Motivation

                        . . . So What's the Big Deal About Motivation?

By Ruth Douthitt

I have to facilitate a presentation about motivation at work soon, so I have been deep in motivational videos, theories, and podcasts in preparation for it. 

The results? I am super motivated!!

I'm motivated to share motivational tools, and ideas that I have found so helpful for me.

Motivation

What's the big deal about motivation anyway? Why do managers attend such presentations about motivation?

Well, what are the benefits?

Improved productivity
Strong work culture
Reduced absenteeism
Achievement of Objectives

But why is motivation important for the rest of us?

As I have blogged before, I run and train for races. I am also an author with many projects set for 2018. Motivation is key for me to meet all my goals for the year.

There are so many motivational theories out there. I lean toward Maslow's Motivational Theory because it's simple:

If your very basic needs aren't met, then everything comes crumbling down. In other words, if you have no food in your belly, shelter over your head, and clothes on your back, you won't be motivated to do much of anything let alone achieve your potential!

But once those needs are met, then you move on to the other needs: Socialization, belonging and love, respect and acceptance, validation of ideas, challenging yourself...all of these can help you reach your potential, and then self-actualization.

Self-Actualization

What does that level look like? Let's use Oprah as an example. She reached stardom through hard work and innovation. She started the "daytime talk show" trend by restructuring it and making it more personal. That achievement led to her challenging herself by trying new concepts: Acting.

After receiving an Academy Award nomination, she had the self esteem to venture out into more challenging roles on TV and in film. She began her own studio and cable network.

But one thing keeps knocking her off the top of Maslow's Pyramid: Her weight.

Oprah's constant battle with her weight has always brought her down a few levels on the pyramid, but she has learned through the years how to get back up to the top.

And that's what self-actualization looks like. When you have reached autonomy (meaning, you no longer rely on others to reach your true potential because you know how to get back on top on your own) you have made it to the top!

No, becoming a billionaire is not the requirement of "self-actualization" or "transcendence." Gandhi reached that level without being a billionaire and you will, too. 

Being able to carry on without relying on others for your happiness is key for success. Your definition of success might differ from mine.

What's your definition of success?

The big deal about motivation is that we all need outside motivation to inspire our inner motivation so we can reach our definition of success. But knowing how to get back up again after falling down is what Self-Actualization is all about.

Motivation is a Big Deal

I strongly feel that our calling is to know how to stay motivated so we can motivate others around us. And by "others" I mean not just employees, but family and friends, too!

As a writer, I feel called to motivate my readers and students of writing. I have learned (and continue to learn...) how to get back up again after rejection and delay. I want to share my knowledge and wisdom. I'm a teacher, that's what I do!

Some motivational theories and tools you can try are:

Happify.com

Four-Drive Theory

Goal Setting Theory

These tools can help you assess your needs and learn how to help motivate others in business or in your personal life. We'd be crazy to think everyone knows how to motivate themselves. It's important for us to share our knowledge with others. That's how things change for the better.

What about you? How do you motivate others? Why is it important for us to do so?

R. A. Douthitt is an award-winning author of books for middle grade readers. She is now working on a contemporary inspirational novel, Leaving Eden for release later this fall. She is also an educator and speaker with a Masters degree in Education.

For information about my books, please visit my website: www.thedragonforest.com

For information about my artwork, please visit: www.artbyruth.com

Painting with Words

                 

By Ruth Douthitt

As an artist, I’ve learned how to see things. Painting and drawing are basically “seeing” and then expressing what one sees onto paper or canvas or any other desired medium. 

Is it possible for art and writing to be similar? I’ve blogged before about how running and writing are similar, but what about drawing or painting?

I’ve only been writing since 2004, published since 2008, but I’ve been an artist all my life. I can easily tell you the answer is YES! There are many similarities and that’s what makes me love both art forms. I’ll share what I’ve learned from both mediums of artistic expression with you and let you decide for yourself…

Creating art typically requires a process. This was something my art professors drilled into my brain over and over again. Conceptual development came first. What’s the context? Who is your audience? What is your theme? What are the comparisons? What other artists inspired the work? What is the purpose? How will it be created and why?

