The creative’s guide to staying inspired and motivated
As a creative entrepreneur you have no doubt found the ups and downs of staying inspired to create exciting fresh new services or products tricky, or struggled to stay motivated just when you need the artist’s muse to visit you. During busy periods, whether it’s home or work life or both, work can sometimes seem a little like a conveyor belt – those multiple and immovable deadlines are often the antithesis of a creative life which often thrives on a slow approach.
To counterbalance this here are my tips for staying on course and in love with your business:
PLAN & SCHEDULE YOUR WORK
Plan your weeks, months and years – use a paper diary and a wall planner as well as whatever online tools you use (for instance your online calendars, I use Acuity to keep my home and work life synced (with my icalendar) so I never miss something important). Keeping on track and knowing what you have to do and when can take away the uncertainty and lower stress levels.
REWARD YOURSELF OFTEN
Reward yourself for every task completed – be it a 10-minute break with a cup of tea for clearing the inbox, to a weekend away for completing your target number of bookings or sales. All work and no play makes life monotonous – keep having fun and make sure you have time to relax.
MAKE TIME TO BE CREATIVE
It can seem like an indulgence when things are busy but honestly nurturing your creativity is one of THE most important things you can do for your business. I schedule my creative time every week – regardless of how busy I am. It doesn’t always have to be work-related either – enjoy creating art for art’s sake. Schedule the amount of time that suits your lifestyle – maybe a few hours, a day, one week a month – whatever works for you, but do it.
KEEP A JOURNAL
This can be a mindfulness or gratitude diary, or even a creative journal. Jot down all those ideas and never lose a good idea again! Writing down the things that make you happy, or working through your feelings in response to events can be fabulously cathartic and motivating. Some people journal every day, others less frequently – find a pattern that works for you and stick to it.
FIND A MENTOR
A mentor can be a productive way to talk through ideas and is great for accountability. Choose someone whose opinion you trust and who you feel a connection with, preferably who has experience or knowledge in your sector. If your budget allows a coach can be a huge driving force for your business and really get you the results you want. Again, personality here is key – finding someone who you trust with your innermost thoughts and ideas is a leap of faith – do your research and find the right person (I offer discovery calls for potential coaching clients for this very reason, to make sure we’re a good for one another).
INVEST & LEARN IN YOURSELF
Never stop learning. Book yourself on workshops and retreats, sign up for those online courses. There’s always something new that can elevate your work – be it personal growth, a specific skill set, exploration of different art forms, or more practical aspects of business like marketing, PR, social media and software.
OUTSOURCE FOR MORE FREE TIME
As and when finances allow outsource what you can to people who do it better – this will give you more time to do what you do best – create. From finding the perfect VA, Social Media Manager, Accountant, Cleaner or Assistant, the more time you have to invest in the artistic process the better – you’ll be happier and this will lead to greater success.
I hope you’ve found these tips useful, do come and join my Facebook Group and like-minded community of creative entrepreneurs for more help, advice and support.
