pouët.net

For me writing demotools was always an escape from certain issues in my life. The fact that they are used to create successful releases also created a positive feedback loop.

For me doing demoscene stuff is often in contrast with what I do for a living. Depending on the time of day, year, or life, creation in a demoscene context has been a mix of working with my own set of constraints without the frustration that can come from office context, just doing something different, exploring something cool a colleague showed me, learning or testing things I didn't get the opportunity to do at the office. For the longest time it was a way to get a much needed experience in the field I wanted to work in and couldn't get at my job. Now that a lot of those negative aspects have vanished, I draw inspiration from cool stuff I do at work that make me think of other cool stuff to do.

The continuity is also a very important factor. Sometimes I'm just too lazy and watching a film or a tv show is just so much easier. But if I'm not careful, days then weeks pass, and it becomes harder to get back to it. As IQ rightly said, it's important to keep the wheel spinning: just an hour a week is enough to breathe with inspiration again.

One aspect that is a nice byproduct, although I would advise against trying to rely on it as a source of motivation due to its sheer cost, is the expectation related to competition. When we released Felix's workshop, we had the most exquisite time picturing the reaction face some folks would make.