Looking for Motivation? Then You Need to Do This

I don’t like calling myself a writer.

No, it’s not because I’m bad at the craft or that I lack confidence; it’s because that word doesn’t fully define me.

Yes, I’m a person who writes, but as I’ve said before, I don’t really enjoy it.

The act itself is a grueling test of the mind and will, an exhausting exercise that leaves me drained and demands nothing less than my absolute focus.

I’m a far cry from authors who boast of writing thousands of words a day. I see people tout year-long streaks of daily blogging like it’s an achievement, yet all I can think of is how sick I’d be if I did the same.

So why do I keep on writing, you ask? Why do I subject myself to pain on a (semi)consistent basis?

Because I love making art. 

I love seeing content I made and thinking, “Wow, that’s pretty good.”

Truth is, I’ve been a content creator much longer than I’ve been a writer. My Youtube videos just became articles. My spoken words turned into written ones. And the games I played switched to real life.

The means are different now but the result is still the same: Art. 

I can’t imagine a life where I don’t create art. There’s an addictive feeling that comes every time I’ve completed a project—a feeling that nothing else can provide.

Creators like me love making work that inspires, encourages, and occasionally blows your mind. But the process of making that work can be anything but joyful—especially when motivation wanes.

I’m sure you’ve heard that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. But you know what? That’s not true. I don’t know where people got that ‘cause it’s not in the dictionary.

But if we pretend that definition is true, then you need to be “insane” to create art. You have to sit and do the same thing over and over to eventually make stuff worth consuming.

Everyone looks for motivation when they hit the inevitable dry spell, but what they really need is this “insanity”.

If you want do the extraordinary, you have to excel at the ordinary. 

That’s the secret to making art. You humble yourself, get uncomfortable, and commit to the boring things.

The day you stop looking for inspiration and just doodle in your notebook is the day you can call a success. So if you write like I do, gather some ideas, write your draft, and then edit. And if you want to improve, keep doing each step.

Don’t worry about how you feel. Just keep cycling through. Then once you complete a project, celebrate quickly and move on.

Everything you do should focus on the next hit, the next project, the next article, because there’s no time to live in the past. As soon as you look back, you’ll neglect what’s in front of you, and that’s when you’ll fall off track.

This is the mindset of an artist. You don’t look for motivation; you force the work to motivate you.

You dedicate yourself to the small things and use those moments to come alive:

• Driving to the library after work should be your pleasure.
• Hitting the gym when the rooster crows should rouse you.
• Editing videos while your roommate’s asleep should fire you up.

Again, if you want to do the extraordinary, you have to excel at the ordinary. So plod, grind, and slog your way through.

That’s how you separate yourself from the field. You force yourself to do what’s tedious and you do it often—no matter how motivated you are.

That’s what I’ve had to do lately.

Recent events have stripped my routine to its essentials, and I admit I’ve hit a bit of a wall.

My writing environment has changed, my work schedule is goofy, and I can’t reward myself the way I used to. Comfort and safety are also the world’s priorities now, and those are the last things you want as a content creator.

Man, I haven’t been this bored in years, yet I know the boring things are still the most important, so that’s what I’m doing now.

You can’t get bored with the boring things either. Remember that you have to be “insane”. 

We humans are creatures of habit, and the more we struggle, the easier the grind becomes.

So let’s both agree to excel at the ordinary. And hopefully, something beautiful will result.

-Drew