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Dear Destroyx: Motivation, Focus, Planning
By Destroyx | January 15, 2009
I get quite a few emails every week asking me for advice on various topics from fashion, design, music and life in general. Many of these questions are quite common in theme, so I thought it would be helpful to actually answer these on the blog so that my reply can help more people. So if you have any questions for me, please direct them to me at amelia @ destroyx.com. I can’t promise that I will answer every single one, but I will do my best to assist as many people as possible.
The first question I’m going to answer is a pertinent one for those embarking on new projects and challenges for the new year. I received this question from a fellow musician and artist.
“How do you do it? How do you remain so focused and bring your ideas into fruition? As a fellow artist, I really struggle with this. My mind has a tendency to wander between so many different things at such a high rate and I find it incredibly difficult to stay focused on one thing long enough to realise what I set out to do. It’s partly due to the fact there are so many things I’d like to explore creatively (however, my main area is music) but also partly because, for some reason, I can’t seem to find the power to go for what I really want. I always come up with excuses like ‘I don’t know how to do that’, ‘I don’t have enough money for that’ or ‘I don’t have enough time to do that’, when, really, I could probably find another way around it. I don’t know what’s holding me back…. I guess what I’m asking is: how do you stay so organised and focused, how do you go about planning things, how do you stay motivated? What are your methods?”
This is a great question because for me personally it’s something that I am constantly working on and struggling with myself as a multidisciplinary artist.
Figure out your motivation and write some goals
Strong motivation will come from inner passion for the project that you want to do. The first thing that you have to figure out is what you want to achieve. If you find motivation is your problem, it could be that your goal is not aligned with what you really want to do.
It is crucial to stay focused. It is natural to be attracted to many forms of creativity and it’s a good thing to want to explore widely. I’m interested in everything from music, design, styling, art and business and I believe it’s an advantage to have a multidisciplinary approach to things. However I also have experienced that it is quite difficult to multi task and I often find myself drowning in a sea of half finished ideas. From my personal experience, I’ve found that it is easier to focus on one thing at a time initially, until you get a handle on how to execute projects to completion.
Once you figure out what you want to achieve, set yourself a goal that will be completed within a specific time frame. It is no use saying ‘I’d like to make some music’ without having a future plan for the music. I find that if you have something to work towards, it really pulls you into action. For example you might say, in 6 months I’m going to have a 6 track EP written, mastered and pressed. You might want to book yourself some shows in 3 months time at a local club. You might want to enter an art competition or try to get into a local art group show. Setting deadlines is something that I always do, without it, things just don’t get done. I find that setting an incredibly ambitious or seemingly impossible deadline is even more helpful because it challenges you to work outside of your comfort zone and encourages you to better yourself. Deadlines are really your friend and can motivate you to achieve your dreams.
Write a production plan
An example of one of my ongoing production plans
Now that you have your finite, measurable goals, the next thing you’ll want to do is to come up with a schedule for how you will actually execute the plan. I like to call this a production plan or action plan. Often I use Excel or Google Docs spreadsheet to do this. What you will want to do is to outline the steps you will need to undertake to complete the goal, and allocate appropriate amounts of time to each task. When you complete each task, mark it off on the spreadsheet. I like to structure my action plans by the week, but for longer projects you might do it by the month.
For example here is a mini plan for an imaginary 6 track EP.
- Month 1: Brainstorm lyrics and song concepts.
- Month 2: Write initial drafts of the songs
- Month 3: Develop songs and lyrics
- Month 4: Record final songs, mix and produce them
- Month 5: Finalise songs, get CD mastered and work on CD artwork
- Month 6: Get CD manufactured and work on publicity.
The good thing about doing this is that you can see the path which you are going to take laid out for you. You aren’t going to worry about juggling too many tasks at the one time and get hopelessly overwhelmed by doing too many things at the one time. The plan will probably change over time and that’s expected, but writing an overall plan is extremely important so that you can understand the scope of the project and systematically organise tasks linearly which will help you complete them. Action plans are also useful when you are collaborating with other people, so that everyone can understand how things are progressing and what role they have to play in the plan.
Implement the plan
This is the hard part, actually sticking to the plan and seeing it into fruition. Procrastination is the enemy here, and self discipline is your friend. What you will want to do is set aside time each week for your project. Perhaps every Saturday you will work all day on it. Make it a habit and you will get so much done. If you work on it sporadically you might not get enough of your planned goals completed every week and you will leave the bulk of it to the end, decreasing your chance at success.
While you are working on the plan, you might find that it’s a difficult process. You might start making excuses for yourself like ‘I don’t have the money’, ‘I don’t know how to do it’ and so on. This happens to me too, but I have learnt to recognize when I am supplying myself with reasons to give up. These excuses are a form of procastination. Do not give into this weakness. Do not justify the desire to give up.
If you don’t have the money, save up money until you have what you need. If you need to learn a new skill, go and learn it. Do not compromise your vision, but do not needlessly wait until you have everything you think you need. Many musicians wait until they have the ‘perfect studio’ and don’t publish anything. Meanwhile all of their best ideas and opportunities are passing them by. When we were working on music in Berlin. We only had a pair of 15 Euro speakers to monitor the music on and Zoog’s laptop was a shitty second hand one we bought because that was all we could afford. It couldn’t play the music without skipping and it gave us continual grief… we could have stopped working on the album but we didn’t and if we gave up, we wouldn’t have Blood Death Ivory, our best CD to date.
