Student Blog: Staying Motivated to Keep Creating

As a college freshman going into my second semester, I have found it difficult to stay motivated to keep pushing towards my creative goals. There are times when laying in bed, doom scrolling, seems like the best way to spend my time because it does not entail leaving the confines of my bedroom; however, I know that, in the long run, it is not productive to me as an artist. The question is, how did I come to this realization? How can young artists stay motivated to keep pursuing and enhancing their skills? How does being in an academic environment shape our mindset as performers? In this article, I will share my own experience when feeling unmotivated and how I keep going in order to stay on track with my creative goals. 

To start off, put yourself into my Thursday schedule this semester. I wake up at 9am to eat breakfast and put myself together for the day, then I jump onto my therapy appointment at 10. From there, I go to lunch at 12pm where I have 30 minutes to eat and socialize with my friends before I rush off to my Voice and Speech I class. After that, I have about ten minutes to leap over to my Ballet I class where we are constantly learning new turns, jumps, and technique. Then I have a 45 minute break where I need to read two articles and take a reading quiz before my 4:30pm Intro to Sociology class. With that class ending at 5:45pm, I make my way back over to the dining hall before my rehearsal from 7pm to 10pm for our upcoming production of Maria Irene Fornes' Fefu and Her Friends. Finally at 10:05pm when I get out of rehearsal, I can go back to my dorm room, complete my homework for the night, take a shower, and get to sleep by 1am (at the earliest). 

Now, I know that sounds like a lot, and in all honesty, it is. It is days like that, that make it incredibly difficult to keep pushing through because I never feel that I have a moment to come up for air. However, I know that if I want to be performing in eight shows a week, then I have to push through the days where sleep is not my top priority. If I want to be writing and creating new work, then I cannot give up on the educational opportunities presented to me. I am not going to deny that somedays I want to stay in my room and not go to class, but I know that I do not want to waste the four precious years that I have at school. Being in an educational environment inspires me to keep pushing fourth because I get to learn from incredible professors and be inspired by my classmates on the daily. Whether it is in Voice and Speech I or Ballet I or even my Introduction to Sociology class, I get to learn from others and experience their creativity which causes my creativity to thrive. 

Ultimately, everyone is different. What helps you be motivated and what helps me to be motivated will not be the same; however, I believe that through a positive mindset and taking the time I need for myself, I am able to stay on track creatively, academically, and socially. Do not let anyone tell you that the hard work does not pay off because it will and it does. Every day you get out of bed and put yourself into the world, you are impacting it.