Presentation anxiety

Let's Make Robots
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I used to work as a techy in theatre, and loved the part where a artist would come to us with a vision or idea, and we had to transform it into actual stuff. They would come in and say "and in the end she is eaten by a dragon" And we'd set about making an exitpoint on stage with lots of fake fangs and fire and smoke, a couple of lamps indicating dragon eyes and scary noises over the speakers.

Well, I've stopped doing that now, but picked up a hobby along the way: robots.

Somehow an artist/soundsculpturer/musician/contemporary stuff guy found me and said he needed some "toys"... He wanted small things (he was very carefull to stay as unspecific as possible) to walk/hump/roll around, maybe fall over. He would adapt his peice to whether these "things" suited his peice visually or not. He wanted them to add a certain rythmical backdrop that he could incorporate into his .ahem. music.

This actually sounds like a dream come true! It's the part I really liked about my old job combined with the fun part of robot building. So this is all good right? Well, the artist didn't give me a deadline and I promissed to sit down with my sketchpad over the christmas to see if I came up with any ideas. But already my nerves are making me a wreck. What if I cant deliver, what if I cant come up with a single idea, what if the stuff I build break to easily, what if he doesnt like it, what if what if what if...

Of course complaining here wont change a bit, but you're the one who choose to read this blog :-D

Anyway, does anybody have any helpfull tricks, or do you wanna bounce me a couple of ideas I could use? I just need a clap on the back right now OK?

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I really can’t think of a good subject

But still here’s my advice :smiley:

Try to make as much sketches as possible, even of very simmilar designs. If you get idea of making something you aren’t shure you can make try researching it, or even try to build that part you aint shure you can. When you make few sketches choose the simplest and make finished version of it. It doesn’t have to be full size, just try to make it work. That way you will know you have atleast one thing you can make 100%. And if he doesn’t like some part of it try making modifications of the sketch while he is there so he get’s too chose more stuff himself and you can allways say “that part is impossible to do” or “i can’t make promisses that part will work”.

And if he doesn’t like it at all, screw him :stuck_out_tongue: Even if the part with the artist using your stuff fails you will have a new small thing walking/humping/rolling around or maybe falling over :smiley: