FINDING INSPIRATION

Being at university right now is tricky, in some ways it could be said to be easier - Online lessons, living at home... that could seem to make it easier I suppose, however, being a creative and going to an arts university that is the furthest things from the truth.

At the start of this year I felt really motivated, I had a spring in my step and clear ideas in my mind that were forming physically in photoshop or on a piece of paper, it was a good start. However, over time, after the 2nd formative and into reading week, I found myself barely even being able to think of an idea let alone develop it enough into something worth while/physical that was an addition to my project. In myself I know that this is completely the opposite of what I am normally like, I come up with too many ideas normally and that is a problem in itself, so not being able to clearly think of anything creative or even just productive was an issue.

The reason for this is, in my opinion, the complete lack of motivation or inspiration in my life right now, there is nothing - All I do is eat sleep walk the dog play xbox and listen to music, occasionally going to meet a mate somewhere - But comparing this to my normal life and especially my uni life, it is nothing. I was thinking back to when I was creating my best work and having a constant stream of exciting ideas, wether it was a slogan idea - 'Same routes, new ideas' the title for the Tolworth group project, came to me when I was drunk after coming back from a party and just when I was about to sleep, it came to my head. Or the subscription based virtual reality business idea, it came to me when I was at a party speaking about the lack of raves due to covid and what could be if VR stepped in. These are just a couple of instances but I can tell you that most of my ideas and projects have come from my life and the experiences that come from it, wether they are good or bad experiences, happy or sad, drunk or sober, socialising, partying, going out, lack of routine, just LIVING makes my ideas and the balance of having all those incredible parts of life and doing university is what makes me work and is fundamental to my success at university. I found myself having nothing but online university - Which, is actually quite terrible and not motivating at all, and a boring routine of staying in and doing things that are just not what I want or should be doing at this age, walking the dog? sleeping early? staying in? I'll do that when I'm 70.

The balance was off.

So, during reading week and then the week after, I didn't do any work or think about my project or uni, I went out more, I saw mates more, I stayed out longer and tried to replicate a normal university life - because sometimes at uni, in fact a lot of the time, you aren't thinking about university, you're thinking about going out or making food, paying bills, cleaning or nursing a hangover, university is far more than just the university lectures.

It worked.

After the first week and a half I started to come up with more ideas for the project and in general, I came up with an idea of a visual for Conspiracy events and my own (OMH) 'brand'.

This was what I needed but more importantly, what I expected, I knew in myself that staying in and trying to do university was not working and not going to work, I had to change it up.

From this I have a far more clear idea of where I am wanting to go with the project in a more whole way, PROJECT X was so disjointed and messy in a sense, my mindset towards it is far more clear and the work starts here.