What Keeps You Motivated?

[Scooteroot]

I had originally planned a long and elaborate opening to this thread, but in the end, I decided it better to just spill whatever I'm thinking on this page, since it'll end up long and elaborate anyway (albeit, less coherent).

As I've already covered in my introductory post in this forum; I have no self-confidence and I can already hear the lot of you groaning under your breath and thinking that I just need to pony up.

Yeah, I know.

Please understand that I'm not trying to pull a "woe is me" and talk about my dark and troubled past that somehow renders me unable to express myself. This isn't a bucking charity. I'm here to do art stuff, but there's a lot o' horseapples and rotting hay that I need to dispose of first before I can do that. I know that I'm a sack o' bird crap that needs a swift buck in the teeth. Just let me do this, okay?

-----------------------------------

Now... Whenever I attempt to do anything vaguely creative, my mind is suddenly bombarded with ten thousand voices spewing insults of the "you're not good enough" variety, which, of course, leave me in an emotionally-induced paralytic state. Through the (admittedly short) years, I've found that there are only two things I can do to combat those demonic horseshoes on the chalkboard.

The first is to completely drop everything and just give up, which leaves this aching hole in my soul, which I usually try to sedate with more art done by people better than I can hope to be, which makes me angry at myself because I could have been as good as said person had I just nutted up and pushed the voices aside, which motivates into doing art again, only to be brought back to square one and begin the vicious cycle once more.

The second is also, oddly enough, more art, but done by me, and for other people. Y'see, in-between the "getting back into art through sheer force of will" and the "you're better off killing yourself because you're not good enough" stages, I'll usually play music or podcasts at an ear-splitting level through my pair of five dollar headphones to drown out the voices and set up threads like, oh, I don't know... THIS, because I have this need to be accepted and credited by other people so I can feel like my life isn't worthless. Why? Because I hate myself. And while this works temporarily, the voices shift from "you're not good enough" to "they're just lying to you. They hate this chicken scratch." And no amount of deafness can drown that out. So yeah.

tr;dr

I have problems.

-----------------------------------


Even if not to this bucking pony right here's extent, I'm sure most of you (and for those who can't, just watch "Hurricane Fluttershy") have had those moments of self-doubt. And since the brony community is, by far the only community I can say I've been a part of that doesn't throw old tomatoes at you for admitting that you're flawed, I ask of you; What keeps you motivated?

[Interrobang Pie]

Ponies.

[colortwelve]

The act of creation itself. When I'm inspired, I'm truly, unstoppably inspired. There's no thought in it, no doubts, nothing holding me back from spewing forth from the rightmost depths of my brain into the carefully-gridded world of FL.

Of course, that would only be so potent if I had nowhere to turn for the logical component of refining creation, and it's bronies that have given me faith that this can be found on the Internet. Well, more faith than I already had. Also, ponies are pretty cool.

[bartekko]

"I'll get better. One day."

[the4thImpulse]

"I'll get better. One day."

This exactly for me.

[PhillyPu]

What usually starts me off on a song is the "playful" stage. Ie. Thoughts like "Hey, what does this chord sound like when I add it to this other chord" and "I wonder how contorted my hands can be when I play the piano" enter my head. In no way do I try to compare myself to other people, since, you know, people like Philip Grass or William Anderson or John Williams completely kick my ass if I start thinking about it (not to mention artists of antiquity: Mozart, Lizst, Schubert, Beethoven, Byrd...)

Also, I try to do something new with each song, cause, well, it's fun doing new things. Perhaps in your situation, you need to find a genre to stick to, but I like crossing genres and doing all sorts of weird stuff. Most of my stuff never get past the "idea" stage, so I can't really say much about it.

It may not seem like it at first, but music is fun. Sure, you get frustrated easily and everything, but once you have a basic grasp of how to make a song, and once you actually make a song, it'll be all totally worth it. Plus, you can listen to your own songs on the iPod and walk with your nose pointed to the sky in the sheer pride you get from listening to YOUR OWN DAMN SONG.

