When you start out as a creative, you’re full of energy and motivation. You probably have a “why” that gets your adrenaline pumping and keeps you focused… at least for a little while.

But inevitably, that energy wanes. The motivation you once had to keep going in the tougher parts of your business is fading, and you might be wondering, how do I recapture that spark?

Well, in this episode, I’m going to walk you through my whole process of rediscovering my motivation to keep going in my photography business and sharing the questions I had to ask and answer for myself as I sorted through this process. 

Grab a pen and notebook to write down these questions for later, and let’s get started!

What’s in this episode:

• [01:26] Remembering our “why” when we lose our motivation
• [04:25] How to transition if your original “why” doesn’t fit anymore
• [05:53] How to identify what’s working and what isn’t in our current situation
• [09:01] Why it might be time to shake things up if nothing else is working

Tune in to this episode for a little pep talk on rediscovering your motivation as you begin this new year!

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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Did this episode help you rediscover your motivation and spark? Check out this episode For the Love of Light: Reigniting the Creative Spark in Your Photography with D’Ann Boal

Transcript

[00:00:00] Speaker: Hey friend, welcome to the Art and Soul Show. I’m your host, Lisa DiGeso, a mom, a photographer, and entrepreneur. Tune in here for pep talks, conversations, and advice on photography, creativity, mindset, business, life, and that messy in between. This is the place where you can go when you need a boost of encouragement, a kick in the pants, and inspiration to pick up your camera.

[00:00:24] This is the Art and Soul Show. Hey friends, welcome back to the Art and Soul Show. So today we’re tackling something we’ve probably all faced at some point in our careers. It’s that sinking feeling when your motivation just tanks, completely vanishes, whether it’s with your art or maybe your business or maybe even just life in general.

[00:00:45] It’s losing that spark and it can feel frustrating and it can feel even scary. But my friend, here is the good news. You’re not alone and it’s not permanent. Motivation really isn’t something that you’re going to lose forever. It’s kind of like a [00:01:00] tide, it ebbs and it flows and when it ebbs, it’s often a sign that it’s time to pause, to reflect.

[00:01:06] And really just nurture ourselves back into alignment today. In this episode, we’re going to be talking about three powerful ways to reignite your spark, reconnecting with your why, exploring the power of learning something new, and perhaps most importantly, getting honest with yourself about balance and rest.

[00:01:26] So when our motivation fades, really the first place that we need to look at is our why. What really drove you to this work in the first place? What made you fall in love with photography or even having a business? These really aren’t just rhetorical questions. They’re really these breadcrumbs that are going to lead us back to finding our passion.

[00:01:45] So I really want you to think back to when you first started. What was that moment like? Now, for me, it was when I had this little tiny baby, my little son, who was literally five weeks old. And I took some really bad photos of him. [00:02:00] I was frustrated and I really wanted to create work like other photographers did.

[00:02:05] My passion really came more at a frustration to be a good photographer. And then I started getting clients. And so my why kind of changed then too. And to be completely honest. I think it came down mostly to people pleasing. During those days, I just really wanted to create art that people could hang in their homes and that they loved.

[00:02:22] And also during that time, my little boy was growing and he was so cute and he was so easy in front of my camera. And it was so fun that it almost felt like I was just playing. Well, my little boy grew up and he became not so easy to take photos. And in fact, he told me he didn’t want to do that anymore when he was about 10.

[00:02:42] So between 10. And now that he’s 15, he doesn’t get in front of my camera at all, really anymore. So I really had to reevaluate what my why was and why I love photography and really why. And if I wanted to continue my photography business and the truth of the matter is it took me a really [00:03:00] long time. To really get clear and get honest with myself, I had to actually shut things entirely down.

[00:03:06] And I did take a sabbatical time to really just get clear with myself and honest with myself about what it is I wanted to do. And for a long time, I really wasn’t creating art that I loved. It wasn’t art that I was connecting with. I felt like I was kind of going through the motions. And to be honest, that was a really dark time.

[00:03:23] It was hard for me to get motivated and really to create work for clients. And. The reason I’m telling you this is because I’ve talked to so many friends and so many photographers on this podcast, and we all sort of have this dark night of the soul at some point in our careers. It’s really common, but we don’t really talk about it.

