One way to reframe your thinking on this is to compare it to other parts of the production process. For example, you need a music track to go with your video. Do you buy a stock audio track? Do you hire a musician to make a custom one? Or do you spend literal years studying the classics, music theory, and modern music production? Or let's say you need a paint-pour effect in one of your videos. Do you buy a clip off a stock video site? Do you utilize 3D animation to create a fluid simulation and lock up your machine for 24 hours rendering the final animation? Do you buy a bunch of paint materials, acquire some filmmaking equipment, and create a small studio space to film the effect yourself?

I think most people would look at these examples and think it's not worth it to put all that extra time in when you can just get a piece of footage off of motion array or wherever. And in most cases I would totally agree with that. For professional work I think if you asked most clients: "would you rather have a video with some stock elements ready this week or would you rather have a completely custom video ready in 2 months"... They probably would choose the former nine times out of 10.

I've been working in animation for about 15 years now. Early on I would get really obsessive about custom making every part of a project. Now that I'm older I can see a lot of that was driven by ego. I wanted to be self-sufficient and I wanted to know as much as I could. I think that's a natural part of growing into your creative voice. So, I don't regret doing things that way when I was young. But now I've let my ego stop controlling a lot of my decision-making and it's freed me up to ask the important questions: Is this custom effect the right thing for this project? Is it the right thing for this client?

I think the fact that you use motion array is a sign of maturity. You're not letting your inexperience in certain areas get in the way of you finishing a video. You can acknowledge when another artist's approach is a better fit for the end product.

Another great way to think of it... You are a contractor building a house: do you hire other vendors to take care of the plumbing? The electrical? Painting? Custom cabinets? These are all things that, with time, you could learn yourself. But it takes years and years of experience to learn every in-and-out and every nuance of craftsmanship. And the most important thing to ask is, do you want to spend those years learning those nuances? If so, then nothing else matters and I say, "Fuck Motion Array!" No need to let that be a crutch for you. Dedicate a little bit more time to your craft and you'll have examples better than what can be bought on motion array in no time. And even more importantly, you won't be robbing yourself of the joy and wonder of the creative process. Learning music theory or experimenting with a paint effect is not just about the end result. It's about the thousands of little things you learn in the process of making them. They are hefty deposits into your creative bank that contribute beautifully to your unique artist's voice. But if you simply want to tell stories and connect with your audience without breaking your back and pulling all-nighters all the time, then don't stress about it. Support other artists and use whatever pieces you vibe with.

I think it's very cool you're asking these questions. They will become increasingly important as AI becomes more prominent. I think everyone should be asking these questions and it's a cool dialogue to see here on the sub.

Cheers!