I think it’s interesting that Kristina wrote about inspiration yesterday. It certainly plays nicely into the closely related topic of motivation, something that I tend to think about a lot. Personally I don’t think inspiration is magic or that talent gets you anywhere. For me it comes down to the very real, and often very boring job of working on my photography every single day. Continue reading “Keeping Motivated”
Keeping Motivated
Shelly - 6 Comments 
Why? vs Motivation
Shelly - Leave a reply 
“Why?”seems to be the question of the day. We have been asking it here on the blog and have been blessed by a handful of guest posts that answer that question from various view points. I was recently reading Beautiful Lego by Mike Doyle and it is filled with artist essays that directly tackle the question of “Why?” from a Lego builders point of view.
In all the answers I have been reading there are plenty of similarities: emotional connection with the audience, expression of an idea, new ways to interact with a beloved childhood toy and the element of surprise at seeing a familiar toy in a new way. But is “Why?” even the right question to be asking?
Sure it is, if you are marketing to a particular audience; it would be important to know what drives your audience so you can sell more product. But if you are an artist, the bigger and far more important question seems to me to be: “How do you stay motivated?”
How does the creative individual stay motivated to get up everyday and strive to make something new. How does an artist keep creating day after day in relative anonyminity. No matter what your creative tools may be (a camera, lego bricks or your words), how do you keep going day after day pursuing an activity that will bring you only intangible rewards?
Of all the responses we have had so far to the question “Why?” I think that Legojacker was the closest to addressing the more important question: How do you stay motivated?
~ xxsjc
So what DOES it take to stay motivated?
Staying Motivated is Hard to Do
Shelly - 1 Comment 
I don’t think there is any skill harder to develop than the ability to stay motivated. No matter what you are doing, taking photographs, building your latest MOC or writing the next great novel, staying motivated is hard.
It’s easy to get distracted by day to day obligations, or worse yet just quitting altogether, because creating art is hard. But there is a trick to not quitting, make friends with people who share your passion. Surround yourself with supportive excited people who like to do what you do. Get together on a regular basis and share what you’ve been working on. Geek out, it’s fun!
I know that toy photography is a rather specialized photo niche and Instagram can be a great substitute for a local photo club. It can function like the most amazing and supportive group of fellow photographers you could ever hope for. Plus by getting in the habit of posting once a day, every other day or whatever you can commit to, you will be getting better just by shooting consistently. It is also a great place to make friends who share your passion for toy photography.
So get out there and shoot some photos with your camera, your phone, your fancy DSLR…it doesn’t matter what the photo looks like. Some days your photos will be awesome, other days, not so much. It goes with the territory. Post your photo to Instagram, get some feed back and do it again tomorrow. It’s doing the work that is important. Of course the real fun begins when you look back over your feed and see how much you have grown.
And THAT will feel much better than quitting.
Do you find it hard to stay motivated?
How do you stay motivated?
Art & Fear, You Are Not Alone
Shelly - Leave a reply 
While you are trying to figure out what European City +Me2 is currently in, I want to distract you with a book recommendation:
Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles & Ted Orlando.
I read this book many years ago and it was helpful when I hit a few creative rough patches. I thought I would give it a read again and see if it could shed some light on many of the creative concerns I hear mentioned by my friends on Instagram. Ideas like motivation, inspiration, talent and approval to name just a few of the common themes I hear mentioned in one way or another.
After the first page, after just the first paragraph, I wanted to scream out: THIS IS IT! I don’t know how I can express to you how good it feels to read this book. It is like having your favorite, trusted art teacher tell you all your fears and doubts are ok, that we all have them. It is normal.
Since I know you are not convinced, here are a few quotes from the first pages to tantalize you:
”Artmaking involves skills that can be learned. The conventional wisdom here is that while ‘craft’ can be taught, ‘art’ remains a magical gift bestowed only by the gods. Not so.” Art and Fear, page 3.
”Even talent is rarely indistinguishable, over the long run, from perseverance and lots of hard work.” Art and Fear, page 3.
”You learn how to make your work by making your work … art you care about — and lots of it!” Art and Fear, page 6.
Pleas don’t be dissuaded from this book by the word “Art”. It is relevant to anyone who is trying to be creative, no matter if you are a painter, a jeweler, a musician or a writer. The observations in this book are for everyone who wants to be creative. So I beg you, plead with you, to go to your local book store and grab a copy of this work of sheer genius. Trust me.
~ xxsjc
If you have read this book did you find it helpful?
Are there any other books you would like to recommend that helped you with your artistic doubts?