[00:03:40] And I really want to tell you the story because so many of us go through the journey of having that baby. And it’s really the reason we often get into photography and the older we get and the older they get, we shoot them less and less. And we end up with these photography businesses and maybe feeling a bit sad and possibly a bit resentful because we’re not making these [00:04:00] beautiful images for ourselves anymore.

[00:04:02] We’re serving other people and that is great and everything, but the reason we probably got into it, our original why. was to do it for ourselves to have all these legacy memories for ourselves. So it can feel demotivating. So today I want to talk to you a little bit about reconnecting with your y, and maybe even how to rediscover your new y, because that’s something that I had to find.

[00:04:25] In order to find my sparkle back. So over time, it is so easy to really lose sight of what that initial excitement was. And here’s the thing. Sometimes your original why doesn’t even fit anymore. And that’s okay because life changes. And so do you. So. Redefining your why isn’t a step backwards, it’s actually growth.

[00:04:46] So if you think about it this way, the person you were when you first started may not even be the person you are today. Your priorities completely shift and so do your values for that matter. Your why just, it doesn’t have to stay static, it can [00:05:00] evolve with you. The question is, is how do you actually uncover what your new why is?

[00:05:06] So, my friend, I want you to pull out a notebook and I want you to write down These questions and answer them for yourself. So number one is reflecting really on the past. Start by revisiting your original why and ask yourself what inspired me to start this journey? What inspired me to become a photographer?

[00:05:28] What felt exciting and meaningful in the beginning? Are there pieces of that original spark that still resonate with me today? Now, because sometimes reconnecting with the original why can remind you some of some of your core values. or really help you see how far you’ve actually come. Other times it can really reveal how much you’ve grown and why your purpose really needs to shift.

[00:05:53] So next we’re going to identify what’s working and what’s not. And really it’s just taking an honest inventory of [00:06:00] your current situation. So the first question is, what parts of my business or art feel fulfilling and aligned? Number two, what feels heavy? uninspiring, or like a chore? And three, if I could stop doing one thing tomorrow without any consequences, what would it be?

[00:06:23] Now, by identifying what drains us versus what excites you, you can kind of start to see where your adjustments need to happen. And your new why really should be something that energizes you, not something that exhausts you. So the next step is really tapping into your joy. And sometimes your new why is hiding in those moments that bring you the most joy.

[00:06:43] So I want you to reflect on these questions. Number one, When do I feel happiest or most alive in my work? Number two, what tasks or projects make time fly by because I’m so engaged? And number [00:07:00] three, what feedback or results light me up more than anything else? Now, your why is often tied to what’s actually filling your cup.

[00:07:10] And by leaning into those joyful moments, you can start to redefine what matters the most to you. Now, for me, I was really frustrated with my editing and my nasty little habit of promising 25 images and then giving them 100. Honestly, it left me so bogged down. I was so excited to book the session. I was so excited to shoot the session.

[00:07:31] But because I was so indecisive when it came to my culling, I hated editing because it took me so long. And so, and because I would get so stuck in the making the decision in the culling, I ended up bogging myself down with extra editing. Even though images looked nearly identical, I would give them both.

[00:07:49] Even if it was like a hand moved, I’d give them both. So my indecision while culling, I was absolutely not benefiting anyone. I don’t think my clients were happier just because I [00:08:00] gave them more images. It just kind of made me feel better that they weren’t going to come back and ask me for something else later.

[00:08:06] And that was silly. I was outsourcing my expertise, and I was kind of just neglecting my expertise. That’s why people hire us, is because we have that expertise. We should be culling and knowing the exact images that we want to give them. We can give them a few extra, but 75 extra images was not serving me, my friend.

[00:08:24] So maybe you are not happy with how your work looks. Maybe you don’t love your editing right now. Or maybe it just doesn’t feel like you. Now, I get it because I have been there too. And for me, the best way to reignite it is to really find someone who is doing what you want to do. Maybe it’s a style of editing.

[00:08:41] Maybe it’s a way they’re running their business. Or maybe it’s even a way they style their sessions that give you that twang of like, I wish that were me. Well, the answer, my friend, truly is probably not shopping. It’s actually education. There is a magical power of learning something new when it comes to [00:09:00] our motivation.

[00:09:01] When that motivation really feels out of reach, one of the best ways to reignite it really is by shaking things up. And there’s something really magical about trying something new. And I will give the caveat, learning can be painful. It can be frustrating. Once you start to get it. It’s not just about gaining skills.

