I just recently had this revelation! I a full time software dev who has dabbled in game dev for years, but i’ve always given up on ideas because i can’t make “good” art/assets. just a couple of months ago it dawned on me that i love inept/amateurish/DIY/outsider art in most other mediums (except writing maybe) and decided to just put time into to awkward crappy looking models. and i love them! now i’m just trying to create a distinctive shambolic aesthetic for my tiny games. it’s so freeing.
"distinctive shambolic aesthetic", what a great phrase. I use the friend of every hack fraud - "extreme stylization" to cover a multitude of sins.
Somebody actually nominated my interactive fiction game for a best graphics ribbon, which amused me no end.
I have often thought that we spend too much time studying and trying to emulate the great artists, musicians, and writers. It is more productive to see what the mediocre talents are doing, how their works succeed, and try to copy their techniques. Even if you fail you will find your own voice and produce something distinctive.
