Hi everyone!
I know that since being home and quarantined, I have had absolutely no desire to do any of my work, even writing, which normally I find to be fun rather than the chore it feels like right now. I am wondering how you have all been addressing this. We talked about it a bit in our meeting yesterday, but you can interpret and answer this is in a lot of different ways. For example, what spaces have you found productive to work in? What time of day? How do you get yourself in the mindset of writing? I am really struggling over here, as I’m sure many of you are as well.
My best to you all in these times,
Lily
Hi Lily,
Apologies for the delayed reply, but I’ll echo the responses of many others here: I haven’t really found a balance of motivation and work. I spent last week doing virtually nothing but schoolwork and working two jobs during the day, spending only a little bit of time late each night doing anything else (recently songwriting). It’s an unhealthy balance and I still can’t seem to catch up with work I’ve had on my to-do list. Sometimes after long stretches of this (like today) I’ll get so tired of doing nothing but work for a week that I’ll spend much of the day procrastinating without any of the motivation that propelled me previously. There is no balance yet and I’m trying to figure that out. In terms of writing, I always try to save writing assignments for when I’m trying to wind down and relax anyways; since creative writing is technically a hobby of mine, I try to use this as my downtime, though this doesn’t always end up being a good idea. While I need to save the mornings for mathematical/scientific/analytical work because there is no way my brain will function in those ways at night, whether my tired brain can handle creative writing at 9pm is very variable. Almost all of what I consider my best work has been produced late at night when I’m so tired I’m no longer “thinking straight,” but most of my late-night writing isn’t as inspired as those special few. All in all there doesn’t seem to be a perfect solution, but I’m continuing to try to find the balance.
What I’ve noticed in these past few weeks is that I don’t mind actually doing the work, it’s just the initial surge of will power necessary to get me started is absent. I find it incredibly difficult to open my computer or grab a pencil to start writing, but once I’ve begun it feels just as normal as it ever did, at least partly. I still don’t have a great solution for urging myself to do it. I spend at least 30 mins every morning in bed before I can force myself onto my two feet and this pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the day. I think if I could just start off being committed to work and committed to actually doing something, it’ll be easier to do the second and the third and the fourth activity. I think the key is just getting that first burst of will power and the rest fall into place. I’ll let you all know if I ever figure out how to get that first burst of energy.
Hi Lily,
Thanks for the question! I’ve found that in these times, things like motivation and inspiration are lofty luxuries I can’t afford to wait around for. Instead I have to chase them down with a bat, tackle them to the floor, and tie them to my chair while a timer ticks in the corner. I think the first step for me is trying to overcome the mental block that I have to be the perfect set of conditions in order to write. It’s not quite true. In order to write, I need to sit down and start writing. It’s the starting, I think, that’s the point. It’s also the hardest point.
Hey Lily,
I don’t have any good advice on how to deal with this situation since I’m pretty much in the same boat, where I also find it hard to get motivated and do any work. This was especially the case with my fiction unit essay. I found it extremely hard to write the piece this week, even though I have known what I wanted to write for a long time. The essay felt super forced and I ended up not liking it at all. The upside is that it felt good to actually have done something – and this small sense of achievement is probably my only source of motivation right. I will, however, say that reading your post as well as other comments made me feel better about not being super productive right now. I hope you’re feeling more motivated now, and if you’re not, it might help to remember that nobody is (works for me).
Hi Lily,
I actually read this letter from a couple days ago that the author George Saunders wrote to his writing students. It kind of helped:
https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/a-letter-to-my-students-as-we-face-the-pandemic?irclickid=Uzk0HSyiyxyOUGnwUx0Mo3cmUkix1428ES0p1o0&irgwc=1&source=affiliate_impactpmx_12f6tote_desktop_adgoal%20GmbH&utm_source=impact-affiliate&utm_medium=123201&utm_campaign=impact&utm_content=Online%20Tracking%20Link&utm_brand=tny
Hi Lily ~ hope all is well!
I too have been struggling to find motivation to do school work. It seems very unimportant and pointless at the moment. I’ve found myself thinking about death a lot more, and doing what I care about. Unfortunately for my grade point average, school assignments fall very low on this list. Nonetheless, it looks as if I am required to complete and participate.
When I need to write, I have been forcing words out like a constipated poop (not a pretty sight). I now require silence to focus, which is new, I use to be able to write through most anything. Proper exercise has been easing my mind. I presume it is connected to the meditative properties of focusing on exercise, but also it is something I enjoy doing and prioritize. Unfortunately, the best time to exercise is the late afternoon (I read that your body is most energized at this time) and I like to do school work in the morning. I also have found that scheduling this endless weekend is important for both for sanity and productiveness.
Frankly, I do not think I will find motivation to do school work anytime soon. But I am grateful for pass/fail, it will probably end up saving me. Thanks for this question, it gave me an opportunity to reflect!
Hi! It is definitely challenging to stay motivated, but I’ve found that it helps to set aside a space and time for writing every day. I like to write in this room in my house that is kind of like a mini-library. I feel inspired to write when surrounded by books. I think reading a really good book also gives me motivation, because I am reminded that I want to write something good and maybe even get published someday, and I know the only way to become a better writer is to keep writing. In addition, when I sit down to write, I don’t put pressure on myself to write something super good, I just write freely what comes to my mind with minimal editing as I go because I know that I can always come back and edit later. I think just forcing yourself to write is the key; I know that may likely be easier said than done, but it works for me. Even if what I write is crap, I’ve overcome the hurdle of not wanting to write and I usually produce something that I like and end up keeping in the final version.
Hi Lily,
Thanks for the question, though it is one I do not feel I am in the best position to answer, given that my motivation to do work has been really lacking. I have been struggling to find motivation to write because it seems like the only thing on my mind right now is quarantine and the coronavirus, and truthfully I have no desire to write about those things right now. The moments that I do feel most inspired, however, are the moments that seem the most normal: Listening to music in the backyard with my sister, baking cookies in the kitchen, eating dinner with my family, etc. Perhaps my trick to getting into the mindset of writing is actually just reveling in the moments that ground us to reality in a time that feels so unreal.
Hey Lily,
Truth is, I’m not. In the past three weeks I have not done a single thing for school. Answering this blog is my first baby step back into the realm of school, and productivity. But I have been writing, at least a little bit, just working on new stories. It’s the only thing to came back to me, and the act writing itself inspired me to write more. For that reason, I feel like maybe I can help. I think I write best later in the day, especially at night. I feel like I get easier access to my emotional brain, and my writing becomes less thinking, more feeling. Also, I like writing after reading, whether it’s a book or some of our assigned readings, doesn’t matter. I find it helps me get out of my ruts in sentence structure and grammar, making my writing more fluid. In any case, the best way I motivate myself to write is just by doing it. Heck I’m doing it right now! Hope this helps 🙂