Lately Ive been feeling so unmotivated :( Can anyone relate? Any tips for overcoming this?

Replies17

  • Hey I feel your pain! Creative block is the worst.

    I find this helps with photography…pick a random word/theme and go with it! Create something sparking from one word can get you thinking and once you start creating hopefully motivation will come along too.
  • I really struggled with this late last year - in fact, if you go to my profile, I posted a similar question and got some great advice.

    For me, I like to deep clean my workspace when I am feeling unmotivated or distracted from my work. A clean space can help reconnect to the work, and have a pleasant impact on the mind.

    I also try to stay away from media too close to the work I make, as I find sometimes it can make me feel even less motivated, ironically. I try to look elsewhere for motivation; in books, out in nature or in my relationships.

    Rest is also key! Many of us feel burnt out these days so taking good care of yourself physically and mentally goes a long way.

    Hope you find your motivation soon!
  • Make sure your getting a good aount of sleep. Watch your screen time. Have a digital detox. Read, try something new. Having a break from the news can help. Get into nature as much as possible. Be kind to yourself, your body is talking to you.
  • @Ali Can Elagöz noted.. currently looking at the houses for sale back home. :))) love the advice btw
  • @Chloe Stephenson Im going to take your advice.. going back to London next week to get away from work. Thank you for the advice :)
  • @Vikki Ross totally this. New voices wherever you find them will always help. Also, looking over old notebooks can sometimes help find a spark.
  • I find going to events/talks/workshops I find here on The Dots (many are free and online) really helpful when I'm lacking motivation. But also, what @Ken Williams says is important.
  • 100%! Don't put any pressure on yourself. Listen to your body and rest. Walk lots, watch all the films, listen to new music. It'll come back.
  • Oh this is me! Each time I feel motivated, I stop to work and do something joyful. Mostly play piano or play with my cats. And when I feel bored doing this Joyful thing, I'm turning to work. If I still feel unmotivated, I immediately accept that day as "I need some rest or brain release'. Because motivating yourself is a lie if you feel unmotivated. Life cannot be that brutal. Another tip: I dream really huge things always, like buying a fancy Motor Yacht. When I feel unmotivated I'm looking the Yacht listing for sale sites. :))
  • Can relate to this one!
    The best thing that always gets me out of this slump is going away. Take a trip somewhere you would never usually go, to a place full of things you would never usually see or experience in your every day life. It doesn't have to be big or expensive, it could be a train journey away. But immersive yourself in it for long enough that you actually see and observe things. And don't think about work or projects. At all. You're not there for that x
  • feel this one HARD. was going ham second half of 2022, and think i’m massively burnt out but obviously life still has to go on lol. i think it’s important to not be hard on yourself for not ‘being productive’ allowing your body to reset and all the wellness jazz. I am also starting a manifestation journal again (did one last year and it worked a charm) as it really gets me inspired!!!! <3
  • @PETER BUSHBY thank you for your enlightening words. I needed to hear that! With the new year coming in, I'm sure to get my drive back.

    many thanks
  • Take a trip, connect and hang out with creatives. Join a creative community. Call my phone 😁🤪
  • Hi Brittney. Yes I can relate to that.. So much going on in the world that seems beyond our power to alter. Ben Brain used to talk about the doorstep mile - that first step on any new project which takes such an effort to take and get out there doing something..... If you haven't got a project of your own why not talk to your local library amd community centres and offer to help any group that needs a photographer.. Stick some notices up - who knows where it may lead? Or maybe ring or email your favourite photographer and just ask if you can shadow them??
    Muses do takes rests, and can only be cajoled back slowly, not co-erced

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