Don’t Wait for Motivation, Create Now

I grew up in the 90s, when things were simple. No social media, no constant comparisons, and more time outside. It was a wonderful time to be alive, but also a terrible time to be a Black girl in London, UK.

I worked tirelessly to achieve the best grades in school, I pressed and curled my hair to get that “good hair,” and I pushed myself to my limits to be the best. But there were times when I really didn’t feel like doing anything at all, it didn’t feel right, but I would binge watch cartoons and stuff myself with junk food instead of writing poetry, short stories or doing my homework.

I know, you’re probably questioning my choice of introduction. “This has nothing to do with the topic at hand, what is she talking about?”

Stay with me for a while, don’t leave.

In school, I was a straight A student. In fact, I would cry my eyes out if I received a B or C grade in any subject. Then one day, my English teacher pulled me aside and said:

“You need a challenge, you need something to push you further as a writer. I’ve noticed that you're slacking with your essay writing. Yes, you’re still getting 90% on every essay, however, you’re not digging deep.”

I stood there, stunned.

“What the heck?”

“Really?”

I was top of the class in English Literature and English Language. This was an insult to me. Anyway, my English teacher, Mr Waterhouse, set a challenge for me to complete. It was a 30-day challenge to wake up each day and write 500 words about anything. Easy right?

Wrong.

Throughout my school years, I felt motivated to work because of the reward of receiving top grades, awards, and gifts from my parents.

For this challenge, I would receive nothing.

“What’s the point?” I said to myself.

Mr Waterhouse read my mind, he said:

“The point of this challenge is to push you to create, even when you’re not in the mood to create.”

“It’s a skill that most of the top writers develop over the years. Doing this challenge will sharpen your skills as a writer, and it will toughen you up. You’re too laid back about everything. You need a kick up the backside.”

I was deeply offended.

Anyway, I accepted the challenge.

Day one came around, and I woke up at 5 am to write my first 500 words. I had no idea what to write. I sat there staring at the blank page feeling sick to my stomach. Like, what the hell am I going to write about?

Eventually, I pulled something out of the bag and wrote a piece about a Maya Angelou book I had read the week before. My first piece was complete, 560 words. Done!

I felt good.

“This is going to be a piece of cake” I whispered to myself with an arrogant smirk on my face.

“I can do this in my sleep.”

So, day two came along, no problems there. I managed to get up and write 700 words, more than the recommended amount for this challenge. I had an English Literature lesson that day and Mr Waterhouse gave me the look:

“Struggling yet?”

He knew me well. He was fully aware that this was the easy part.

Day 15 hit, and the alarm went off. I stared at it, switched it off, and rolled over to go back to sleep.

“I really don’t feel like writing today.”

I remembered something, this challenge is supposed to push me to create when I don’t feel like creating.

Discipline. Hmmm.

I dragged myself out of bed. With my eyes half closed, I entered the bathroom and splashed freezing cold water on my face. Brushed my teeth, did a quick stretch and a five minute guided meditation session, then I reluctantly switched on my computer.

I sat there for 20 minutes feeling this knot in my stomach. I didn’t feel like writing. It was like a dark cloud over my head. A deep realisation that motivation is not the key to success. Most successful people work when they don’t feel like working. Doing this will make you stronger in any field.

I’m tired today, so I’m going to sleep instead of writing or working out, or painting or making music.

No, as a creator, you must push through the pain.

Creativity is love, but creativity is also pain.

Motivation will get you nowhere. Discipline will get you everywhere.

"Don't wait for inspiration. It comes while working." – Henri Matisse

I admire Nora Roberts because she treats writing like a job, not a hobby, and yes, writing is fun sometimes, writing is cathartic, therapeutic however, even the best writers don’t feel like writing all the time.

There’s nothing wrong with taking a break to recharge and refocus, but don’t wait for that lightning bolt of inspiration before you sit down to fill the white page, it might never come.

Write now. Create now.

Honestly, I fell off the horse after going through some really tough times. I'm still going through difficult times, but I’m up at 6 am writing this piece. When I woke up, I didn’t feel like writing at all, but I forced myself to open my laptop and write.

I’m on my 22nd minute of a Pomodoro writing session right now and I’m almost done with my first draft. I’m proud of myself because I haven’t felt the urge to write recently. I felt stuck for a while, but now, I’m back on the writing train, and it feels good.

The point I’m making here is this:

If you wait until you feel “motivated” to create, you’ll never create, and for me, the pain of regret is worse than the pain of discipline, so I choose discipline these days.

Ask yourself this:

“What would it feel like if I pushed myself to create and something miraculous happened?”

You know, I published an article recently about how one article can change your life completely. The day I wrote that piece, I didn’t feel like writing at all. I wasn’t in the mood to write, but I did anyway, and I got my first top story in a while.

I remember the days when I would receive editors pick accolades on Medium, and when local newspapers would contact me personally to write articles. Then I went through a dark period of depression where writing seemed like something far off. I couldn’t stomach the idea of picking up a pencil let alone opening my laptop to type an article out.

Now, I’m back in the groove and I’m ready to write when I don’t feel like writing. The truth is, you might not create a masterpiece, but remember that every time you create, you change something in yourself.

You grow, even if it's just a little bit each time. Every word you write, every sentence you craft, adds another layer to your understanding of yourself and your craft. It might not feel like much at the moment, but over time, it builds up into something meaningful. So, even when the inspiration isn't flowing, keep going—because consistency and effort are what truly shape the artist within.

What’s one challenge you’ve faced in your creative journey, and how did you push through it when motivation was low? Share your story—let’s inspire each other to keep going.

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