Many skills in my life have been LIY – learn-it-yourself – and there’s a certain calmness and excitement about teaching yourself the basics in a new skill.
I went through a few Maya tutorials today to supplement myself with some 3D modeling skills that should help the team over the next year (and, I suppose, in the long run, forever).
It was nice. Just reading through the Maya starters guide, making my first polygons, going through my first extrusions. It’s like hiking an abandoned trail, seeing sights for the first time, with the knowledge and safety that an expert has already forged this path, lying flags along the best trail.
In some ways, I like it better than having the tour guide with me the whole time. There’s no pressure to ask good questions, no expectations from the tour guide to keep up, and with a self-guided walk, the pace is entirely your own.
Also, picking up new computer programs and thinking in terms of numbers and mathematics is easier for me than picking up a language or a skill like a guitar. Or perhaps it’s just because I enjoy it more, so I’m willing to devote more time each day to it?
Or perhaps it’s simply because I can go through a Maya tutorial at work for a day, while spouting random German phrases and having co-workers quiz me on German grammar would probably not go over as well.