How do you stay motivated in your art career or hobby?
I consider myself something of a professional creative community cheerleader.📣 Over the past 4+ years, I've worked behind the scenes in various creative communities as a moderator, mentor, and support team member. And through it all, I've seen and answered a ton of questions about making art. But one theme keeps coming up again and again: how to stay motivated.
So how do you stay motivated in your art career or hobby, especially when sales or progress feel slow?
My #1 piece of advice? Cultivate creative friendships.
This is a little easier said than done, but if you can form an accountability or creative catch-up group with 1 to 4 other people and meet once a month, do so. Having peers in a similar position with similar goals to bounce ideas off of and commiserate with has been so incredibly helpful for managing my mindset and goals. It's honestly like a group therapy session every month, lol! Just last week, I shared with my group that I was feeling discouraged about completing a big time-sensitive project for the holiday season. They helped me realize that instead of giving up completely, I could pivot and simplify so that I could still produce something I felt good about (and save the more complex idea for next year!). Without fail, my motivation and mood always rise after these meetings.
Pictured here: Me and the wonderful, talented, and delightful Jillian of Jillian Nicole Illustration, whomst I met when both of us were on Bonnie Christine’s Immersion 2024 Love Squad (a.k.a. support team) and who is now, not only one of my dearest art friends, but one of my dearest friends in general. She is my people. I love her so much.🥹💖
We regularly text to check in, ask for feedback on work, or just to send each other funny, weird memes. It’s the best. Find your people. They are out there!
(Please ignore my greasy hair and red face. It was approximately one million degrees outside that day, okay. Yes, Jillian looks immaculate, but whatever, she is a magical fairy person.😉)
So, how do you create or join an accountability group?
Simply reach out to someone you feel you click with. I used to have bad social anxiety, so believe me, I get that it doesn’t always feel simple or easy. But the worst that can happen is they say no, and if they’re rude about it, then you wouldn’t have wanted to be in a group with them anyway.
I’ve also been a part of a couple of groups that fizzled out. It was a bummer at the time, I won’t lie, but I’m now in a group I feel much more aligned with, so it was ultimately a good thing.
The group I’m in now started with me and my good friend and incredible artist, Emerald Barkley (though most of the credit goes to Emerald for spearheading it, I won’t lie). We initially started talking because we’re both artists based in the Greater Sacramento area of California. Eventually, we asked a few other artist peers if they wanted to join us. Some said no, some said yes. If you don't ask, you'll never know!
Emerald and I at my 34th birthday party in 2023. I miss my pink hair! 🩷
If you don’t have an accountability group, don’t see yourself forming one any time soon, or simply don’t feel that you have the time to meet regularly, join a free creative community online (try searching Facebook or Discord; Create and Grow with Gingiber is a safe and encouraging free option) and actually utilize it. Especially when you feel yourself struggling with overwhelm, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or any particularly strong negative self-talk. Share your struggle and ask for input. You are not alone!
Listen carefully, friends. I have an important piece of hard-won wisdom to share: mindset matters more than skill. Especially when you’re still developing your technical skills. I need you to hear me on this. Take it in. Let it stew. Really let that wisdom spice permeate.😆
Mindset is, at the very least, just as important as technical ability for artists because, as creatives, it's so easy to fall into the trap of constantly moving the goalpost further and further away without also managing our mindset. We're always striving to improve, so if we don't also cultivate a healthy mindset practice (emphasis on practice here; this is not a one-and-done deal), it becomes nearly impossible to see past that imagined lack of progress and get bogged down in negativity.
Take imposter syndrome, for example. It's one of the big bads that artists deal with constantly. Here's the thing: it won't disappear once you've reached a certain skill level. It just takes a slightly different form. Understanding that it will (most likely) always be there is half the battle. You have to recognize it in order to manage it in a healthy and productive way.
(Side note: Watch this great reel (left) on this topic by one of my favorite artists, Loish.)
In conclusion, protect your mental health and remember that mindfulness and mindset are so much more important than you might think. Be kind to yourself on hard days, and remember that your worth isn't tied to your output. Your seasons will change. Your energy levels will fluctuate, your productivity will ebb and flow, and what excites you creatively won't always stay the same. And that's okay! Give yourself permission to evolve. Stay curious, stay flexible, and trust yourself through those transitions. When you make space for all of this, you'll actually be able to fully lean into motivation and inspiration when it comes.
You’ve got this! 💖🙌💖