The week after my second piece was published was quite discouraging, as I did not get nearly as much engagement on it as I had on my first piece, and I therefore felt the excitement that had been boiling within me simmer down until it vanished.

How can that be? How could I have lost motivation so fast? I promised myself that I would not care how many people engaged as long as I was writing what I felt was important to me, but of course, life has a way of turning plans up on their heads (and destroying expectations), so I have felt utterly defeated regarding the matter despite all else.

What a drama queen, I thought angrily, wondering how I could be pathetic enough to feel like giving up so quickly.

Now, however, I realize it wasn’t “pathetic” of me at all.

Despite my pretense of severe individuality and independence, I care what people think. It is impossible to live in a social context and not bother oneself with how others regard you – how they view you and the things you do. It’s healthy, in fact, as it allows you to consider those around you more carefully and consequently acknowledge their value in your life. Indeed, it is essential to take criticism whenever it comes, unless your aim is to be eternally stagnant. It comes as no surprise that when people are indifferent toward you or your work, you can feel entirely unmotivated and purposeless. After all, it is as though they don’t think anything of you or your work at all, which would further explain the lack of engagement.

If such a circumstance occurs, how on earth can you possibly hope to gain any sort of motivation?

I have realized, after much pondering, that the answer lies in accepting the emotions you are feeling, for they are justified and in every way valid. It’s not pathetic to care about others and what they think of you – there is nothing more natural than that.

Once you’ve accepted the normality of the situation, you can hope to understand what you must do next in order to get back on your feet -- transform that which hurts you into a form of empowerment. In other words, take whatever it is that’s bothering you – that feeling of purposelessness, for example – and let it fuel your creations.

You must cease your fears that being unmotivated is somehow the end of everything, and instead make use of those powerful emotions in a way that will benefit you. In my case, for example, I have utilized them to write this.

Time and time again, I have learnt that it’s not helpful (and can be quite damaging) to contain your frustrations, so I have settled on trying to avoid doing so, and instead, have chosen to take control of them and gear them in the direction I want to go in.

If your goal is to regain the motivation that you’ve lost, my advice is to do the same.