It’s a week until New York Gift, and I should be down in the studio, blasting out work. But I’m not. My motivation has slowed to a crawl. And the reality is, I can’t really do much about it.
I’m not a winter person, and so when I’m cold, my brain and body shut down. (And when I say cold, I mean it’s hard for me to function when it’s colder than 70 in my house. True story.)
Now, I could get mad at myself for this lack of motivation, and think of myself as someone who is just too much of a wuss to make it work when she’s cold. Or, I could acknowledge that I find it hard to get into the studio over the winter, and build that into my plan for the year.
So often, when our motivation wanes, we blame ourselves. And while that may sometimes be the case, it’s also possible that something beyond us is the real culprit. It could be environmental, it could be related to your physical or emotional health, or it could be because your subconscious is telling you that the tasks you’re putting off aren’t the right work for you.
While it is possible that your lack of motivation is caused by fear, it’s equally likely that your lack of motivation at a given moment or for a certain task is caused by something deeper that needs to be considered.
If you feel your motivation flagging, the first step is to figure out what’s really the culprit.
Is your workspace not set up to encourage productivity? Have you not been taking care of your health, and it’s making it tough to work? Are you burnt out from overwork and just need a break? Are you trying to do things that really aren’t your right work? Is it the weather? The time of day? The season?
Once you know the culprit, you have two choices. Change it or roll with it.
And either one is valid, depending on the situation.
If you’re lacking motivation because your work isn’t a good fit for you, your workspace needs an overhaul, or you’ve been neglecting your physical or emotional health, then it’s time to make a change. But if it’s an outside factor beyond your control that’s hurting your mojo, why not recognize that and make peace with it.
I’m writing this blog post (and not freaking out about what I should be doing for New York Gift) because I understand that winter is not my most productive studio time. And I plan accordingly. I don’t put any pressure on myself to design a new collection for the winter trade shows, because I know it wouldn’t be good (or fun). Instead, I block out lots of studio time when the weather heats up, and head into the summer shows with new work.
Part of having a a freedom driven studio means matching your business work flow to your creative work flow. We aren’t robots, and it’s unrealistic to put in the exact same amount of work day in and day out, year after year.
Truly productive creative businesses learn to work in a way that supports their unique skills and tendencies, rather than fighting against them. They strike when the iron is hot, and take time off when it’s not.
So the next time you feel yourself unmotivated, instead of playing the shame game, take a minute to ask yourself, why? If it’s something within your control, go ahead and fix it. But if not, learn to roll with it. Structure your process for the times or months when your motivation is at it’s peak, and stop fighting the times when it’s not.
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Part of the Freedom Driven Studio program is learning to match your workflow to the times that you’re most engaged, productive, and motivated. Head over to freedomdrivenstudio.com to learn more about the program, and sign up to be notified when registration opens.
Story of my life! Thank you, this is just what I needed today. Let’s just say it’s been a very cold, slooow week.
Thanks for this reminder… I’ve noticed that I always go through a period of dormancy in the winter, which can be hard to accept. This year was heightened by having sustained a concussion and having rest and inactivity imposed on me. Ugh.
I’m working to remember that spring follows winter and it won’t be long before I am again bursting with energy and eager to share with fellow humans. In the meantime, while I don’t feel well enough to approach my bigger, long-term projects, I’m finding ways to bring smaller projects to the comfy couch.
I love this perspective. I do try to combat being unorganized or procrastinating, but sometimes we need to slow down. My wholesale launch has ground to a halt for the last two months because we have been moving and I can’t work up the stamina in my few hours of downtime between my “real” job and all of the moving work. This was a great reminder to make plans for when I can get going again and go easy on the guilt!
Hi Megan,
You’ve hit upon the exact location of my feelings for the past month! I think your balanced perspective is just right. Trouble is, I honestly don’t know if my lack of motivation is coming from an underlying fear or from my subconscious telling me I should be focusing on something else. I’m not sure how to figure out if I should push through the doldrums (to battle fear) or be looking for new inspiration and not feel guilty about my lack of output. Any suggestions on getting to the core of the problem?
Thanks so much for this post Megan! It was spot on for me today! Thank you for the suggestions of looking for the reason instead of just being down on myself, and finding ways to be productive, even when I am not producing. This is my focus for today. Thanks and good luck at NY Gift!
Thanks again Megan! That is what I like about your posts. You address REAL life issues. Lack of motivation hits EVERYONE sometimes and therefore shouldn’t be regarded as a trait of losers. I know that successful people get those blues every now and then but instead of falling into the shame game, make something positive about it. I like your approach to this issue and look forward to your new program!