All this must be decided first before an artist even attempts to create art for a showing or exhibit. A concept brainstorm can be a long arduous process, but I found it fun. I suppose that’s why brainstorming a writing project is fun for me, too.

In the creation of art, it is always best to know the medium of choice. What are its strengths and weaknesses? For instance, oil painting. What are the strengths of oil as a medium? Gorgeous color and texture. It lasts for a lifetime. Blends easily. Its weaknesses? Odorous, requires proper ventilation. It is very expensive. Requires additional resources for preparation and preservation, which can be costly. It dries slowly, so the process requires patience.

What about with writing? It is always best to know the strengths and weaknesses of the tools you select for writing: MS Word, Scrivener, Open Office, etc. What about where you write? Can you work in uninterrupted bliss?

In art, a rough draft does help. My one art professor required at least 15 (minimum) paintings/sketches that he would approve of before we even attempted to work on a painting for our show. I grumbled about it at first, but after a while, I realized how much this process helped to produce a “rough draft” of a painting or drawing first. Not only did it save me money on canvas or paper (my professor didn’t care about what we used for the 15 paintings or sketches…), but it forced me to slow down and truly settle on an idea that I had worked through. I loved that! I learned how to settle on a composition and explain why I did so.

Doesn’t this remind you of writing? When we sit with our editor to explain our plot premise of the rough draft, if we cannot explain it in an interesting way to him, then how will our readers understand it? A rough draft forces us to slow down and truly work out the plot details.

In art, the focus is intense. I can stare at my work for hours at a time. A wise artist will pause to take a step back in order to inspect his work from a different focal point. In fact, my professor always challenged us to turn the piece upside down! I definitely agree with this approach because the errors in the painting or drawing always pop out when turned upside down. I also look at my work in a mirror to find errors. In writing, taking time to step away from a work-in-progress is most helpful. When you come back to your work, errors glare at you. You are more capable of checking for point-of-view and the voice of the characters.

So, these are just some examples of how visual art and writing reflect one another. One can see why they both are part of the Fine Arts. Structure, planning, plotting, and preparation are necessary for both types of artistic expression.

Because I dabble in both mediums, I find it most fascinating how writing and art align so nicely. I suppose that’s why I love both art forms. Music, theatre, visual art, and writing…the Fine Arts are each unique threads in the tapestry of artistic expression. If you excel in one, you will probably discover that you can excel in the another! I am learning to play piano and violin. I also sing with a praise and worship band. Maybe, someday, I’ll try acting.

What about you? Why not give another form of artistic expression a try? You have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

For information about my books, please visit my website: www.thedragonforest.com

For information about my artwork, please visit: www.artbyruth.com

The Beauty of Distracted Writing

by Laura L. Zimmerman

I used to think I couldn’t write unless I had an hour or more to devote to it. Of course this would rarely happen, since a little thing called ‘life’ would get in the way. 

The idea was sound: I wanted to avoid distraction. I never wanted to settle for a 5-minute block of time, or writing with kids around because it seemed pointless. I couldn’t do my best writing in that environment, right?

But a few years ago I read an interview with a well-known author who claimed there was no excuse for writers who said they didn’t have time to work on their craft. While in college, she’d write on her Blackberry in the few minutes downtime she had before class, and that’s how she wrote her first bestseller. No amount of writing time was too little to get her book written.

So I made my own attempt. I wrote first thing in the morning, even if the kids were already up. I wrote at night, when it was past bedtime. I wrote in the middle of the day, as ‘Cupcake Wars’ blared in the background. Sometimes these only consisted of ten minute increments, at best.

Here’s what I discovered: It is absolutely possible to write this way. Not only that, but it’s rewarding! Is my writing perfect? No. That’s where edits and revision come in. But at least it’s a start. A writer isn’t a writer if there’s nothing on the paper, after all! Dropping my preconceived notion that I must have a specific amount of time to write has greatly improved the amount I get written.

