If You’re Relying on Inspiration, You’re Doing It Wrong
Read this when you’re stuck in a rut.
“A self-respecting artist must not fold his hands on the pretext that he is not in the mood.” -Tchaikovsky
Here’s how I used to think inspiration works:
Inspiration > Motivation > Action
So, I would wait to get inspired.
Maybe I would watch Gladiator again, or I would see some before/after pictures on that home-workout fitness Instagram page I follow.
This surge of inspiration would create enormous motivation and drive for me to write and do work.
So, I would grit my teeth in a surge of inspiration and publish an article every day for like, eight days straight.
But then I’d lose motivation and publish nothing for four months.
After a while, I might watch Gladiator again. Get inspired. Get back on the horse. Experience an intense surge of writing energy and publish another month’s worth of articles by next Wednesday.
…You can probably guess what would happen next.
Again — I would get discouraged from lack of attention to my work. Lose motivation. Then I’d quit again.
