particularly human. Anyway, having built this robot, I wore it around everywhere for a few days. People kept asking me where I got it, could they have it, etc. Someone told me I could really make a business selling those.

So, I decided to give it a shot. I rebuilt the avatar from scratch, using better planning and techniques, made some fresh textures and hired a scripter to add some useful functionality.

Six months later, I'm having a blast with my business. I didn't *plan* for it to happen like this -- it just hit me on the head. Having known the community and climate here pretty well, I knew I wanted to put out an excellent, quality product that would never disappoint a customer. After six months in business and hundreds of sales, I've yet to receive a single request for a refund.

If you want success here, don't be in a hurry. Get to know Second Life and its residents. Get a feel for what they need, what they want, what they love about SL. Armed with this knowledge, you'll look at your business ideas in new ways. If you're interested in making a difference in Second Life, you will. Just give it time. Good luck, man. IM me in-world if you'd like to see a bit more about how I started and how far I've come. If I can do it, anyone can.

SL is like RL in many ways. Yet, innovation continues in both.

Every time I think I've seen it all, someone comes a long and makes something incredible. Like the tringo fad, which has crossed into RL... or the more recent tiny fad sweeping the grid.

You just need inspiration - in RL or SL!

Welcome aboard. Stare at the blank canvas long enough and the art will emerge in your mind.

-Flip

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."

Albert Einstein.

Thanks for the friendly replies. That's what i like about SL the most, i already feel like i belong here.

You guys are right, I'm trying to go too fast. People don't create things in real life a week after emerging from their mother wounds. (Although i'm no baby, I have real life experiences that I can include within my SL. I felt that it was a good metaphore however)

Edit:


Nice quote.

I respect and admire your aspiration. I think you'll be just fine here. Never be afraid to ask, we all have stories to share.

Some are just easier to listen to than others But yes, don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you want.

Recently, a friend was bemoaning how "it's all been done". I told her that it honestly doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if all your ideas have been done already, unless you absolutely need to be first. And that shouldn't matter -- creativity doesn't require originality. You can make a car or a house or a blue t-shirt. Yes, someone else will have done it first, but it's your take on them that makes them yours.

I too want to say welcome

And, to also encourage you to explore, explore, explore.

And practice building stuff .. see how the Prims work, what happens with textures.

Even if its something you wont want to sell, getting a handle on the tools will take you a long way.

And ask questions ... if you see something you really like, look for the creator and see if they have a store. See what else they have done.

The more you see, the more you learn about SL and what people like and need and maybe dont even know they need until you make it.

I never thought I would change my avie .. for more than a year, I was pretty much /me/ all the time. But Tinies hit .. and now you might find me one of several, depending on whim.

So, bottom line .. enjoy the newness of it all ... explore ... have fun. Inspiration can come at the most unlikely moments, for the most unlikely reasons.

And remember, there is always room for a quality product.

Welcome, let the fun commence!!

Welcome to Second Life newton! Have fun and look at the world it will all fall into place in time

Newton, one of my favorite pieces of advice to give to new residents is to just do what interests you and let it flow from there. Just because somebody has already "done" something does not mean that you won't put your own stamp and style on it and possibly create a whole new niche market.

Remember, every possible chord in music was developed long ago, every musician who writes music just rearrages those chords in their own style to create new songs. Create the things that give you pleasure, whether that be building, scripting, textures, particles, clothing, hair or whatever and let the commerce part of the equation just happen.

Thanks to you as well.
I have built a lot of things (considering how long i've been playing). They were all pretty useless but I've learned a lot from them. I've made a little flying bot that follows me around. He's cute.

Trust me, I'm not the kind of person that stay there procrastinating while making assumption at the bad economy and how everything sucks. I'm only trying to find a solution (and I have already, thanks to you guys) to my problem.

Welcome to Second Life! I wandered around in a daze for a long time before I got "inspired" to do something useful and I ended up even amazing myself.

One thing to keep in mind is that Second Life is not a game, in the usual sense, and that means you don't have to compete with others if you don't wish to. My greatest satisfaction has not come from impressing others but feeling personal pride in my accomplishments and the things I have learned.

Welcome to SL, Newton My advice in choosing what to pursue is to not worry about what everyone else has done before you and create because it's fun. Set yourself a challenge and meet it just for the sake of it. Think of something you'd like to know how to do and then do it. Let accomplishment be your reward. Approach it in those terms and before you know it you'll have something that people are telling you "wow, that's cool man!" about. Relax, create, enjoy, and you'll be surprised how things start to come to you instead of you having to go find it... like an original idea. Have fun and the rest will come before you know it.

This advice is worth printing out and reading again. Excellent.

Welcome to SL Newton! In RL, the annual number of books published approaches 175,000 and yet an obscure woman who had never written a book before, writing it out long hand on a yellow pad in an english coffee house - produced a best seller ( Harry Potter ).

My point is that we are only limited by our own boundries. Don't worry about coming up with an original "note" (I love Isablan's analogy). Just write a song that you like and it will be original, even if someone has done it before.

Enjoy SL - create what you enjoy making and don't worry about the rest. If someone says to you that it's all been done before - well you know that it hasn't, because it hasn't all been done before by you and you will always add your own personal touch.

Enjoy SL, explore, have fun and build your dreams.

It doesn't matter if it's been done before. It only matters if you've done it before. And over time, you'll have your own personal advancements which no one has done before, or done in exactly the same way.

Your quote reminds me of Julius Ceaser, George Washington, Vincent Van Gogh, Sylvia Plath, Dwight Eisenhower, and Martin Luther -- all of whom are quoted, or described at some point in their lives, of of having that same unpleasent feeling for the same basic reasons.

Welcome to Second Life

I can't believe LL came up with Poutine as a last name. *claps*

Newton, I get a lot of pleasure out of making content, whether it's just silly things for my own use or things I sell. I did feel like you at one point, especially since a friend of mine who was able to spend more time here than I was, was churning out great stuff on an almost daily basis.

I still enjoy making content, probably more now than ever because I've just decided to stop feeling obligated to make it. Which in turn, has made me feel sort of free to just do anything, which can be very motivating. I think i'm going to make a doughnut radio after work today.

But the bottom line is you don't HAVE to make anything in SL to be a part of it.

Welcome to Second Life Newton!!

And to agree with and add on to what Ingrid stated, another thing to remember is that you have *time* in SL. Unlike most online "games", you do not have to worry that if you take your time all your friends will "level up" and you won't be able to hang out with them. So what if you decide to spend a month just hanging out and enjoying the sites. There will always be new people and things to see. And there will always be improvements that present new ideas that either haven't been done before or that could be done again but in a different way. Do what you enjoy, have fun, and don't feel a need to rush. The life in SL can be so much more relaxing than RL.

Funny thing is we all get this feeling sometimes. It seems to be part of the normal cycle in a 3D virtual world. Meet people. There are so many people here that you don't have to find something to do all by yourself. Work with others, buy into their existing projects and learn to build things that contribute to the whole. You'll gain built-in tutors, finished products to be proud of, the odd friend you pick up along the way (no offence to my odd friends intended).

When we talk about immersion around here, we don't mean immersion into the world to the point that we can't tell the difference between Second Life and real life. We mean immersion into the population, the wonderful people that are Second Life, and immersion into the things we do as groups and teams and communities.

Find the people and you'll find your way. They'll tell you what you're good at, and what you're not, and before you know it, they'll be custom ordering stuff from you left and right.

Oh
man


You're only new once! Rez boxed clothing on your head, while you still can!