How do you stay motivated when you are tired/sick/busy/exhausted….or any other number of emotions? I know I have a hard time doing so – the proof of that is in the paltry number of posts to my blog in the last six months.
More recently, I have come back to this blog, to Twitter, to my widely spread out network of teachers around the world and have reconnected. I have resumed “putting it out there” and I have relished in what is out there in order to learn more, do more, share more. It has paid off. And it has brought me joy.
According to Seth Godin:
“Joy is different from pleasure or delight or fun. Joy is the satisfaction of connection, the well-earned emotion you deserve after shipping art that made a difference”
-Seth Godin, V is for Vulnerable
This week I have connected with ‘strangers’ and reconnected with people I have known from years past. I have learned from people I feel like I know because they work with people I used to work with or are in places I used to work. I have had ideas challenged and ideas applauded. I have been complimented and questioned. And through it all, I have been motivated to do more, share more, think more and create more art. Rather than let ‘life’ – which, let’s face it, is always going to be crazy – get in the way, I want to make sure I use my time in a way that counterbalances the tiredness and exhaustion by replacing that with the joy of sharing, the joy of connecting.
Today I was reminded by a wise friend of some wise words from Neil Gaiman: “Make good art.” No matter whether you’re told not to, no matter whether it’s appreciated, no matter whether it’s recognized… Make good art. I intend to follow this advice….you?
sonya terborg 