Motivation: Where Do I Start?
October 27, 2020
Over quarantine, I read a post made by a local author explaining that writer’s block shouldn’t be a thing right now and everyone should have an idea because we’re in a pandemic. I totally disagree. Writer’s block can hit you out of nowhere. One day, you can be writing 30 pages a minute, allowing your creative juices to flow, and the next day, you may not even be able to write a sentence. I’ve had my fair share of writer’s block during quarantine, and it was hard to get over.
Not only does writer’s block exist, a motivation block exists for every artist. Painters, chefs, photographers, musicians, and dancers run out of creativity. Creative people tend to use their imagination and their ideas all at once, and then it all goes away. It’s important to keep it up, though, especially during these times. Some of the best art will come out of this pandemic, we just all need to find some motivation. Here’s some tricks I’ve learned that helped me throughout this time, and tricks that will help everyone, no matter what kind of artist you are.
- Rearrange Your Workspace
As silly as it sounds, changing your surroundings really does bring inspiration. When you stare at the same wall of pictures every day for months, it can get boring. My usual workspace is my bedroom, for my mother turned my office into a guest bedroom, and after a while I needed a change. So, I got some new furniture, some posters, some lights. Now, my space is perfect for writing. And if you can’t rearrange your space, try going to different setting to write, whether that be the library, the park, or a local café (make sure to social distance and wear a mask!).
- Journal!
I’ve been keeping a journal for about 5 years now, and it’s helped so much. You don’t have to write much. Sometimes, I just jolt down what I’ve been doing that day and how I’ve been feeling, or just random thoughts that come into my head. It’s a good way to keep the creativity going, and you can always look back in them for inspiration.
- Take Breaks
It’s important to let tour brain rest after you’ve worked a lot. If you’re writing 60 pages in one day, make sure you take a break from the computer screen or paper for a bit in between. If you’ve been sitting on the floor drawing for five hours, get up and stretch. That way, you can refresh your thoughts and allow yourself to think about what you want to do next, what things you can add. Just getting it all down at once will wear you out and getting into that habit can really make you hate your work.
- Take a Walk
Going off of the last paragraph, it’s important to be active. Taking a 30 minute walk a day can really change how you feel overall. Not only will it get you up and going, it can bring inspiration. Who knows, you may see a bird and want to draw it, or you could see a tree and want to write about it. Neighborhood walks are great, but if you could go to a park, you can see new sights and it can make walking a bit more interesting.
5. Make a Work Playlist
Music is truly the heart of creativity. Lyrics and beats can inspire all kinds of artists. Make a playlist of your favorite songs, songs that inspire you. I also include songs that have to go with my work. If I’m writing a personal essay about something from Middle school, I’ll put on music that I loved at that time. Also, having a background noise helps a lot of people. It can pull the away from distractions, such as road noise and other people.
6. Just Have Fun!
Hey, were in a global pandemic. Everyone is tired, everyone is stressed. We’re having to stay home most of the time and entertain ourselves. Don’t take your work too seriously. Create something stupid. One of my favorite exercises is writing bad poems. I’ll purposefully write a poem that makes you want to claw your eyes out when you read it, but it’s so much fun. It allows me to let go a bit and not worry about anything being perfect. You’re not always going to produce the best work, and that’s okay. Just going with the flow will help you relax and ease stress.