What do you do when the excitement’s gone?
Most everyone I know on LJ is into some sort of creative endeavor whether they are writers, artists or what have you. So I want to know what you guys do when the heady phase of dreaming and imagining has ended and you’re left with the drudge work of finishing projects. Or, maybe that doesn’t happen to you…if not, how do you keep it from happening?
Even though we’ve had a lot of successes with RDSP lately some days I feel ground down.
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I just push at it and get it done so I can get to the next phase of dreaming. Because the next fun bit is just around the corner of getting the work done.
That's a great attitude. If only I could remember that when I'm knee-deep in accounting and tax stuff!
I personally try to have more than one thing on the go (and different sorts of things at that), so if I feel particularly uninspired to work on the main project for a day or two, there's something else to still drive the creativity in the meantime. Burn out, for me, usually means I need to take a short break from whatever's causing me to be low energy, so I'll feel fresh again in a day or two. But I also tend to be a bit of a workaholic, so I go through manic productive cycles then cycles of massive burnout (that I usually fill up with chores I neglected during the creative phases). :)
It's funny how working long and hard on a creative project can make things like doing the dishes and cleaning the house seem like fun!
Second the motion of having multiple projects going on at the same time.
However, some stuff like the circus skills, pretty much require that I practice each and every day, and that can get to be a major fucking drag. Except I've noticed that I never feel bad after those sessions, it's always the drudgery of doing them in the first place. After I noticed that, it became a lot easier to remind myself of the fact.
When all else fails, I heartily recommend masturbation and/or living with a black-hearted, mean-spirited woman who feels no remorse in kicking your ass.
Unfortunately I'm the black-hearted, mean-spirited ass-kicker in the household. John would let me sit around eating bon-bons all day if I decided that's what I wanted to do with my time.
But you could get another black hearted woman...;-)
I take a page from Dory and just keep swimmin', mostly.
It also helps to have some little reward for myself planned, so that when I get finished with the grindstone I know there'll be some little bit of fun in store.
That's a good idea. I think I'm long overdue for some kind of break or reward.