How I Stay Inspired & Motivated | Writer, Entrepreneur, and Artist of Life

People keep asking me how I do all the things I do… and honestly, that question confused me endlessly for years!

“What do you mean, all the things? I don’t do that much. I like to be cozy and relaxed… I’m not disciplined! I just do these little things when I feel like it, that’s all.”

Lately I’m Learning To Appreciate And Celebrate What Makes Me So Uniquely Me
And Also Allows Me To Create And Live The Life I Have Today…

It turns out, I actually do a lot!

For example, I write this blog twice a week, email my precious email list every Sunday, write monthly social media marketing blogs for Revived Socials and run that entire social media management business… I write life-changing, beautifully vulnerable books like Embrace Yourself and Raped, Not Ruined… I go on grand adventures like moving to the Oregon coast, I keep in touch with entrepreneurs and artists all over the world, maintain a few close friendships and stay in touch with my family who all live in another state, every week I attend a 3 hour class for local entrepreneurs, and as of last week, I’m planning my first trip outside of the country while learning another language)… Oh, and of course I’m growing in the local community, making new friends, pouring into my love life, taking care of my body with cystic fibrosis and constantly improving my habits for a better quality of life.

And on top of that, I put my in-the-moment experiences at the very top of my priorities, which means going somewhere I love every single day- the beach, the lake, to volunteer at the animal shelter, my favorite coffeehouse…

I’m not writing all of that to brag. I’m sharing the list to give you an idea of the level of inspiration and motivation I maintain- so you can see the impact of the tips I’m sharing with you!!

First lesson for keeping my inspiration alive:
I don’t do anything I don’t want to do.

Like… it’s actually kinda bad actually- I’ll put things off forEVER. This is why I’m shocked when people think I’m disciplined! When I don’t want to do something, it really doesn’t happen. It just doesn’t. I don’t make myself to do something until I’ve reframed my perspective so that I want to do the thing.

A lot of people might shake their head at this point, but it’s how I operate and I think it can really work for some people. So… if I don’t do anything I don’t want to do… how do I get anything productive done?

I Learn To Love Everything I Do Before I Start Doing It!

I have a firm belief that I can love every moment of my life. I can adore it all, I can find beauty, strength, or a powerful lesson in any experience or activity… so for the most part, it’s just a matter of finding the right lens to look through in order to feel inspired.

BUT I don’t just wait for inspiration to hit.
I nurture it instead!

(This is the second lesson, if you’re counting!) If you wait for inspiration or motivation, you could be waiting a really long time. Instead of waiting, I start getting curious. I ask questions, find new angles and perspective, compare alternate options… Getting playful with a project is one of the most powerful ways to find magic in it. Find someone who loves to do the thing, and learn from them. Find something to love about them, and explore that! Look at how that thing you love about them applies to the thing you don’t want to do, and see if you can also experience that spark!

Try On A New Perspective With An Open Mind And Just See What Happens.
What If You Did This Every Day?

That alone is magic. Try it and then come join my email list and share the results with me!! I’d love to hear about your experience.

Finally, the most important thing I do is take care of my creativity!!

Like, I Show It A Lot Of Love. Seriously.

I take care of my creativity by pouring into it as much as I take away. This is always evolving for me, it’s like a relationship with myself. I take care of my creativity by giving my body the fuel it needs, moving regularly and taking care of my mental health, by taking off the pressure and just playing with creativity in a space where I’m allowed to suck (have you ever seen my doodles on Instagram? I do those just specifically to be meh in a creative way, showing myself that I don’t have to be awesome at everything, I can just play sometimes and let that be enough).

I give my creativity structured time to work, and unstructured time to play.

I have set times where it can rest, and I thank it constantly with celebrations and rewards! For me, celebrations look like mindful moments in special places or with special treats. I have a ridiculously intense love for coffee shops- so that tends to be my go-to celebration, but sometimes it’s a date with someone special, a call to my sister, time spent doodling on the beach, blueberry pancakes for breakfast… an extra day off in a week. The options are endless and I love to leave room for serendipity.

I think the most challenging part of coming into this great balance I’ve found was actually trusting myself to get anything done and see my work continue to support me with such a flexible and playful structure to it. This still gets me sometimes, but my greatest successes come when I’m having fun and feeling free. I remind myself of that in the difficult moments and playfully challenge myself to lean in rather than panicking and shutting down the flow by over-structuring and planning.

There’s an art to living outside the box… and it’s important to realize you can also live inside the box in a way that you love every single day. If you’re willing to shift your perspective and get innovative with your beliefs and what lights you up from moment to moment you can do ANYTHING. Start to notice what makes you feel most inspired, playful, serene, and alive! Those are great clues to what your next step is to unlock more inspiration and motivation- no matter what it is you do!

I hope this helps!

Written for you with love,

Jessica

P.S. If you’re looking for more inspiration, you might just love this article Isa Adney wrote about me in the ConvertKit Creator Features! She explored the chronic illness aspect of my work as a creator and how important it is to rest and let it be enough… that’s just one step before celebrating, so if this concept is just beyond what you’re ready for, you’re really going to love the article!