Lacking Motivation or Inspiration?

Why our motivation must be sourced internally if we are to keep going long-term

Good morning!

What do you do when inspiration is lacking? What do you do when your motivation’s drained? As an artist and a creator, what do you do when the wells of your muse have suddenly run dry, and you’re gasping for air like a fish out of water? How do you pick yourself up when your routine starts deteriorating, weariness settling in after doing something for so long?

These are questions that I believe any artist faces — that goes for painters, musicians, writers, poets, sculptors, you name it.

Here’s the thing: success doesn’t help too much with leading you on; you’d think, “Maybe, if I can just get this book published, I’ll have enough motivation to write the next one without struggling as hard. Maybe, if I can just sell this one artwork, I would be inspired to do it again.”

And while there is some good to those thoughts, as they do give us hope and remind us of what is possible to achieve, they also cause us to rely on external factors for our motivation; what we must realize, however, is that there is only so much we can control. I can control what I read and write, what I paint and see, what I sculpt or sing, yes, but I cannot control who will appreciate or pay for it. I cannot make other people’s reactions to my artwork the source of my happiness, nor can I make success my muse, as she will regrettably fail me.

I know it might sound cliché to say, but I really believe you must find the source of your inspiration inside; be inspired by the fact that you started your project, or by the fact that you were able to gain any sort of momentum whatsoever; be inspired by your own inertia and remember why you started doing it in the first place. Remind yourself why you’re in this battle to begin with, and you’ll find winning a whole lot easier.

God bless you, have a great day!

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