So I would encourage you to find the strength within yourself to keep going. If you find that you don’t have the motivation, it could be that there is a problem with your goal and that it’s not actually what you want to do.
Remember that goals should inspire you to action, not fill you with dread.
Stay motivated and organised
My desk at the moment filled with images that inspire me. Yes… even Star Wars is inspiring!
Continually remind yourself of the end goal. This will aid you in keeping you motivated. I like to keep visual references around me that stimulate my creativity. Sometimes I have a list of goals I want to achieve pinned up near my desk. Other times I stick up a moodboard of all of my visual inspiration around me. Maybe you should print out a fake album cover of your band and stick it to your wall to remind you of how awesome it is going to be when the CD is finished and you can share it with your friends. Maybe you could make a mock tour poster of your band headlining a 50 date tour of the USA.
Make sure you keep organised by sticking to your production schedule. Avoid distractions and don’t try to attempt too many things at once. This is one thing I’m still working on myself at the moment, because I want to do so many things, which often means I do many things at half strength. Embark on one major project at a time until you get used to managing your time and working effectively. You will increase your chances of success if you can remain focused.
I believe that everyone has the ability to achieve great things, it’s just a matter of believing in yourself and making it happen. Take action!
The first step is always the hardest, but once you realise that you are on your way to achieving your dreams, it’s so exciting and you won’t want to stop.
Do any of you have good tips or tricks in regards to motivation, focus and planning? If you do, please share them!
Topics: Dear Destroyx, How to |
January 15th, 2009 at 5:52 am
I am in the process of creating my daily schedule as you post this! I find myself doing 10 jobs at once all the time, and it burns you out so quickly.
January 15th, 2009 at 6:03 am
Samantha- Yes I know exactly what you mean. I mean if you have a job + blog + other creative projects + life.. it can get a bit intense. I am not sure if it’s better to do a lot or focus on one thing, but it’s hard not to start new things you know?
January 15th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I wish I could just gather my motivation for school like that, haha :)
Oh well, but I’ve got to finish a kimono until may, and I’ve never actually sewn any clothes, and a renaissance dress until next year. I hope I can get it done. It’s not much actually but still.
I’m amazed at how organized you are!
I mean, I start a lot of stuff, but I either drop it because I get bored with it, and then start it again a year later, or I finish it at once. Or I never really start it.
But when you want to draw better, sew better, and whatnot, you often lose motivation for at least one of those tasks. :/
January 15th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
An excellent post, with excellent timing! I’m in awe at your blog production plan– it’s immense and so detailed!
January 15th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
[...] Motivation, Focus, & Planning by Amelia Arsenic Will Recession Lead to More/Less Creativity at Bits n Bobbins Is It [being an artist] Worth It? at Carmine Magazine [...]
January 15th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Ashe Mischief- I hope the post was helpful for you. I spent a long time writing it because I wanted it to be able to be applied to peoples lives directly. Yeah my production plan is pretty damned organised. Though last week, I have to say it went totally skewed because life got in the way. I’m not an organised person naturally by any means, so I have to come up with ways around that or I would never get anything done!
January 15th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I so needed to see structure from an artist. I have a hard time mapping out a master plan from all the bits and pieces i know are needed to execute my projects. Currently I am gearing up to start up a Hoe Coutour line, for exotic dancers. I have a very good friend in the industry, so I have the contact. I have a sketches and the materials, even a 4 day week working schedule, but it seems like I can never just sit at the machine and sew because there are always house hold interuptions. Things that just have to be done on my day off, my day to sew. I think this will be an article that I print out to share with my husband, so that we are both on the same page as to what we need to do.
ThankS!
January 15th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Great advice! Staying organized and focused is so important if you want to get things accomplished and something that I certainly need to work on. I’m big on To-Do lists and checking things off. Anyway to measure progress is a great motivator for me! And now Google Docs is my new friend. Thanks!!!
January 15th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
A well timed post for me ~ I have a lot of things I’m looking to do and achieve and lining them up like this will make sure i’m doing the best i can to get what i want!
thanks!
xx Megami
January 15th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Yay, more motivation to get off my lazy ass and actually do something! Too bad I’ve got very little time :( School is sucking up alot, and this AND next weekend, I’m attending birthday parties at Saturday with my boyfriend, and spend the whole Sunday with him. Nice, but it leaves little time. I’ll be so glad when I’ll have holidays again (around week 9). Oh, and I’m busy finding a job. Sigh…
xoxoxo
PS: I want an Apple-computer!D: Mine is relatively old (5 years is called old in technology) and is sometimes mean to be by saying it doesn’t have enough free space, freezes all my programs etc. Though I’d still have to learn how to handle the Apple-system..
January 15th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
This is very helpful. I find that Gannt charts work incredibly well. If most of you are still at school i find that as soon as you get a project that you have to do outside of school time make yourself a Gannt chart (Planning sheet/timetable ect) it will help organise everything you need to do in this time!
