Motivation and Being an Artist: What Nobody Tells You

Here's the truth about motivation that I wish someone had told me years ago.

It doesn't show up first. You do.

I used to wait to feel motivated before I started creating. I'd think, "When I'm inspired, I'll paint." And then days would go by. Sometimes weeks and I'd wonder why I wasn't making any art.

The thing is, motivation follows action. Not the other way around. You start, and then the momentum builds. You're in the middle of something, and then you care about finishing it. You finish it, and you feel good, and that feeling makes you want to start the next thing.

But you have to take the first step without waiting for permission from your own brain.

The Myth of Constant Motivation

We have this idea that truly passionate people are always motivated. That if you really love what you do, you never have to push yourself. That the inspired creative life looks like bounding into the studio every morning full of energy and ideas.

That's not real. It's not real for anyone.

Even artists who deeply love what they do have days where sitting down to create is the last thing they feel like doing. Where everything feels hard and the work feels uninspired and they'd rather do literally anything else.

The difference between those artists and the ones who give up isn't passion. It's the decision to show up anyway.

Creating Good Art Comes Down to Two Things  When I think about the pieces I truly love, the ones where something clicked and the work felt effortless, there are two things they all have in common. First: I wasn't placing any pressure on myself. I wasn't creating for a deadline or trying to make something impressive. I was just playing. Second: I wasn't worrying about the outcome. I was fully in the process, not thinking about what the finished thing would look like or whether it would sell or what people would think. When you stop placing constraints on yourself and your art, you give yourself the freedom to be genuinely creative. And that always produces better work. So when you next sit down to create, whether it's 30 minutes or 3 hours: respect the time you have, drop the agenda, and just have fun. That's when you'll make your best art.

What to Do on the Hard Days

We all have them. Days where the blank surface feels accusatory. Where you feel like you've lost whatever it was you had. Where you wonder if you're even cut out for this.

On those days, here's what I tell myself:

You don't have to make good art today. You just have to make art.

Give yourself the tiniest possible goal. Mix one colour. Sketch one small thing. Put one mark on the surface. That's it.

Sometimes that's all it takes to get going. And sometimes you do your small thing and stop, and that's okay too. You still showed up. That matters.

Comparison is the Enemy of Motivation

Nothing kills motivation faster than comparing your work to someone else's.

You're looking at their best work, curated, photographed well, presented to its greatest advantage and comparing it to your unfinished, imperfect, in-process reality. It's not a fair comparison and it never will be.

The only comparison that matters is you vs. you. Are you better than you were six months ago? Are you learning? Are you trying things that stretch you? That's the only measuring stick worth using.

Be Brave With Your Art Goals

Motivation isn't something that arrives from outside. It's something you build from within, through action and habit and a commitment to showing up even when it's hard.

Be brave with what you want. Don't set small, safe goals because you're afraid to fail. Aim for something that genuinely excites you and scares you a little. That's the target worth going after.

Most people are too afraid of failing to even begin thinking about trying. Don't be that person. Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.

You can do this. I believe in you.

Until next time, stay creative.

xo Jane.