Do you have trouble getting and staying motivated? I do, and I sometimes wonder why that is. I like to paint, I want to paint, then why do I allow myself to go through periods, sometimes lasting a few months, without doing any work?

The longer I go without working, the harder it is to get back into it. I know this, so why to I let myself go so long without working? Doesn’t seem logical, does it?

Here are a few reasons that could explain a lack of motivation: (I’m sure there are many more)

▸ not knowing what to paint next
▸ feeling that our latest efforts have been unsuccessful
▸ a fear of not being good enough
▸ low sales
▸ mediocre reception from the viewing public
▸ feeling that the painting process is less than satisfying
▸ confusion about what our direction should be
▸ failure to develop our ’own’ recognizable style
▸ failure to obtain peer recognition through acceptance into juried shows

Sometimes, we can claim that we’re too busy, or that we haven’t been feeling well, or we’ve had too many other things to deal with. Those are all valid reasons of course, however, are we being truthful, or are we just kidding ourselves, just making excuses?

So, what’s to be done about it? How do we get our mojo back. And how do we hang on to it once we get it back?

First of all, I think we need to make a decision: are we going to be an occasional painter who paints only once in a while for the fun of it (and therefore it doesn’t matter if we don’t paint for a long whilte), OR are we going to be a more dedicated painter who is willing to put some real effort into it in order to improve and reap the rewards both in terms of success and personal gratification? If we chose the latter, then we have to decide to make painting a priority and that means dropping the excuses and making time to do it.

• The hardest part of working is getting started.
• One thing that helps is to plan for it, and then stick to the plan. Even if only for 10 minutes per day. A start is a start, the rest will come.
• Don’t worry about what to paint next, just get to the studio and start doing something, anything, as long as you’re doing it.
• Stop thinking about it. Do it. Planning and thinking will not accomplish anything unless you actually do it.
• There’s no magic in life, there’s no big secret. It’s all up to you. You just have to do it.
• The only way to get better is to paint, paint, and paint some more.

I know some of these sound like cliches, but they’re all so true. Think about it. So, what will it be? For me, it’s back to the studio, every day. That’s what I want and it’s up to me to make it happen.

What about you?

Suzette

The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work. (Oprah Winfrey)