I have been lucky enough to realized that my motivation will return. If I can’t bring myself to do one thing, I work on something else knowing that eventually I will be ready to get back to other things that need to be done.
Yes! Its so easy to be hard on yourself when things aren’t flowing properly. Sometimes that judgement is misplaced. I am reminded in these times that I set my pace, my work schedule, and deadlines (more or less). So long as it is not procrastination rearing its ugly head, maybe its time to just recharge instead. Or do a different task. Knowing yourself and your creative cycle is so key to happiness!
Thanks for the awesome post.
I loved today’s article about motivation and the lack thereof… your words are so spot-on, Megan. I posted about it on my handmade blog today. 🙂 http://myhandmadeblog-bynikki.blogspot.com/
Inspiration and motivation go together in the arts and being from Maine, I totally identify with the gray/cold, short days being a drag (self-diagnosed with SAD). Many artists have spent winters in warmer climates to avoid down time and ‘feeling down’ time. The world is your oyster! 🙂 enJoy!
Thanks Megan for your insightful post. This time of year is the anniversary months of several immediate family members and I always feel pressured to power my way through the doldrums. I’ve decided to paint flower studies to loosen up and focus on the upcoming spring. Its also a relief to be reminded this is a normal process and to just go with the flow.
Lovely post. The hard thing is realizing that you should and can analyze whats happening, rather than just trying to plow through. And giving yourself the freedom to say this is where I am right now, and it’s OK.
Hi Megan, thank you for your insightful article and the reminder that I’m not the only one who occasionally feels this way! The comments are enough to ensure one of that 🙂
When I get stuck in not wanting to do things, I sometimes catch myself over-analysing the situation though (because I can use it as procrastination), and finding a healthy balance seems key. The challenge is to be easy on yourself as possible, and then reminding yourself why you love what you’re supposed to be doing, and then doing it from a place of love.
I am a relatively new reader and would just like to say hello 🙂 I found your websites a little while ago, searching for information on starting my own blog, and they have been really inspiring! Thank you! I’m writing this with my new blog name attached for the first time 🙂 Although it’s more of a writing/photography blog rather than crafts, your advice is widely applicable! Your female perspective is very empowering!
Hey Megan, great post! It’s so refreshing to see advice that encourages acceptance of our natural ebbs and flows. There are too many messages that try to make us feel shameful for being occasionally tired or unfocused, and really it’s just a regular part of life. We can’t perform at 100% every single day, ignoring the signals our minds and bodies are trying to send us. If we did that, we’d burn ourselves out and abandon the work we used to love so much. Thank you for reminding us that it’s important to give ourselves time and space to stop, breathe and listen to ourselves every once in a while.
Not trying to “rub it in” but I live on Maui, so… just saying I can’t blame winter weather. Sometimes, we just feel …. um….overwhelmed? Okay, I will speak for myself: I sometimes feel overwhelmed and when that happens, it’s “fight or flight” and I try to honor which reaction I am having at the time.
As an artist who has been full-time for over 20 years, somehow I make it all work and make the deadlines and make the studio time productive and get the shipments out to my 35 or so wholesale accounts within a day of my promises – usually a day early. Not much to feel guilty about in general. I will max out my IRA contributions again this year, so I really need to feel “accomplished” and try to remember to pat myself on the back from time to time.
But this article is brilliant for one truly important reason: DON’T go to the blame/guilt corner of your mind. You won’t find any answers there and you won’t find any comfort there and you won’t find any creativity there. And it can be a very hard place to leave.
I am a new reader, Megan. This is the first post of yours I have read. I am signing up for more of the same. Thanks.
Wow, you don’t know how much I can relate to this sentiment. All last week, I knew I had a busy weekend approaching and not matter what I did, I couldn’t get motivated to want to kick butt and be productive. The funny thing is, while I was procrastinating on early Saturday morning, avoiding the work ahead, I was reading something that got me inspired to take notes for my blog. Next thing I know, I have multiple notes for multiple posts and I’m almost overwhelmed with new content ideas. Sometimes a little procrastination works to reignite the fire, as long as you’re doing something that has a potential to inspire. I do not recommend video games for this exercise.
Hi Megan
Reading this makes me reassured that I am not the only person who feels like this. I struggle from not having a working space and having to make do with working off the kitchen table. Also from having so much in my life that when I do get time I feel tired and not motivated at all to create! I work as an Artist part time and would love to make it my living but currently stuggle fitting it in around work and finding venues to sell my work. So most of all I get demotivated by lack of time.
Thank you for the inspiring article.