What a frustrating challenge! My time was quite limited for this one: 3 available evenings, much less than what I usually spend on an entry. Nonetheless, I decided to give it a try, but the project was probably too ambitious, and the result is not as polished as I would have wanted to. Most of the time, when I am not totally happy with a result, I simply skip the challenge despite the work that went into it, and keep the concept for another time (too bad there is no such thing as a monthly 'Free Study' in expert editing!), but for some reason I decided to enter it anyway.
That being said, I believe the concept is not totally pointless: I suppose everyone experiences various feelings of failure in life. Sometimes, you really want to understand something, you really do, you work hard for it, but it simply is too much, too difficult for your brain to grasp, and you fail. From there, one can either stop, give up and try something else, or try over and over again, until some progress is noticed, and ultimately success is reached.
Choosing between those two types of behaviors is not that simple. If you keep striving, but still can't get where you wanted even after years of tries, you may regret all the time that went into it, that could have been spent on something more successful. Similarly, if you give up too quickly, you may regret it later. It obviously is a personal decision, even if the environment often guides you into one of the paths.
In my image, I wanted to symbolize that man, definitely trying to solve some problem (hence all the little characters, searching for answers), whose mind just failed. Here, he's starting to unscrew the bulb, but does he have any spare? Is he going to leave it, or not? You decide!
Thanks for watching, I am glad some liked it despite the "not-totally-finished" look it may have.
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Place: 2 out of 30 Avg (all users): 7.3659 Avg (commenters): 8.2353 Avg (participants): 7.1429 Avg (non-participants): 7.4118 Views since voting: 2535 Views during voting: 358 Votes: 123 Comments: 25 Favorites: 0
Congrats on a great finish for a superb entry. Ah yes I know that concept all too well - have spent many hours trying to master various musical instruments with no success. Time wasted or not?! Anyway sorry to hear about your frustration with this one. Your creations are very time consuming and I am always amazed how you can turn these around within 7 days especially with a young child and a job too. Thanks as always for the background info.
Once again, putting my creativity and Expert Editing skills in the proper perspective. I am operating somewhere at the elementary school level and you have mastered the graduate school level. Thanks for illustrating what's possible. Masterfully done down to the smallest detail.
Very fun! LOVE the top of the head being the base. And the expression and the hands on his "head". The characters... well... something's not right....
I think it's the one with his head in the upper right corner... stepping off into nothing instead of "fighting the edges" as the others are doing (except for the one who is falling and can't fight the edges). The others all look like gravity is working against them (as it naturally does), but with him... it doesn't seem to work.
When I hold my hand over that guy, I give this a 10. When I take my hand away, I give this a 9.
I have to take my hand away to vote... so... 9 it is.
And it's another autoblue for Christophe! I don't know which I envy more...your creative ideas which you bring to life, or the technical skillz. Or all of the above!
I love how the wrinkles in the head align with the threads of the bulb. A brilliant touch. As always, the thoughtful metaphors create an image capable of doing what art should do: challenge the mind.
Personal Failure
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