Five Ways To Self Motivate

Editor’s note: New year is upon us. Most of us have resolutions, things we want to achieve during the year. In this previously published post, the writer looks at ways we can motivate ourselves to continue with our goals. Wishing you a happy new year and hope you achieve all your goals!

I found myself in motivation and creative rut a couple of years ago. I was not motivated to pick up my camera, and the few times I did manage to pick a camera, I had no idea what to do – my creative juices were not flowing.

Taking and creating photos was frustrating, the proverbial hitting the head against the wall, and yes, the thought of quitting the industry did cross my mind. 

Overcoming this roadblock seemed daunting, but I was able to go through this roadblock and continue on my creative journey by applying these five self-motivation techniques. If you are in a comparable situation, try these five ways to self-motivate yourself from your creative slump. 

1-Check the work of other photographers.

The first way to self-motivate is to put yourself in a position where you can be inspired. By doing this, you can jump-start your brain into producing innovative ideas. Of course, none is better than looking at the work other photographers are creating. Inspiration can come in two ways here.  

First, on a subconscious level, you will be stimulating your brain to think creatively. Just think, for instance, how you start craving a particular food or cuisine the more you see that specific food. Food commercials are notorious for making us crave food even when we are not hungry. All this is the result of the stimulus in your subconscious. The same applies when we stimulate our minds by looking at work by other photographers. We get ‘hungry’ to create our own. 

Second, work by other photographers will energize you to improve on an idea that you have seen or inspire you to improve on work that you have already created yourself. Either way, by looking at work by other creatives, your brain will be stimulated to produce your own work.

Where can you go to see the work of other photographers? You can visit museums, galleries, or art\photography exhibitions in your local area. If you are not close to one of these places, the internet has infinite archives of photographic and artistic works. Many websites on the internet are dedicated to photography, from free ones like Flickr to subscription-based ones like 500px. You can also google the word ‘photo’ and select the images option, which will generate many images. Check out these portfolios.

2-don’t plan to shoot (just shoot)

The second way to self-motivate may seem counterproductive, but believe it or not, planning and expectation can set you back. If you are getting back into shooting, do not schedule your shots or even have any hope as to what the outcome will be. Instead, shoot as the opportunity arises and be prepared to accept the result, whether good or bad. Fear of failure is one of the riskiest concerns that can hold us back from realizing our potential. Keep in mind that photographers take a lot of images to get just one fantastic picture. Landscape photographers can make numerous trips to one location before they create or capture one incredible landscape. The point here is to keep shooting even if you are unsatisfied with the result. Take your failures as a learning experience, a stepping stone to creating images that will satisfy your eye.

The goal here is to enjoy the act of taking photographs without putting too much pressure on yourself. Go out and shoot whenever and whatever you can without any expectation but to take pictures – make taking a photo an end in itself. By doing this, your goal will be ‘photography’ rather than the result you must achieve. Once you have gotten into the habit of shooting, you can then plan and create goals or expected outcomes of your shoots.

Make it a habit of never leaving home without a camera.

3-shot whatever and whenever

The third way to self-motivate ties well into our second technique. Most people lose motivation because they do not have anything to shoot. What we forget is whatever we can see, we can shoot. There is no need to travel to exotic places or to look for supermodels to shoot. Remember, just as equipment does not guarantee good images, so does the subject.

Everything is beautiful; hence look for beauty in ordinary things. Everything around you is beautiful in one way or another. Finding, producing, and capturing beauty in mundane things makes a mediocre photographer a great photographer. If you do not have a supermodel, take pictures of your beautiful wife, handsome husband, adorable kids, eccentric friends, or pets. You never know; you may discover the next supermodel.

4-photograph something different (try something new)

The fourth way to self-motivate is to mix it up. Sometimes we lose interest because we are doing the same thing repeatedly. If you eat the same meal every day, it won’t take long before you get sick and tired of that meal. Photography is no different. If you do the same photo shoot, you will soon lose interest, and your skill will stagnate. Soon you will find it difficult to motivate yourself to take or create new and exciting images. By changing your style, trying a new photography technique, or simply experimenting with the idea you have seen or had in mind, you will bring excitement back into your photography. If you shoot events all the time, try microphotography, portrait photography, or any other genre you are unfamiliar with. Who knows, you may fall in love with a new photography genre.

5-join a club\group

The fifth way to self-motivate is to join groups. Like-minded people are the most significant source of motivation. They can offer encouragement, tips, tricks, or even advice on overcoming setbacks. Perhaps the most important benefit of joining a photography group or club is the feedback you will get from your peers. A simple pat on the back from your peers can go a long way to getting you back on track, more so than your family or friends.

Photography clubs are also a treasure trough of ideas, tips, and motivation. Most club conduct competitions and photo critics, which is a good way of getting feedback hence improving your photography.

Check your local area for any groups or clubs. The internet has many photography groups if there is no club in your area.

6-forget perfection
The final way to self-motivate may seem contradictory, but it works. As the great Ansel Adams once said, “there are no rules for good photographs; there are only good photographs.” If you chase perfection by sticking to rules, you will never find it. And when you think you have found it, all you have discovered is stagnation. So perfection should not be your goal; instead, aim to create good images, not necessarily perfect ones. This will make taking photographs enjoyable, which in turn will fuel your creativity. Remember, there is beauty and perfection in imperfection.