How do you pick yourself up motivation wise?

[monotone_ink]

What's your mindset/personal motto that keeps you going, even if life continues to throw lemons at you without even thinking about your own feelings?

Been in a recent slump lately after realizing I've barely improved over the past few years, art-wise and many other aspects-wise, and may stay shit for the rest of my life. It's also been difficult since a relative died, and I'm in Philippines away from all of the materials and equipment to help me work on my own stuff - I'm in need of some philosophical enlightening.

[Draconic]

When life gone bad, respect it and it will be easier to go for you. Don't ignore it, respect it.

You don't need motivation to pick yourself up, you don't need happiness, you need discipline.

You don't think to eat, you don't think how you chew, you just eat.
That's similar to how discipline work. You just do it now and feel better later.

I'm also feel like shiet and can't do anything much right now, but I know I will be better later because I have been through this feeling million of times. So I just take it slow and keep swimming in the flood of sadness.

You don't need to feel good right now to do something, you just need to know that you will be better later.

---

About art-wise, Your arts are good.

Like videogames, the higher level you on the longer you have to grind to be on the next level.
Sometime you need to take a quest to higher your level-cap.

I think you're on a level-cap right now and need a quest to unlock it.

You should try anything you haven't done yet, even when you feel like you don't need it. You can always drop what you're trying if you don't feel like it.

Something you could do right now:

• Playing videogames.
• Going outside, using your smartphone and take some photo for reference.
• Browsing some new music.

I strongly suggest you should try these: To the moon, Finding Paradise.
The story is extremely good, relatable and might improve your life. You should try it even when you can't buy it!

[Amberday]

if you really want to improve, "practicing" by repeating your mistakes over and over again won't help. get inspired by other artists' works. go to art station, pinterest, instagram, twitter. it's a beautiful universe out there! study their styles. their color palettes. be excited. go out of the box. feel those butterflies in your tummy. you'll be surprised on how much you'll improve. you don't need fancy art materials! they're just mediums. even ordinary pen and paper are enough if you're bursting with creativity. and i'm sorry for your loss but don't worry. the soul just separated from the body so they're not really gone (according to every philosopher ever)

[Heliox14]

When life goes bad…
Just don't think about it as an endless spiral. Think of it as the lowest point in a roller coaster ride, and starting to move up.
It may be low now, but it will move up and up soon enough.

---

Or, you know, you could take a break.
Relax, see the sights a bit more, and just have some more time for yourself.
Heard you're in the Philippines? There's a world of stuff down there.
Maybe you'd find some inspiration down there, like I did.

[MGComics]

It's funny you say this because I have encountered problems like this. So this are my tips.

1. Change your mindset from fixed to growth. Not because you're ina bad spot rn does it mean it will always be this way. Anybody can improve.

2- Practice from real life pictures, use references, draw as often as possible, and try out things out of your comfort zone. Anatomy, perspective, proportions, better backgrounds, a different style If you haven't tried any out of your comfort zone. You can check the video on YouTube of "7 habits of highly effective artists". I promise you will see growth within a month or 2 If you commit to at least dedicate one hour a day to any of this things.

1. Fear and deadlines. Strong motivation.
   For me, I really want to become a comic artist for a living. I study engineering so I'm kinda close of not making it. Engineering makes me suffer so much at times (makes me know I'm actually stupid and struggle a lot with my self steem)... that the idea of giving up and working on something I don't love makes me so resolved to do well, to try my best on my art. How? I will become so good that nobody can ignore me, both writing and art. I will be so awesome, nobody can even doubt why I succeeded by that time. Ofc It takes time. Ofc there may be an economical crisis and might not make it. It's the road and deadlines that count

2. Motivation videos help. Maybe a Neil Gaiman's video "Make good art".
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikAb-NYkseI

3. You're worth more than your craft and job. Learn to love yourself and embrace growth as you go.
   You can do this. <3 Good luck

[ChanYE]

I have motivation but no time.
But what motivates me is new ideas. If i get a new idea im excited to refine it, and add it.

[375]

Pretty sure its just my personality to just be overly positive which keeps me going. However, when I am down, I'll play Slime Ranchers just because its cute or I build hotels in Minecraft. Why? Because I have to stimulate my mind, even if Im not writing or I have no motivation to do anything. Or I'll even go to DreamSelfy, an online avatar maker based off of Tinier Me, and create random characters such as yesterday, my best friend has zero desire/motivation so we made stories about the characters we created.