[00:09:22] It’s about reigniting and rekindling that curiosity that gets that spark going in yourself again. Now, this is literally why the reason our retreats came to exist. I was so frustrated with how my work looked, and I had honestly a list, like a mile long of photographers who, whose work I just admired or workshops I wanted to go to.

[00:09:42] And I thought, wouldn’t it be amazing if we could do something where we had a whole bunch of photographers with a whole bunch of different styles, and we could all learn new things. And take all the parts we liked and just become better versions of ourselves. Now of course, I’m partial to our classes and retreats because I know the transformation that they [00:10:00] do for our students.

[00:10:00] We’ve produced over 26 over the past 10 years. I know our retreats work, but I also know that it’s not just online learning that we need. It could be in person learning too. Maybe it’s an in person workshop that you need, or maybe it’s learning something completely out of your wheelhouse. It could be in person learning.

[00:10:16] For example, I just took a archetype branding workshop and my God, it got me so re inspired about my photography business again. And that’s really what I needed. It’s that beauty of maintaining that lifetime learner mindset, because, you know, there’s always something new to learn. And to be honest, that is usually the quickest way to reignite that spark.

[00:10:38] Now you got to get honest with yourself too. We have to have a heart to heart and you have to have a heart to heart with yourself. Now, what if the reason your motivation is low isn’t about your art or your business at all? Sometimes maybe the problem isn’t what you’re doing, it’s how you’re doing it. If you’re having a life that is all work and no play, because we live in this [00:11:00] culture that glorifies hustle, all work and no play can zap your creativity faster than anything else.

[00:11:09] So I really want you to ask yourself these three questions. Am I making space in my life for joy and rest? Do I spend most of my time chasing deadlines and goals? And when was the last time I did just something for fun? Because play really isn’t for kids. It could just be if you want to pull your camera and have a play session, if you want to just go for lunch with a girlfriend or go see a comedy show with some friends.

[00:11:36] It’s a vital part of living a happy and a fulfilled life. We can’t be working all the time and when you make time for joy in your life, it will spill over into your work. And we also need to recognize when it’s not doing more, it’s doing less. When rest is actually the answer. Sometimes what you need isn’t more play, it’s actually more rest.

[00:11:58] And there’s a big difference between [00:12:00] being unmotivated because you’re uninspired and being unmotivated because you’re just completely exhausted. And I have been both, my friend. So there are some signs that you need to recognize when you need to have rest, and it’s really three things. It’s feeling resentful about starting new projects or even taking new clients.

[00:12:17] Feeling like, Oh my gosh, like you can’t pay me enough to even do that project. That’s when you need some rest. It’s when you’re struggling to focus even on small tasks. You probably need a day or maybe a few days off. Or if you’re finding everything that is just harder than it should be. Now, my friend, if this sounds familiar, what you need is to hit pause.

[00:12:40] Rest is not a luxury. It is a necessity. It’s a necessity for you and it’s a necessity for your business. So if you’re feeling a little less than awesome about your art or your business, remember it is okay. Motivation isn’t something that we’re going to have all the time. It’s something that we can rediscover when we give ourselves that space to do so.[00:13:00] 

[00:13:00] So taking that time to reconnect with your why or explore a new one entirely, feeding that curiosity by learning something new and most importantly, getting honest with yourself about what you truly need. Sometimes it’s a spark of inspiration, but other times it’s just simply giving yourself that permission to rest and recharge, especially if you’re coming out the backside of a really heavy and busy fall season.

[00:13:23] There’s no shame in stepping back to care for yourself. In fact, that’s where your best ideas and your deepest creativity will come from. So my challenge to you this week, my friend, is to carve out a little time to reflect. Ask yourself those big questions about your purpose, to try something new, or even just schedule in a nap.

[00:13:42] Whatever feels most aligned for you right now. Because you’ve got this, my friend. Motivation is going to come and go, but your creative spirit is always going to be there waiting for you to nurture it back to life. Oh my friend, thank you for coming and hanging with me today on the Art and Soul Show. [00:14:00] Now, if this episode resonated with you, I would love it if you could share it with a fellow creative who might need to hear it.

[00:14:06] And as always, I love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to send me a DM or tag me on social media. And until next time, I am sending you so much of my light and my love today in every single day. We’ll see you next time.