Blog content in a snapshot:
In this blog post, I’ll share my top 5 ways to boost my mood as a painter and how I stay motivated.
Table of contents:
Plan the week ahead
Create a morning routine
Do a mood check
Do an accountability check
Create special time for oneself
As a creative person, I have not always liked having a plan. I was working more based on the inspiration of the moment. But inspiration has its ups and downs and I realised I still needed to work even though I was not feeling inspired or motivated. Also, I came to the realisation that time must be intentionally spent, and for that I must take time to plan ahead and do progress checks. If I do this, the result is: I am more purposeful with my time and my motivation is more stable since I look forward to certain things in my schedule.
The first pillar to keep my motivation high is planning for the week to come. This means scheduling work (new painting, meetings, calls, content creation, etc.) and non-work duties (family time, personal appointments, etc.). I like to write them down in my weekly planner. Sometimes there will be too many things to accomplish within the week, and so, I create a special corner for “nice-to-be-accomplished” tasks. This way, whenever there is free time and all must-dos are tackled, I go on and take on a nice-to-have project.
The second pillar is: I make time for my morning routine. Which I make sure to create space for it in my week when week-planning. Everyday, there is an entitled slot for my morning routine. After many trials (longer/shorter routine, earlier/later routine), I have found one morning routine that works great for me. This means that this routine is completely tailored to the season I am at this point in time: current needs & responsibilities and ongoing projects.
Having a morning routine helps me stay in an optimal mood for painting. After my routine, I reflect on my state of mind. I usually feel energised and lucid. After this mood check, I am ready to sit in front of the canvas and start painting the story I want to tell. If you want to know how I prepare for my next painting click here.
One important thing that also keeps my motivation high is making sure I give myself some credit. Often times, I am in this go-getter mindset where I am only focused on what needs to be done and how it needs to be done. And I lose sight of my accomplishments. Which leads to feeling unmotivated or even disappointed: there will always be work to do, places to go, etc. That is why, I take a few minutes in the week and I go through the milestones that I have reached and then give myself a virtual tap in the back! I tell myself “Well done, keep going!”. This fuels me up.
Lastly, I create time for myself. I once read an inspiring quote that helped me switch perspectives: instead of thinking “what have I done to deserve to rest?”, think “how well rested am I to show up as my best self”. Special time to oneself can look very different to everyone. For me, the best ways I fill my motivation tank are: 1) doing my morning routine, 2) walk in nature. Which are yours?
Keep on painting your path!
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