• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

CLARA NARTEY |Unlock Your Creative Potential

Creativity, Thread Sketching, Art Quilters, Fiber Artists

  • Start Here
    • The Artist
    • Artworks
    • Exhibitions
  • Work with Clara
    • Hire Clara
    • Take a Course
  • Media + Press
  • Blog
  • Contact

5 Simple Ways You Can Get Motivated for Your Creative Project

November 8, 2018 by Clara Nartey 4 Comments

Have you noticed that there are seasons in your creative life when you don’t feel motivated to do what you need to get done? What do you do when that happens to you?

I’ve been working on a big writing project for the last several months. In addition to that, I’ve got textile art projects I’m working on, I’ve got my blog I’m coordinating SAQA Connecticut’s regional show and caring for my family.

Motivation vs Discipline

Recently, I haven’t been feeling motivated to work on either my writing project or my textile project. I had such a consistent approach to both of these projects but then I hit a snag. And for each one of them, I can tell you exactly at what point I got stuck.  

Motivation vs Discipline
Original pen sketch on fabric

For the writing project, I started writing on a particular topic and suddenly I found it hard to articulate what was in my mind onto paper. After discarding several drafts, I was no longer motivated. The writing project seemed long tiresome and unrewarding. I couldn’t get myself to go back to writing as diligently as I’d been doing previously.

Thread Sketching|Discipline | Motivation

And for my textile project which I’d previously shared with you., I got stuck in my head imagining how to use threads to draw the hair of my character. For weeks, I couldn’t go back to my studio to work on that particular project. So, how do you get yourself motivated again? Here’s what I discovered.

5 Ways to Get Yourself Motivated

  1. Look Up to Someone Else

When you can’t find it in you to motivate yourself, you can’t find it in you. Period! That’s when it helps to look up to someone else you admire and who understands what you’re going through. For me that motivation came from a quote, I’d read a while ago from an artist called Mark Bradford.

Thread Sketching|Motivation|Discipline
Illustration- drawing hair with threads and stitch
  1. Take a Break.

When you find yourself stuck in your own head you need to take a break from what you’re working on and switch to something that’s stimulating. The caution here is to make your break short so you don’t end up procrastinating on what you need to do.

How to be motivated|Disciplined|Thread Work
Illustration- drawing hair with threads and stitch
  1. Focus on the Prize or Reward.

Another thing I found helpful was to focus on what I’ll achieve and how I’ll feel when I complete these two projects. Thinking of these two things helped me to not completely abandon my projects.

How to be motivated|Disciplined|Thread Work
Illustration- drawing hair with threads and stitch
  1. Celebrate Small Wins

I lost track of all the progress I’d made and focused on how much more I had to go. And that derailed me. When you feel unmotivated, focus on the parts of your project, not the whole. This way, you’ll overcome the overwhelm and you’ll be able to celebrate your progress and be kind to yourself for all the work you’ve done.

How to be motivated | Discipline | Thread Work | Thread Painting | Thread Drawing
Illustration- drawing hair with threads and stitch
  1. Discipline Yourself

I think the best antidote to lack of motivation is discipline. One of my favorite quotes is by Chuck Close “inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work”. This quote and that one by Mark Bradford about disciplining himself to work even when he doesn’t feel like it eventually got me going again.

How to be motivated| Disciplined|Thread Work| Thread Painting | Free Motion Quilting
Illustration- drawing hair with threads and stitch

Amazing Results

Something truly awesome happened when I disciplined myself to go back to writing the topic I’d been previously stuck on.  I made progress.  In the grand scheme of things, it may not be a lot of writing – It was 3 hours of writing.  But that was something I hadn’t been able to do on that particular topic for a while. So I was happy to celebrate that win.

How to be motivated| Disciplined| Thread Work| Thread Painting | Free Motion Quilting
Illustration- drawing hair with threads and stitch

And for this hair illustration with threads, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Funny thing is, it just came intuitively.  I must have thought about it long enough that my brain had made the right connections without me knowing. All I needed to do was discipline myself and get to work. And the reward of discipline is indescribable.  I feel so good about myself for getting back on track.

What do you need to get yourself motivated about?

Warmest Regards,

Clara's Signature

 

 

Get behind the scenes and learn more about my art practice, events, exhibitions and release of new artworks


JUST ONE MORE STEP...... Success! Now you need to check your email to confirm your subscription. The subject will be [confirm your subscription] Once you click the link in this confirmation email, you will be on your way to receiving exclusive C-Letters meant for Clara's Friends only. Don't forget to confirm your email. Warmest Regards, Clara

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

I won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit


Also published on Medium.

Comments

  1. PB says

    November 9, 2018 at 8:11 am

    Clara,
    To get motivated when all motivation is gone, i have a picture of my beloved Granny Bea and my Daddy in my studio. Bea inspires me as she was a hard worker, a community supporter into her later years, she raised my dad, worked at the Rodeo, moved to a farm to retire, and loved my granddaddy and tended him too when he had a stroke. She drove miles to the home to feed him his meals daily (all 3 meals) and kept the farm up. She moved to town after he passed and well was a fixture of her small town. At her funeral the whole town came and told happy stories about all her wild travels in her 70s and well she battled throat cancer three times! If she can do all that, I can put my head down and get to work…with a little help from her and Etta James, BB King, and Jimi Hendrix. The passion is within us all, the discipline is the challenge. Embrace the greats and boogie.

    My favorite quote and it fits “Be the woman of passion and faith, that when you get up in the morning and your feet hit the floor, the devil says “Oh Crap, She’s up!””

    Have a blessed day!
    PB

    Reply
    • Clara Nartey says

      November 9, 2018 at 10:23 am

      What an awesome story PB. Thanks for sharing. Your Granny Bae’s story is so powerful. We all can do with motivation from such a story.

      Reply
  2. Carol Capozzoli says

    November 9, 2018 at 12:15 pm

    Timely, discussion for me. I also re-read your motivation discussion. thanks so much Clara!!

    Reply
    • Clara Nartey says

      November 9, 2018 at 11:13 pm

      My pleasure, Carol.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Art Market Inequality | Female Artists | Female Gallery Representation
Next »
Return to menu
creative people need creative friends
« Previous

Creativity

Professional Development

Creative Confidence Boost

Thread Sketching Videos

Thread Sketching Techniques

Surface Design

Textile Art Collector

Textile Art Business

 

Let's Connect on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Copyright © 2023 · All images copyrighted by the artist, Clara Nartey,
and are not to be copied or reproduced in any manner.
Privacy Policy|Terms and Condition|Disclaimer

Copyright © 2023 · Aspire Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in