This is a part of my journey I always like to share with the world, most especially with guitarists and other musicians who sometimes feel frustrated, discouraged, dissatisfied and unable to continue their music journey; I feel that way sometimes too. I’ve passed through my own fair share of this experience, I still pass through it sometimes and trust me when I say it is not a sweet one. This article is to share with you out there how I manage to keep my head above the waters. Check out the full video version of this article on my YouTube channel https://youtu.be/IVorMnd805g 

✅ For you to remain motivated as a musician, remember why you started in the first place; remind yourself of why you do what you do. Bring back the memories of your initial love and zeal for your instrument and let it re-ignite your passion. Think about a lot of people who you inspire, those that want to do more, be more and learn more because of you; think about those who look up to you in a certain way, think about those who love to see you grow and progress, those who support you in one way or another; they would encourage and motivate you never to give up on your goals.

✅ Another thing that I do to stay motivated is that I listen to great musicians of all genres who inspire me; they are role models I look up to and since they are great in their own different ways, it tells me that I can be great too, and I can attain the same heights that they did. You can do a ‘social media cleanse’ like me, #in with the good stuff and out with the bad.# Follow people who share positive energy and posts that would encourage you, be very careful of the kind of information you see, hear and take in because your mental health as a creative musician is crucially important.

✅ Variety is the spice of life. Try new stuff, freshen your mind and head space every now and then. To stay motivated and on top of my game, sometimes, I learn a new song, I buy a new gear, or if I can’t afford a new gear at the moment, I go window shopping; the basic idea is to experience and try out something I’ve never done before or not done in a long while; it mustn’t always be something grand. Few months ago, I did something as little as changing my pick, you can do that too or something else like changing the finish on your guitar (for guitarists), it might just give you that fresh energy.

✅ Celebrating your small successes also has a way of keeping your inspiration bar on the high side. Sometimes, take time out and just log into your social media accounts or your YouTube channel and go through your previous videos. Notice how far you have come and be inspired to do more and be better. Spoil yourself to a restaurant or cinema of your choice, take a day, 2 days or even 3 days off work to relax and chill.

✅ Have a life outside your music and enjoy it. Spend time with family and friends, share experiences with them and just be happy around them; it gives you a new and positive kind of energy and vibe.

✅ Money is also another form of motivation especially if you’re a professional musician already. Your bills would not sort themselves out neither would you starve to death, as much as you love doing what you do, also think up ways to monetize it, it’s your passion as much as it’s your source of livelihood.

✅ Connect with other music colleagues. Don’t be an island and isolate yourself from other musicians, you have no idea the degree of knowledge you could gain from them, plus jamming with other musicians who play a different instrument from yours is really fun and amazing, you’ll learn lots of thing from them (especially musically related).

✅ Keep your instrument within close range. Your instrument should be your closest pal and buddy. Inspiration also comes when you’re not doing anything, honestly. But what happens when you hear a tune in your head and you need to play it on your instrument to retain muscle memory? If your instrument is close by, it’s easier to pick it up and do the needful, but if your instrument is far away and requires unzipping or unboxing of some sort, you’re bound to forget it. Plus, if you have a sincere passion for your music, it’s possible to stay motivated by constantly being in eye contact with your instrument.

Staying motivated as a musician is truly not easy, but as musicians, no matter how we feel, we just have to drag ourselves out of our discouragement and bounce back! Music has to be made!

Related article:
How To Deal With Burnouts As A Musician

Are you a musician? What keeps you motivated? I’m dying to know!? Comment below?

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