Staying Motivated

Photo taken on an inspirational walk downtown last week. I nearly froze my fingers, but the photos were worth it!

Overjoyed.  Hopeful.  Delighted.  These are the emotions I felt on my typical morning school drop-off this week.  I drove the same route, at the same time, with the same 2 kids.  So what was so different?  I finally noticed how bright it has become in the morning.  Noticing this little change really made a difference in my mindset.  I, like so many others, have COVID fatigue after so many months of restrictions.  Add to that our bitter February cold snap, and my inspiration all but disappeared this month. 

Seeking motivation, I picked up a copy of Rob Walker’s The Art of Noticing.  In his book, Rob offers 131 ways to spark creativity, find inspiration, and discover joy in the everyday.  While it was still too cold to many of the things listed, it did serve to spark my attention and get me to pay more attention to life around me.   Inspiration can be found everywhere. You only need to know how to look. Taking time away from the canvas, slowing down, and paying attention to your surroundings can feed your creative soul in a big way.

Working solo is part of the job when you are an artist, so to keep myself energized and on track, I joined an accountability group. The program runs for 6 weeks and I look forward to our meetups to help me stay focused on my goals and encourage others to do the same.