I challenge you to do the same. Make an effort to write as many words as you can in the few minutes you have each day and see what a difference it will make in achieving your writing goals! 

Laura L. Zimmerman resides in Phoenix, AZ and is a homeschooling mom to three beautiful daughters. She is thankful for a supportive husband, who is always quick to encourage her love of singing, reading and drinking coffee. Laura writes young adult and middle grade fantasy fiction. You can learn more about her at www.lauralzimmerman.com, on Twitter @lauralzimm , and on Facebook. Laura is represented by Cyle Young through Hartline Literary Agency. 

Finding Your Way

                                   by Dana McNeely

Soon after I obtained my driver’s license, I learned the most ominous words in the English language. As I prepared to embark on my first cross-town errand, my mom rattled off directions involving cross streets, stop signs, and a fire hydrant on the corner. She closed with these words, which first inspired confidence, later fear:

You can’t miss it.

In writing, as in the rest of life, you can indeed get lost. Not everyone has a finely honed sense of direction, but if you get lost, you can find your way again! I struggle with plot. You may struggle with characterization, pacing, or dialogue. Writing workshops and craft books can inspire and guide our writing journey, but they can also overwhelm us. This is when we need to stop, breathe, and think about how we do our other work - our day job, caring for our family, planning a get-together with friends. We plan. We make lists. If we need  something, we go out and get it.

The Germ of an Idea

Ideas sneak up on us like a sports car in our blindspot. Pull over, grab your notebook, and write the complete idea - everything in your brain at that moment. Don’t just write “green hedgehog” because later, you’ll have no idea what that meant. Next, sit down and explore that idea. Make lists of things that might happen, where they happen, and who they happen to. Think about your main character, her friends, and her opponents. What are the worlds she lives in? There are probably more than one - her home and neighborhood, her work, where she goes for fun. What are the connections between the people in those worlds? Make sure there are connections - and collisions.

Small Goals

When I have a new idea, it’s a merry jaunt as I write those first chapters. The time comes, though, when I stall. Maybe I’ve come to the end of my ideas, maybe my day job has upped its demands, maybe there are familial issues to deal with. Days go by as I mull things over, but I can’t seem to get back in the driver’s seat. The last time this happened, a writer-friend  suggested writing just fifty words that day. “Start with writing about why you can’t write.” I learned that writing about what’s keeping me from writing, is naturally followed by solutions. If it’s the job or family, can I find 15 minutes to read what I last wrote? (Of course!) If it’s a dearth of ideas, could this silly thing happen? What if this other thing happens? Soon, I’ve written my fifty words, but nearly always it’s many more. And some of them are keepers.

A Writing Journal

The mystery author, Sue Grafton, has spoken about keeping a Writing Journal for each novel. When I learned this I zipped on over to her website and found several examples. In those journals I found validation for several of the behaviors I had already begun to discover, but I also learned more about discovering plot. Take a look at this little blurb from her “G is for Gumshoe” journal.

“Just checking in to have a little chat. I'm in Chapter 3 and feeling pretty good, but I'm wondering if I don't need some tension or suspense. We know there may be a hit man after her. She's currently on her way to the desert and everything seems really normal..nay, even dull. Do I need to pep it up a bit? She's almost at the Slabs. I've been doing a lot of description but maybe I need to weave it into the narrative better. Flipping back and forth from the external to the internal.”

A Hitchhikers Guide

Finally, in real life, I would never recommend picking up a hitchhiker. But on your writer’s journey, I recommend offering to proofread a friend’s manuscript, write a helpful review, or share your favorite writing tips. In fact, now it’s your turn.

Now its your turn, share your favorite writing tip!

Dana McNeely

2014 Semi-Finalist, ACFW Genesis Contest
2013 & 2014 Finalist, OCW Cascade Contest

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A longtime desert dweller, Dana McNeely dreams of rain. She lives in an oasis with her husband, Mike, two good dogs, and migrating butterflies.