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Motivation shot!

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 10:56 am
by Paul C
Any one have this shot to send me. Or tell me if your self motivation is something that you deal with. Everything's right in front of me I just can't get goin on it. Although this forum keeps me in tune some. actually a lot.

Re: Motivation shot!

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 12:26 pm
by Herman
If it does not feel right, leave it for a while. That is how I do it. It does not work without the mojo.
-Go slow
-Put the right music on
-Look at the good things you made
-Don't blame yourself
-Buy yourself a beautiful tool
-Accept you don't make world's best guitar
-Listen to someone who can play well and hand him one of your guitars
-Drinks, cigars, and good friends
-And lots lots of love
2ct Herman

Re: Motivation shot!

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 1:03 pm
by Paul C
Thanks Herman.

Re: Motivation shot!

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 1:59 pm
by John J
Don't look at the whole project. Just focus on one part. Make it smaller and it won't seem so daunting. I can get a great sense of accomplishment when I finish a step. Then that in turn leads to more steps. Eventually they lead to a guitar.

Re: Motivation shot!

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 2:24 pm
by Tim Benware
Every several steps that I complete I treat myself to a reward, in my case it's a shot of 21 YO Glenlivet scotch:)

Re: Motivation shot!

Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 7:42 pm
by Jim Ebert
For me there are all kinds of things about guitar building that gets me going.
1. I love music, both acoustic and otherwise
2. I love guitars, actually all stringed instruments and otherwise
3. I love wood. When I look at beautiful wood it’s like looking into the eyes of a beautiful women, cat, dog or otherwise.
4. I love woodworking. There is just something satisfying about it.
5. I love doing precise work, or at least trying to, and when I am successful it becomes a reward that drives me to continue.
6. I love problem solving. I definitely create plenty of those for myself.
7. I love making and inventing the tools and having them work.
8. I will love when I finish my first guitars and get them strung up and how that will motivate me to play more.
9. I love learning, both from what I can figure out on my own and from what I can learn from you on forums like this.
10. And on and on.
To me, going into my shop is therapy. I go in turn on some music and become focused on the process at hand. The rest of the world slips away along with its problems.
Recently my family had to give up the home that my parents raised us in and what was there home for sixty years, it was a difficult time and it became difficult to focus which led to my destroying one of my necks that basically only needed to be finished shaping. I became discouraged and started to question why I was buying all this wood and tools and investing so much time. Was this something I really wanted to do. It has been about a week and a half and I am just about to where I was before the neck disaster on building the new neck. Am I still depressed about the house, yes, but am i still questioning my desire to build? After receiving my most recent wood purchase and looking into its soul, I can say that I think I do want to continue. I am starting to think about my next builds, one for me and one for a commission.
Going into my shop still makes me feel good. And as we used to say, If it feels good, DO IT.

Re: Motivation shot!

Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 10:05 pm
by Paul C
Thanks for all your replies.