When the days are cold, dark and long, the calendar is looking bleak, and my bank account running on low, as with many, I find it quite difficult to find any motivation to go on. I often think to myself, I should just go out and get a “regular” job, show up to work, and collect a paycheck like everyone else does. Then I think again and say to myself, “No way! I am NOT giving up on my dreams!”.

This is when finding inspiration and motivation to go on is at it’s peak, at least for me. Sometimes I have to dig deep to find some sort of reason to lift myself up. It may be simply financially driven as the bills are due and I need to earn money. I find that I need to take on sewing jobs that I normally would turn away like hemming jeans, fixing repairs, or take in a menswear alteration.

Taking on sewing classes helps to bring in a regular paycheck, but it eats into my productive time and also means commuting (yuck). During the slow times may mean doing some marketing, promotions, advertising and work on my social media posts to boost awareness and draw in new business.

When business is slow and work requests are few and far between, I dig into my own projects and UFO’s (un-finished objects) to try to finish them or revisit a sewing wish list from the past.

I do like to make lists. All kinds of lists. And I write them down in different places and formats. For example, I jot down a daily to do list on a notepad when I am really busy or have a lot to accomplish in a day or week; on printer paper pinned to my corkboard in my sewing studio, I make a list of the current custom client projects that I have going on and cross them off as I finish them; we make grocery shopping lists on a sticky notes; a “honey-do” list for projects around the house on a dry-erase board we have in the kitchen. I keep a teaching notebook where I jot down ideas for my students, essential sewing tools to have in their kits, things I want to be sure to demonstrate in class, and good quiz questions to ask them to keep them on their toes.

I own several sketchbooks in various sizes around my house or a tiny one in my purse to draw out fashion designs I have in mind that I want to create. I have many other types of lists from annual grand sewing aspirations to step-by-step garment construction tasks for a specific project, or even to what to bring on vacation list added to my cell phone Notes app. At times, I have so many ideas and goals I want to get to swimming around in my head, that it keeps me up at night and I have to get up and write them down on a notepad I keep in my night stand so that I can relax and sleep in peace.

From the lists, notes and sketches that I have created and saved over the years, I go back and look at them regularly to refresh my memory on things I want to accomplish and get inspiration to start a new project. I have significant goals and aspirations for my lifetime, but nothing too colossal. I don’t need to be rich and famous (Well, being rich wouldn’t suck. Famous? Meh). I just would like to make some sort of difference during my lifetime, leave some sort of mark on life and the lives of others. I’d like to leave a positive remembrance behind as I don’t have any children. I suppose that remembrance of me will consist of the special things that I have created for myself and others, the small difference I made to the fit of a special garment for someone, or the way that I may have made them feel or think about by teaching something, a thoughtful gesture or writing that I have come up with.

Then there comes the hard part: accomplishing. Finding the motivation and drive to get things done is the biggest hurdle for me. I don’t consider myself a lazy person, and find it rare to be bored. I just tend to dream big and then majorly procrastinate with making the dreams a reality. Making the deadlines for client projects are the top priority and have little room for negotiation, so I HAVE to make the time for them, especially brides. It’s all of the rest of the projects, goals and aspirations that get tossed around, started, passed over, not finished or ignored completely.

So where do I find inspiration and the motivation to get things done? I have a few means to get myself inspired that usually work for me: I start with books and magazines. I love a good book whether it be a great novel, a big colorful book about a famous designer, artist or sewing or cooking technique, or a travel destination that I aspire to see. A trip to the library or bookstore is exciting to me. I can spend hours browsing through the topics and occasionally I pick up a good read to bring home to add to my collection.

Magazines have always been an attractive means of getting information and inspiration for me with the glossy pages, large ads and interesting articles. I have accumulated a collection of fashion and interior design publications and save the ones I find most interesting. I have pages torn out of spreads or articles that I wanted to keep which I store in page protectors and binders full of them from decades back that I like to flip through on occasion to remind myself of styles and images that I love.

Of course, a trip to a museum or art gallery really gets my mojo going. Luckily in the city of Portland and surrounding towns, there are plenty of opportunities to find exhibits, shows, events and shops where other creative and talented people display their work. Art exhibits, public sculptures, murals, gardens and home tours happen year round. I recently went to the Portland Art Museum (twice actually) to see the African Fashion exhibit which was marvelous! It was such a treat to see the work and creative expression of colors, texture and interesting garment making techniques. I came home feeling like I, too, could create garments that have such vibrancy and expression, if I set my mind to it and put in the time.

Now, with a coffee refill in my mug, and a healthy to-do list in front of me, I can go on with my day and get cracking on my goals and priorities that need my time and attention. Writing down my goals and sharing my aspirations with dear friends and family, as well as my blog readers and followers, helps keep me in check and on task to reach them, so thank you. I hope that this little check-in also helps you to find motivation to be creative, to set goals, make a plan, and to go for it! We will all be better humans for feeling that sense of accomplishment and pride.

Onward and upward!