Hang in there buddy~

[Emkay]

I'm... not sure. I'm not even sure why I'm even making music.
I guess it may be a combination of the satisfaction of sticking to something and finishing it to the end despite any frustration that comes with it and the idea that perhaps there would just be that one person who enjoys something that I've made so much that they would listen to it over and over.

[Gray Ham]

I listen to music, feel inspired, and then make shitty music for the next 4 hours.

[ChromaMonster]

What keeps me motivated?

"There are people out there that are better than me. That is UNACCEPTABLE."

Oh, and the fun factor of course!

[natsukashi]

the prospect of all the bitches I can get when claiming to be an electronic music producer

[CommandSpry]

Nothing ^^

[@ppleBukker]

the prospect of all the bitches I can get when claiming to be an electronic music producer

Exactly.

Also, before I continue, let's look at it this way. Why do you make music? To impress or express? Is it for bragging rights and having hordes of people subscribing to whatever channel you have? Or. Is it because you have a genuine love for music and ponies and wish to express that through your own musical ideas? Mine, personally, is the latter.

When I first started getting really serious about music production (say, Janurary), I was really self-conscious about everything I did. I still am. However, I know that I screw up. I know that in the end there's gonna be that flaw that I didn't see during production. However, this is where the motivation comes in.

See, I'm motivated to become better. Not really for anypony else, but for myself. These thoughts and ideas flow in my head before I make a song. They sound so beautiful and full of emotion and feeling. When they are actually spewed out onto a DAW... it might be a different story. So, I can learn from my mistakes. That's why I love this community. Everypony helps you out in a loving way. Everypony wants you to be better.

Also, the sheer love of making music keeps me motivated. The thought of putting sounds onto a DAW and making them gel together just gets my adrinaline pumping. This is especially true when I get an idea that is just brand new to me.

If nothing else, it's self-satisfaction. Some put their music on their iPods. I don't have one, so I put mine on a CD and listen to it in the car (Bose stock speakers, for the win). I get a stronger sense of accomplishment when I hear what I've completed. It feels good to say "I did that." Even when your driving with your friends, you get to say "Oh, by the way, I made this." The look on their face is always priceless.

Oh yeah, and ponies work too.

[Maniac Shelve]

Sounds like we're very alike.
I started music production because there's always a song out there for whatever situation I'm in. I started noticing as well that a TON of people I know constantly bash on electronic music. I love traditional and electronic music, so I'm motivated by the hope that I can make people appreciate all kinds of music, while making the music I want to listen to.
If that makes sense.

[Navron]

What keeps me motivated?

It's that feeling you get when you get, "into the zone," as some call it.

You may have 20-30 failed projects between each one, but when you get into the zone, you know it.

- Everything is falling into place.
- You will sit at your computer for hours on end, forsaking food, rest, and daylight, in order to get the song done.
- You feel goosebumps at your own creation.
- You cannot wait to show the world your song.

I'd say I've been in the zone 3 times, each time resulting in a completed song.

The downside is the zone only comes every now and then, and in between times when it comes are when you've gotta keep breaking out of your comfort zone.

[Magnitude Zero]

What keeps me motivated?

It's that feeling you get when you get, "into the zone," as some call it.

You may have 20-30 failed projects between each one, but when you get into the zone, you know it.

- Everything is falling into place.
- You will sit at your computer for hours on end, forsaking food, rest, and daylight, in order to get the song done.
- You feel goosebumps at your own creation.
- You cannot wait to show the world your song.

I'd say I've been in the zone 3 times, each time resulting in a completed song.

The downside is the zone only comes every now and then, and in between times when it comes are when you've gotta keep breaking out of your comfort zone.

This. So much this. I'm all-too-familiar with the feelings of self-loathing you described, but when I'm "in the zone" those feelings just melt away. Those "not good enough" thoughts don't even cross my mind; it's just me, FL Studio, and the sounds I'm making with it.

Mostly, though, it's the idea of self-improvement. Listening to your earlier songs and comparing them to your current projects, and being able to clearly tell how much better you've gotten, knowing that, should you continue, there's nowhere to go but up... feels good man. It's more than enough to keep me going.

