In the past I have created games using scratch, alice and app inventor. I took the following introduction classes: Java, C++, HTML. All of these I found to be both easy and enjoyable. About 6 months ago I sat down with the goal to create a android game after learning how everything worked. My biggest problem wasn't the code as much as the motivation needed to learn it outside of a school environment. I've read so many reports of things being "so" easy to program via android that I figured I wouldn't have much trouble. Either that wasn't true or I'm no where near as good as I thought I was because I'm still at the very beginning stages.

So how did you guys managed to stay focused on your very first projects that you were doing solo. I don't have a team and I really suck as a artist. But until I produce something, even something small no one is going to take me seriously enough.

Some say that if you don't feel like doing something (no matter what it is - programming or learning how to draw), then maybe (just maybe!) it is not your thing?

You don't really need any motivation to smash monsters in Diablo, do you? And I suppose you don't need some special motivation to kiss your girlfriend... am I right?

I think if you do programming and are having fun, because it is your passion, not because you have to do it, you will not have much problems with motivating yourself. But if you are sure you want to program but still have problems with motivation, there is one thing that might help you. Every time a person starts doing something complicate and energy consuming, they need like 15-20 minutes to get the ball rolling. At first you might feel bored or might feel that the task is overwhelming, whatever. Once you've reached the point where all your attention is focused on the task - thats where the magic starts and surrounding world disappears.

I have this kind of problem with procrastinating on things, even when I like to do them. It's hard to find the motivation to do it. The thing is, I really enjoy doing them once I start. Sometimes, I'll wake up in the morning and not want to start working on my project. I will do this and that all day, usually wasting time online, and just never get around to STARTING working. Even though I'm not even really enjoying myself while I'm procrastinating, I'm just kind of... passing time while half-worrying about how I need to be working on the project. But then once I start working, I enjoy it and get really excited and work really hard and accomplish a lot. Then I got to sleep and do the same thing the next day... and I tend to get worse and worse to where I'm spending entire days doing nothing and not working... even though I'd much rather be working. I just have this problem with STARTING.

I think the motivation I need is to actually start. I luckily can just tell my husband to force me to work, which he sometimes does, but often he won't say anything lol. But I mean I can't really hold him responsible.

Anyway, I think the first step is to figure out which part you're unmotivated. Do you just hate the starting--where you don't want to sit down and study or work, but once you do, you're fine? Do you hate a certain part but like other parts? Do you work a lot and get burned out?

If you figure out what aspect you feel unwilled about, it will help pinpoint what you can do to get around it.

If you just hate everything about it, perhaps, like said, it's just not your thing, and honestly you will never find that motivation... If you don't like something, you don't like it.

I work a lot and forget the world around me even exists at some points. Here we are at 5 am and I was suppose to be in the bed by 1 am. I have a few problems that I'll list:

1) Only computer I have that is powerfully enough to handle anything is in my exercise/computer room that everyone thinks I spend way too much time in.

2) My direction isn't clear. Picking up a book and trying to gasp all it's concepts may not be the best approach. Right now I'm trying to work my way through Android game development for beginners. Considered also using an engine like uility and or UDK since they allow me to get right into what I want to do which is design the game.

3) Getting stuck on a few concepts hurts. I'm the type of learner who will be completely lost about something until I get that click where everything comes together. Sometimes it is hard finding out what I'm lacking to make that click happen where it all joins.

4) Completely unrelated to programming but I have few problems with depression. When certain people in life get me down I find it hard to do things that I enjoy. I'm taking strides to get as close to over that as possible. Doing nothing at all has never made me happy so I have to stop resorting to that as a possible solution.

Getting started isn't my problem at all as is finding excuses to go work so I don't have appear rude. This is something I wish to and yea, it is taking a lot my time. For about 6 months I worked a contract job teaching kids about computer science. We explored games, websites and animation. I enjoyed it so much it was the only job where I would have been willing to pay to be allowed to go into work. I have a really hard time finding a balance between going around the clock to doing nothing at all.

That was the deepest second post I've ever made... anywhere.

1) Only computer I have that is powerfully enough to handle anything is in my exercise/computer room that everyone thinks I spend way too much time in.

That's not a problem, but rather a solution that you spend time in a computer room. I did the same in college when my laptop broke, and coded a game from the computer lab. Everyone else thought I did it for a homework.

2) My direction isn't clear. Picking up a book and trying to gasp all it's concepts may not be the best approach. Right now I'm trying to work my way through Android game development for beginners. Considered also using an engine like uility and or UDK since they allow me to get right into what I want to do which is design the game.

Having your own direction, and stick with it, is the best way to go. It doesn't hurt to try using a Unity engine or UDK, or anything. You may decide later if you like them or not. The most important point here is the fact that you decided to go that path yourself, rather than having somebody telling you to do it.

3) Getting stuck on a few concepts hurts. I'm the type of learner who will be completely lost about something until I get that click where everything comes together. Sometimes it is hard finding out what I'm lacking to make that click happen where it all joins.

That happens when you still learning things. It still happens even among pros. Don't let that deter you.

4) Completely unrelated to programming but I have few problems with depression. When certain people in life get me down I find it hard to do things that I enjoy. I'm taking strides to get as close to over that as possible. Doing nothing at all has never made me happy so I have to stop resorting to that as a possible solution.

Then, it is your responsiblity to seek a medical attention. FYI, everyone goes through depressions in their life. It's not a specifically your problem. Finding it hard to do things that you enjoy is exactly one of the symptomps of depressions.

Getting started isn't my problem at all as is finding excuses to go work so I don't have appear rude. This is something I wish to and yea, it is taking a lot my time. For about 6 months I worked a contract job teaching kids about computer science. We explored games, websites and animation. I enjoyed it so much it was the only job where I would have been willing to pay to be allowed to go into work. I have a really hard time finding a balance between going around the clock to doing nothing at all.

That was the deepest second post I've ever made... anywhere.

See, I don't think you are in as much of a bad shape as you think you are. From this post, what you experienced seems "normal" to me. You are learning, you are teaching, you earn money (though temporarily). A lot of other people can't even function at that level. When they go through depressions, they can't even get a job or learn anything.

Sometimes everyone have lack of motivation, and this is natural. The way I deal with motivation is that I try to remember why did I want to make a game in first place. If I am in the mood I try and find some 'Making of ...' videos of my favorite games - this helps me great deal in boosting motivation. I also try to avoid more difficult parts of programming that I am not good at, until I can't do that anymore and do all necessary research on how to solve the given problem. You always can pick up a book, if possible one that is not dated yet and contains viable information and the code in it actually works. If this is not exactly an option you also always can search the web for pdf or other articles and materials on the subject you are interested in. Sometimes only revisiting something you are interested in, can boost your motivation on overcoming difficult parts of making a game, and possibly creating snowball effect.