Have you every felt like you wish you had more motivation to be creative?
Something holds you back, you don’t go to your studio or sit down at the computer.
What’s stops you?
Something but you aren’t sure exactly what, just lack of energy.
You aren’t alone. Most of us have some serious motivational blocks at times in our creative lives. We want to be at our creative work so badly, but when the mojo is gone, it’s gone.
There is a way back
You know your creativity is still there, and you still are using it for some areas of your life, just not what you most want to. It can be frustrating when you don’t feel it. The truth is that it really comes down to one thing.
Motivation.
Motivation can get us to do anything.
If that’s true then where is it when you need it? How come it’s not here when you most need it?
What if you knew where your motivation comes from?
Motivation comes from a feeling
There is something that we feel when we are motivated. It is different for everyone. It might be excitement or curiosity or it could be even the memory of doing your creative work that makes you want to do it again.
Figure out what that feeling is for you
There aren’t any bad emotions, even negative emotions can serve us if properly channeled. Many of us keep these negative emotions locked up inside for fear of what we might say or do to others, but they can be safely expressed through art, perhaps even healed.
If you find these feelings motivate you, then intensify them and cultivate it. Whether it’s playfulness and fun that make you feel like creating or your pain and grief that make you want to express yourself. Create a place inside you where you can feel those things at a moment’s notice. These are your internal resources that you can call upon at any time. Practice calling them up when you need to get in a creative state.
What if you practice generating those emotions and still nothing comes?
Then you need to go one step further back. You need to decide you want to be creative.
Yes, but it doesn’t work that way, you say. I rely on inspiration to hit me.
My response is, what is inspiration but another emotion you can cultivate and intensify and use to your advantage.
Instead, make a decision now. Decide that you love your creativity too much to let it languish. Whatever fears or limiting beliefs and stories you hold onto need to be replaced. You can do this by deciding that it costs too much not too be creative and the creative state is so desirable, that you must do it. It must be a part of your daily life.
When you make this decision, that it is brings more pain not to be creative, you will find motivation much easier to come by.
Reinforce the decision
Unfortunately, it isn’t enough for many of us to make the decision one time and let it stand there.
We will still find our motivation wavering at times. That’s alright, but don’t waste time reminding yourself that creativity is a must in your life. Remind yourself again all that it brings you and where you would be without out it.
Find that inner fire within yourself and make it burn brighter than ever.
Make creativity a way of life. Use all your emotions, joy, passion, love, pain, sadness, loses, and let them be the fuel for your best, most creative self!
