Love is great, but let’s address the elephant in the room: your feelings have changed. The craft that you used to love seems distant. And while you expected some bumps along the road, you can’t help wondering how you got here.
But don’t worry! It doesn’t have to be this way. Trust me, by the time you’re done reading this, you’ll be in love again. First, take a moment to think about when you fell in love with your craft. What was it like? Maybe you had an insane passion for painting and you could just pick random colors and paint for hours. It was just you and your painting supplies, unplanned and uninterrupted. These moments were special to you. Close your eyes and remember your happiest moment engaged in your craft.
Now it’s time to do the work. Make a mental or physical list of the elements that made it so special to you.
With your list fresh in your mind, let’s jump right into some ways to fall in love with your craft all over again.
1. Commitment is Key
If you want to fall in love with your craft again, you have to commit. You won’t be able to elevate your craft if you’re on the fence about it all the time. Give your craft a strong and firm "yes".
Staying connected to what you do takes consistency and dedication. When life gets busy, it’s easy to discount the value of your craft and it can be ranked low on your list of priorities. This is very normal, but if your end goal is important enough, you have to schedule time to get there. That could mean carving out five minutes a day or an hour a day; it’s up to you! Spending time with something you love will increase your love for it.
2. Throw out limiting beliefs
We can really get in our own way sometimes, especially when it comes to believing in our ability to perform well. Have you ever found yourself questioning if you can pursue your interest in a certain area? Maybe you’ve always wanted to try but you’re telling yourself it’s too late. These thoughts pull us away from practicing. Throw limiting beliefs to the wind and tell yourself positive things that will uplift you and inspire you to dive deeper into your craft.
3. Try something new
No one wants to admit it, but sometimes we get bored with our craft. Normally, the source of this boredom is because we are trying to be friends with repetition! We tend to stick with what works, but taking some risks could add some excitement back into our relationship with our craft. Stepping out on a limb and trying something new could be the re-spark that we need to fall in love with our craft again. Whether it is something as simple as changing your approach or taking on a project you have never tried before, injecting a little change could be just enough to break up the monotony and inspire you to take your craft to the next level.
4. Appreciate the win
Love without appreciation is a recipe for frustration. Without a pause to recognize our accomplishments, we quickly shift into asking ourselves what’s next. The painter has finished her painting, what’s next? The writer has finished her book, what’s next? The dancer has created choreography, what’s next? Part of embracing a vision is taking a moment to truly appreciate what has been accomplished. We set the goal, meet the goal, and then immediately set new goals. When we love something, it’s easy to take it for granted. Take a moment to see the win (healthy pause) appreciate the win (another healthy pause), and admire the work in its fullness; then you can look forward to the future of the relationship. This encourages you to cultivate the current relationship while also exploring your craft on a deeper level.
5. Be inspired to envision
Passion and vision go hand in hand. Part of having a vision is seeing what’s next for you. Visions are important to keep us connected to our craft because it is a path that leads us out of the “what’s next?” zone. So, if you don’t have a vision for your craft, take some time to dream, imagine, & be inspired by what you want to do with your craft.
If you’ve ever become so interested in a new skill that you gave it all your energy but then found that it was more complicated than you thought, you know the feeling of finding it again the next year, untouched. But don’t feel bad, love dwindled isn’t love lost.
The best thing you can do is take a moment, seek help from a community of like-minded creatives, and stay inspired. Learn to rest & take breaks, but don’t throw in the towel. It's also helpful to find an accountability buddy. Telling someone that you’re feeling defeated by your project and that you want to take a day or two to reset is a great way to find your passion again.
Lastly, stay inspired. Return to your sources of inspiration during rough patches to help you remember why you started. If you need more help staying inspired, check out this post about how to find your spark. It’s never too late to re-spark and reconnect to your craft! Let us know what you're going to reconnect to this week, and if you want to join a community of people who are committed to their craft, check out TAM’s Instagram.