How To Keep Creating Even When you Don't Want To

Feeling your creative self slipping away in the rush of life? Every day is a new set of responsibilities that leave us with little time to do all the things that matter most. We are torn between creating the life we really want while still continuing to "adult". I'll admit I've let my creative self wither away due to feeling unmotivated and not putting what I love into practice on a daily basis. My writer self kept being forgotten in the midst of the chaos. Every creative person knows that without practice the skills we once knew get harder. I, as a writer, left this blog alone for nearly a year without writing a single word. I had purchased a computer that would allow me to write effortlessly. I had all the tools at my fingertips yet I used it to waste time watching Netflix, and YouTube or scrolling endlessly on social media for hours at a time when I could've spent that time writing and creating content that would matter to people. How do you keep yourself from distractions so that more of your time is spent honing your art, music, writing, photography, etc?

I am not saying that it is wrong to spend your time watching TV shows or movies, scrolling on social media, hanging out with friends, and other various activities, but when most of your time is spent doing those things it leaves a lot of time when you could've spent time on your passions.

We've all been in that place. We feel lazy, unmotivated, and insecure about the art we want to create. We are bored, and our creative self has been left alone for far too long. How do we awaken that which has been sleeping? Wake it up, tell that lazy person to get to work. Sounds easy right?

There are days where I don't want to get out of bed, or go to work, or do much at all but sometimes we just have to do things that we don't want to. It's the same with any art or anything you want to do. If you don't want to do something you won't. We know ourselves better than others. If there is no "Why?" than we'll lose our will to create, even if it is something that we love.

What fuels your fire? Do you sing because you need it to express an emotion or thought you are struggling with and want others to see that too? Do you write "like you're running out of time, like you need it to survive?" Do you have a good idea that you want to share with the world? You've found your why.

Sometimes the reason for the loss of creativity is because someone put us down and made us feel like we weren't talented enough to share our art. We listened to this criticism and instead of working harder at it to get better, we gave up. If everyone who was told they weren't good enough gave up than we wouldn't have those people creating art.

J.K. Rowling, author of The Harry Potter books kept writing. Her books were rejected by several publishers. Would you believe that Harry Potter, one of the most successful book and movie series of our time was actually passed on? Perhaps, when she submitted her work it just wasn't quite what they were looking for. What if she quit writing because someone told her "no"? We wouldn't have this beautiful series that is Harry Potter in book or movie form.

An actor or actress goes on several auditions before booking the part. A musician's songs are thrown in the trash before they're listened to. A CEO of a big company was probably once homeless before rising to the top. If we ignore our passions the world loses. Create for yourself first and love what you do. As long as you're breathing you still have opportunities to make the world a much brighter place.

What you bring to the conversation is important. Create, and continue to create. Write garbage, sing badly, fail. As humans, we are going to fail. Don't give in to the voices in your head that you aren't an artist or someone with value.

"Don't throw away your shot"- Hamilton- by Lin Manual-Miranda

Until next time,

-Jade-