There’s something to be said for creating an environment that supports and encourages your creativity. But what happens when that external nudge falls short? How do you respond when life leads you to a new environment or situation where you struggle to find motivation?
Motivation is the enabler of your creative toolkit. It works for a time, sure. But when that song becomes tiresome, or your zen morning routine falls short because, well, life — motivation fails you.
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That’s because motivation is what we tell ourselves when we don’t feel like doing something. Instead, you hype yourself up, utilize precious time reorganizing your space, or create a new routine sure to help you get ‘in the zone’.
It seems productive, but all you’re really doing is stalling.
Seeking motivation avoids confrontation. It enables you to look away from the root of the problem. It’s an endless loop of avoiding self-improvement.
Occasionally, it’s simply an unconscious habit. One you lean on when you’re feeling lazy or uninspired.
Either way, the reality is you don’t need motivation to create. Instead, confront the moments you reach for a motivational tool. Challenge yourself to see things not as good or bad, but as they are. Then, work with yourself rather than against.
As you confront what’s holding you back, you’ll begin to replace those moments of motivational dependency with the ability to create at will.
Highlight Your Shadows
If you’re familiar with the term ‘shadow self’, you know where this is headed. Your shadow self contains all the parts of your being that you prefer to hide — habits and thought processes that were deemed unfavorable somewhere along the line.
There’s a running joke in my family that procrastination is genetic. I’ve inherited my father’s innate talent to write a story under pressure.
It’s a habit that’s traditionally seen as being negative, undesirable. A sign of being unable to properly utilize time.
Here’s what happens when I step away from a judgmental thought process:
Procrastination turns into processing. I’m able to recognize that my creative process sometimes requires what anyone else might deem as procrastination. I’m also able to acknowledge the moments when I simply don’t want to do the task at hand. Most importantly — I’m able to view my creative process as it is, making changes as I see fit.
When you’re able to highlight your perceived shadows, you gain a full view of who you are and how you think. You begin to work with yourself instead of against yourself, tapping into the creativity you’ve been looking for. Not because you’re motivated, but because you’re inspired.
Related Post: The Truth About Being Creatively Blocked: It’s All In Your Mindset
See Things As They Are, So They Can Transform
Someone once asked me, why is a thought good or bad? In one sentence, they challenged my own system of labeling and in turn opened my eyes to a world I hadn’t seen yet.
What if things simply…are?
The ability to hold an idea up and examine it from several angles, watching as it transforms from one view point to the next — that is the key to creating art. But it’s impossible to do if you’re unable to first examine a thought or an object as it is.
“Write what you know” is the most common advice given to new writers. The issue is that ‘what we know’ is often clouded by an internal monologue that prevents a thought from being a thought. It becomes good or bad, worthwhile or unoriginal.
This process keeps you from looking at an object, turning it ever so slightly, and saying: what if?
To create freely is to let your thoughts and ideas flow. Watch, and learn from what they’re showing you. See how they twist and turn.
Children are phenomenal at this exercise. They see a pot. They observe you cooking with it. And then they turn it into a hat, or a drum set. It’s so simple, and yet it’s everything.
Related Post: YOUR EGO’S ROLE IN YOUR ART: HOW TO FIND FREEDOM IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS
Be Ever Evolving
The funny thing about cliché sayings is that they’re often born from an undeniable truth. For example: Change is the only constant in life.
As the world around us continues to evolve, so do we. Which, in turn, requires that our creative processes evolve as well.
Easier said than done, right? We’re creatures of habit. We develop and look forward to our routines, especially as we create.
As a writer, you’re advised to carve out a block of time each day solely for writing, and never let anything disrupt this time. Create the routine that will help you find success in your craft.
But what happens when life demands something else? A pipe bursts, the dog escapes the house, your child is home from school and needs your attention.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
What was once helpful advice becomes a hindrance, encouraging feelings of stress, anxiety and frustration because once again, you’re relying on the motivation of knowing that that hour has been carved out solely for you. When it’s disrupted, you feel disrupted.
Instead, I challenge you to draw inspiration from these moments. View life’s chaotic experiences as an opportunity for inspiration.
Because perfect opportunities to create art rarely just happen upon us. The real challenge is to find the moments that allow for creativity, and seize them.
SAMANTHA PATERNOSTER
Writing is much bigger than a career. It’s more interesting than a hobby. It’s the spark to an eternal curiosity that has led me to learn unexpected skills, treasure knowledge passed down through generations, and create a space for voices that need to speak.
I earned my B.A. in Creative Writing from Brandeis University, with a focus on long and short fiction. I have nearly a decade of experience as a copywriter and editor. But I’ve also worked as an Email Analyst and QA Analyst at Yale University, helping to launch their redesigned Giving page circa 2014.
Most recently, I’ve started my own business – Creatively You. Built for my clients, it is founded on one simple act: listening. By listening to my clients’ dreams and needs, I am able to help them develop their brands through cohesive web design and content that tells their stories.
I don’t believe in linear paths. I do believe in the magic that embracing the unknown can bring.