[awesomefeelsman]

Fully agree, this tedtalk and all other youtube videos helped me set a positive mindset for myself.

[dawgofdawgness]

Keep in mind that the hardest part of doing anything (that you don't want to do) is getting started. Getting over that initial hill is the hardest, but from then it's downhill.
Before you get ready to do something, I suggest getting up and moving. It can be doing mindless activities.. Folding your clothes, washing dishes, walking around the block, it gets you in the correct mindset to do work.

[awesomefeelsman]

I've gone through lots of slumps in the past few years, most of them were because of personal life problems I had to address. But what I did to get through them was thinking that I still needed to become better.

It's selfish and ignorant to compair yourself to others and using this type of jealousy or envy as a driving force for self improvement but that was the base of it all. My anger towards myself not improving motivated me to learn more about the things I needed to know in order to become like those people I aspired to be one day.

I understand jealousy is toxic, but eventually it faded and all I had was the motivation of becoming better, I gradually moved from trying to be better than everyone to trying to better than myself. Constantly compairing my art from a year ago or even just a few days before I learned a new technique from a youtuber I like.

I guess what worked for me was being angry at myself for not improving,
Improve at your own pace and know you'll eventually get better.

Live life feeling all those emotions and use them toyour advantage. Tame the wild beast within and ride it.

[LCT_m_a_d]

Constantly reflect on what my project really means. I always treat dips in motivation as my soul just communicating to me. Maybe I need to switch up what I'm doing and add something difficult or risky. Maybe I am just being productive at the expense of doing something meaningful. The sooner I figure out what and why I'm in those kind of states, the sooner I come up with ways to get out.

[YangKoete]

Horribly! Ahahah...ahhahaha..ah...

But in all seriousness, I usually just go for walks and such to get away from all the screeching brats.

[jpnakashima]

Many good points above.
Something I find that always recharges my energies is to both revisit stuff you love while looking for new good stuff. To revisit a comic I loved, a movie that left a mark, an album I can clearly remember where I was when I used to hear it... to remember yourself of why you tell the stories you tell, why they were so important. It always fills me with determination. And inspiration yeah. Maybe it helps.

I also always get surprised to hear from people I think do something really well how they think of themselves. I still haven't fully read your Catma or Project Shade, but going through some pages, what stroke me first was the art. I thought it looked gorgeous. Still do.

[scythe]

Just watch some Rocky movies.

[VibrantFox]

i always go back to that one quote from finding nemo

aside from that i try to remind myself of what it was that inspired me or what the motivation behind creating something was to begin with. sometimes it's easily remembered and sometimes not. often times there has to be a new motivator. as far as stagnation be it artistically or in life it's remembering that you wont always be stuck in the same spot. that rough patch, those negative feelings, that bad situation, all are just one brief moment in life that can be overcome; it's just a matter of acknowledging it.

one contrast that someone made, and that has been able to motivate me, is to think of yourself as a flower and your in your winter. it may be cold, no sun and growing isn't easy but spring will always follow. once the snow has melted and the sun comes out you can bloom again.

also watching the good boy has helped

[AnniFlamma]

Usually go for walks. But I do not listen to music. I have noticed when I listen to music, so I think of the music and it's feeling it gives.

I recommend doing it when you go to the town or in the woods, take off your headphones and look around. Having something that closes you makes your mindset a little bit confined. Look at the environment and try to find out what is the place and what stories have been played there. Or just watch people passing by, what are their stories? If this was like a fantasy world, what creatures would they be?

[lunaartemisasama]

In Spanish the quote from Dory is pretty funny because.
...¿Que hacer?
Dory says "Nadaremos, nadaremos" (just keep swimming)

BUT if you just heard it wrong.

Nadaremos = Nada haremos = We will do nothing ,,,

Sorry for the bad joke. But I always smile remembering that phrase lol

[VibrantFox]

that's actually kind of funny, it's always interesting the way a certain phase can be heard or remembered

[Wezboy]

Oooohhh, I've seen that video!!! (/'^')/

[Wezboy]

I usually watch movies, play video games, read books, watch my favorite cartoons, watch inspirational videos, watch/listen to artist audio books on youtube, listen to my fav songs, etc etc