Also do the same for study. Most people dont study and therfore lose alot of their potential marks!
With everything that you have got going on. Never forget to have a break every now and then… or your bound to break.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Gawsh…I could’ve written that letter myself! It’s quite hard being a creative person sometimes, as most creative types are not naturally organised thinkers! Focus is DEFINITELY my main challenge in life, as I have the attention span of a flea..having a very needy baby daughter can be frustrating on a creative level too! But..I am the Queen of Procrastination also.
However, as you say, deadlines should inspire you into action, and that’s exactly what they do for me when I set them for myself, so I need to do this more! I also realise I need to stop comparing my progress to other peoples’ too, as it is so self destructive; Feelings of inadequacy never help motivation levels!
A chart is such a helpful tip- I’ll be starting one asap!
Thanks for all the advice, it’s more motivating to hear advice from another creative person (who actually understands the creative struggle) rather than, like, a stockbroker or something! lol.
it looks like you’ve helped a lot of people here :)
January 16th, 2009 at 12:16 am
Update: It’s fucking 1:13 am, I’m drawing for school (according to the rules- kind of boring) but hey, I FINALLY have ordered a Hell Pack, Cameo: small locket (black and white), the Homo-Machinery tote bag (it’s so red..so hot) AND the Cleaver necklace for my friend. FINALLY! Can’t wait to have it!
Now I’m going to take a break, my mind is still awake and my body wants Panettone. It’s 15:13 in Australia right now hmm?
xoxo
January 16th, 2009 at 12:20 am
I found your article quite helpful, as I’ve always found myself comming up with excuses… which have led to me having a closet of unfinished paintings, and a journal of unfinished songs. I believe a chart and target dead lines will help me stay on top of things. who knows, I may get something acomplished. Thanks for the help :D
January 16th, 2009 at 12:25 am
Planning would be a good idea but for me, I don’t have enough going on in my life to do planning, so I just wing everything. So when I get a job and money…hell, even a life, I can finally plan what I could blog about.
But for the meantime, I will just have to manage with what I have. So far, it seems to be working. XD
January 16th, 2009 at 8:27 am
very very cool… thanks! B x
January 17th, 2009 at 1:10 am
Yay Star Wars ! ^-^ You seem so organized when it comes to stuff like this. Like the weekly planner for the blog. I don’t know how you do it.
January 17th, 2009 at 1:52 am
Thanks, this was very helpful and great to read! You seem so much more organized than me and put-together about what you want to do. I want to do bunches of things but don’t know how to go about it, but these are great ideas.
January 17th, 2009 at 7:31 am
[...] girl is inspiring me! Her latest post on managing your time blew me [...]
January 17th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Samantha Darko- I hope this helps you with your business project. It sounds like it’s going to be fantastic! You might need to shut yourself away from distractions by closing the door to your workroom for example and turning your phone to silent. Anyway, I expect to hear more from you missy!
Stylish Thought- Yay.. another list person =) I hope this helps you sweetie, again thanks for the inspiring comment.
Megami- Awesome stuff! I hope it helps you acheive some of your goals. You seem like a really creative person. =)
Lady Hypocryte- Yay for motivation. Well… apple computers are awesome, but not necessarily needed to create great things. They are very expensive!
Vustoxual- Yup, having a break is extremely important, but its something I have to actually enforce for myself. BTW I have never heard of a Gannt chart before.
simi- I wish you the best of luck. It’s certainly difficult to manage caring for a baby and keeping up with your creative projects. I hope that you can find some clarity and focus to achieve your goals.
Lady Hypocryte- YAY! I hope you like the tote when you receive it!
aL3x- I look forward to seeing what you come up with sir! I’ll be waiting!
Ravencroft - awesome to hear..
Bianca- no worries sweetie
Ashley- My skills come from experience. A few years ago I was a mess! Actually I still am… but now I just juggle more projects. YAY for star wars!
Lisa- I hope you can implement some of these ideas.. they will really help you! It took me a few years to realise this stuff!
January 17th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
You have fabulous timing!
I was just thinking that i need to start organizing all of my art work in and out of school
and fitting everything in, plus my mums been nagging me to make a timetable since before Christmas, and today, i thought ‘why not’, then i came on here, and am now in the process of drawing up a grid :)
so thank you for kick staring me into action!
xx
January 18th, 2009 at 8:25 am
This might actually come in handy for when my tafe course starts back up. :)
thanks for posting this.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:25 am
I have to agree with everyone who’s saying “good timing.” I’m actually so bad at planning that I’ve been planning to start getting organized for a few months now. xD hahah. I’m off to a good start, but not exactly where I want to be.
I also tend to be REALLY good at letting myself slack with deadlines I set for myself.. then I never get anything done, hahah. I guess it’s time to start trying a lot harder at finishing what I start. Yay for motivation!
January 29th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Me saying this is a fantastic writeup is an understatement ^^
Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to post this!
Much love for you Ms. Arsenic
July 16th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
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October 18th, 2011 at 5:16 pm
YOU are inspirational :3