How to stay motivated during a project

Oddly enough, most people, especially those in the creative industry often find themselves lacking the initial enthusiasm after some time into a project. Even those big, one of a lifetime opportunity kind of projects that kick off with tremendous inspiration and willing to do the best you can, eventually turn into a to do list full of micro tasks that piss you off and make struggle, forgetting how fun you thought this was going to be at the beginning. It gets worst when in real life you almost never have the luxury to do one thing at a time and you struggle to keep all you have to do at the same level. Speaking of which, for the last months I have been working on my Design Master Thesis amongst other things and it has been fun but draining too. I guess many of you are going through small and big projects hopefully, so today I am sharing a few tips to help you stay focused and motivated during such a project or any project in your life:

1. Get back to how it all started. Obviously, we should never forget those initial goosebumps we got when we first started brainstorming, but we do, so keep them written on a piece of paper, a mood board or as a note in your mobile phone. In times of struggle and lack of inspiration, just take a breath and start over. You will feel better, I promise.

2. Why are you doing it? This is another thing we should always recall. Be it love and compassion for a topic, the need for monetary profit, your will to help a friend or conquer your skills, or just because you can't do otherwise, the reason why you are doing the project should move you forwards and motivate you at hard times. Everything is a bunch of hard work, no matter how beautiful and creative the result seems, but when you have a strong and real reason behind it, everything feels lighter and brighter.

3. Switch your perspective. If you are used to do things a certain way, try something new when you get stuck. If you usually get tons of inspiration before you start working, try going offline and have a walk in the nature to gather inspiration. On the other hand, if you usually start working immediately, hold on a second and do a little brainstorming. This tip is perfect for every project you might have, small or big. I got myself 15 new articles tittles in less than half an hour brainstorming the word "summer" the other day.

4. Look back at all you have done until now. We often get rushed into our to do lists, willing to do as much as we can. Sometimes it helps to pause and evaluate all you have accomplished until now. Maybe you get a new hint from somewhere, or you just understand you don't have to do as much as you assumed. In some way, this always helps.

5. Dream, plan, write, keep notes. When you are involved in a project you are fond of, you cannot avoid keeping that in mind whatever you might be doing. Don't try to stop this process, even if you want to shift your mind somewhere else for a minute. It might get overwhelming, but it is worth it when you finally get a brilliant idea while showering or running or driving, or any moment that you dedicate to things other than the project itself. Everyone says you should keep a notebook and I will strongly repeat. Usually I have a notebook in my bag, one on my bed and also use my mobile phone's notes, depending on where I am and which one comes handy first.

6. Don't force it. Well, I might not know how everybody's mind works best, but I know there should be other people like me. Sometimes, I can try as hard as I want to find that unique, original, creative idea to launch my project, but it doesn't come from brainstorming or anything else. Than I have learned to stop searching for it. Literally stop. Just when I have forgot about it, the brilliant idea comes to me and from than on, everything is easy, just mechanical work. But this might not work with short deadlines, so you can try it when you have more than a couple of days ahead.

Do you have any tips to help yourself stay focused, motivated and inspired during your projects?
I'd love to know each and every one of them :)


P.s : You can follow me on Instagram here if you like :)

DIY flower canvas for your mother

Even though we celebrated Mother's day since 8th of March here in Albania, I am totally up to celebrating it again, being exposed to all the excitement and gift ideas around the internet the past two weeks. Actually, Mother's Day is one of those special occasions, when I would go for a non material gift and focus on spending time together with my mum instead. You can find some ideas I wrote here.
But if you still want to surprise her with something, I'd strongly encourage you to make it yourself.

Here is a super simple and quick DIY, with a very feminine and romantic result, just in time for Spring and Summer. All you need is:

- a canvas ( blank or not - I choose an old one that I didn't like )
- vinyl glue or any other liquid one
- a brush
- an empty cup to mix glue and water
- one patterned paper napkin ( you can choose whatever pattern you like, but flowers look beautiful for this project. go for lighter colors if you work with a blank white canvas and with bolder ones if you work over an old canvas )

1. Take the canvas - blank or not - make sure it has no dust or other things
2. Separate all the layers of the paper napkin
3. Mix some glue with water to thin it out and apply on the canvas with a brush
4. Put a layer of paper on it and reapply glue.

5. Repeat with all the white layers and continue with the colored ones.
6. Make sure you put every layer  starting at the corner of the canvas, going with one corner at a time. This way you cover the whole canvas with the same density of paper/glue and have a uniform result.
7+8. After you finish with all the layers, spread some glue on the sides of the canvas and put the layers of paper left out of the canvas surface on it. Reapply glue if necessary every 2-3 layers. If you have worked with a square canvas and there is no paper out of it, skip this step.
9. Let the canvas sit on a flat surface overnight or outside in the sun for a few hours. Give it to the lovely lady and enjoy Mother's Day :)

As you can see, one napkin was enough for me, but you can add more if you like, making sure the first layers dry before reapplying glue. I prefer to separate all the layers of the paper napkin before and apply them one by one to create a more textured look. You can do the same or not, applying the whole thing at a time while being careful not to tear it apart.
Also, it would be fun to make a few canvases at a time, let dry together and make a small gallery wall or give one to each wonderful woman in your life :)

Special thanks to my friend Egla for helping me out with this project!

P.s : 10 things I have learned from my mother

| Love, Lisa |