[Mishtar]

Now... Whenever I attempt to do anything vaguely creative, my mind is suddenly bombarded with ten thousand voices spewing insults of the "you're not good enough" variety, which, of course, leave me in an emotionally-induced paralytic state.

Oh wow. Every. Single. Time. That also makes showing anything I create to other people so difficult.

But, umm, yeah... what keeps me motivated?

Ponies come first. They motivate me to do a quite a bit more than just creating music. My life in general changed for the better. It's a slow but steady process, the happiness that comes from MLP cheers me up and brightens my mood every single day. I can't imagine a better "first step" towards anything.

The community also plays a huge role in motivating me, especially all of the great musicians who keep me inspired

[DJSheogowrath]

I'd say one thing that keeps me motivated is the crazy amount of awesome ideas I get during school. Even though I usually end up never being able to use them, they still give me that little boost when I'm playing it in my head and thinking "Damn, this is fucking awesome!." In short, those give me confidence that I can make music because I know I have good ideas.
Another thing that keeps me up is professional artists. It sounds strange, but a lot of confidence has come from analyzing songs, such as being able to listen to a song and recognize how they made that certain bass or effect, or just taking inspiration from that song. And I have had a rare couple times where I was listening to a song, had a realization, started playing one of my own songs, and I actually thought mine was better. Was it really? Maybe, maybe not (probably not), but still, if you can have that satisfaction and know that you really think you are as good or maybe even better than a professional artist for at least a little bit, it feels pretty damn good.

[TheSunAndTheRainfall]

Just doing things mindlessly keeps me motivated. Being out of touch with the (online?) world prevents me from losing my motivation. Actually, I find it very easy to find motivation, but listening to other people's music, or even just hanging out online can make it evaporate real fast. Hence why I'm in a constant state of dissatisfaction with my work.

[CommandSpry]

As a matter of fact, I'd like to correct my statement.

What really keeps me motivated is cheese.

Cheese is so...cheesy and yet it can be eaten, it's like, yellow, but then again, it can be round but not always, it has a taste too..

Sometimes, I dream about cheese..

[Icky]

My love for music.

[ThatRobChap]

One day... possibly one day soon... I will actually be rather good at this whole music thing.
I'm not going to give up now. That would just be silly.
Music itself is also a good motivation for pretty much anything.

[@ppleBukker]

Just doing things mindlessly keeps me motivated. Being out of touch with the (online?) world prevents me from losing my motivation. Actually, I find it very easy to find motivation, but listening to other people's music, or even just hanging out online can make it evaporate real fast. Hence why I'm in a constant state of dissatisfaction with my work.

Thank you. That was another point I wanted to make. Where I live, I have no internet connection. So, I have to go to local coffee shops to upload my work. When I'm at home, I'm so motivated and connected and "in the zone". However, when the temptation of the internet throws itself in my lap, I'm the least motivated.

[Legion]

For me, motivation comes from learning and discovery, the idea that I'll always be finding something new and fun to experiment with. All my completed songs, what little I have, have originated from something cool I discovered. My first song? I had just discovered the joys of 3xOsc. My second one? Tweakbench Peach. My current one? Chimera. If I ever feel like my inspiration's hit a roadblock, I can download a new VST or mess around with settings in one I already have until I discover something new and exiting.

[DJSheogowrath]

I get a stronger sense of accomplishment when I hear what I've completed. It feels good to say "I did that." Even when your driving with your friends, you get to say "Oh, by the way, I made this." The look on their face is always priceless.

Oooh, thats another thing. I played a song I made once to my english class, and I honestly didn't think anyone in the class would like it, because I'm the only one that listens to dubstep in that class. And to my surprise, everyone loved it, and it made me feel great.
Another time, I played that same song to one of my friends, and he really liked it. But I didn't tell him I made it. Instead, I just said "Guess who made that?" He guessed deadmau5, then Skrillex, then Nero, then finally he gave up. When I told him I made it, he was surprised as hell, and I felt amazed that someone actually thought my music was that good.

[soup2504]

What keeps ME motivated? I honestly.... Have no idea. I just find making music fun as hell, I guess that's my reason c: