Dancers on stage.

Inspiration and How It Can Help Motivate You

It’s that point in the semester when life gets pushed to the side and it’s all about crunching in as much studying as possible. For me, this usually leads to feeling unmotivated (and miserable!) until exam season is over. 

One of the ways I’ve learned to deal with this loss of motivation is by making time to do things that inspire me. I find that looking outward at other people (ones who probably aren’t also bogged down by uni work) can really encourage me to work harder through the final weeks of the semester. 

Dancers on stage.
From Flight Pattern (2019)

I recently watched Flight Pattern, a contemporary dance performed by the Royal Ballet and choreographed by Crystal Pite (one of my favourite choreographers!) The dance itself has nothing to do with what I’m studying but I found myself feeling inspired to work harder. I would think, wow, these dancers must work hard to perform so beautifully. Or, more simply, I find myself realizing that I don’t want to feel so stressed because then I’ll be able to enjoy school more. 

Trailer for Flight Pattern:

I think sometimes I just need a little reminder about why I shouldn’t succumb to stress and why I've chosen to study what I do in the first place. 

I’m aware that it can be difficult to do this; I’d planned on watching the show a full month ago when it was originally released but I kept putting it off because I felt like I just didn’t have the time to sit through it. If you can believe it, the show is only forty minutes long...so in theory, I certainly could have had time to watch it even if I was overwhelmed with school work. 

We can’t be productive 24/7 and taking breaks helps energize the brain. More importantly--in my experience--watching or doing something that I find inspiring actually encourages me to continue working. 

If you’re interested in watching some dance shows check out the National Ballet, the Royal Opera House, or there is a live viewing event of the Nutcracker here: https://www.facebook.com/events/677520186243307/.

Nutcracker snowflakes on stage.
From The Nutcracker (2019)

Of course, nothing compares to a live performance but the shows are filmed well and they’re still enjoyable to watch!

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