Starting is the hardest part. There may be plenty of ideas or hopes for the finished work, but no initial push to start working on it. Sometimes you just need to walk away and come back when you're ready to break the creative seal. Other times you can't afford to leave it until later. Creating during those times is difficult; it might not be your best work, but at least you've gotten something done.

These creative blocks can last for varying amounts of time. Sometimes simple things in life can make them go away for a bit, but sometimes you have to just wait them out. It can be extremely frustrating.
Whether you're dealing with writer's block, angst against homework, a reading slump, feeling defeated about working out regularly, or inconsistent, nonexistent work on other creative projects there are things you could do that may help get you motivated and inspired to work toward those goals.

It can be as simple as forcing yourself to start something with no judgment and accepting whatever comes out and building off that -- like this article, for instance! Or as easy as scrolling through Pinterest for ideas until something clicks.
Finding motivation is a little bit more challenging than finding inspiration, in my opinion. Becoming motivated deals more with your mindset with whatever goal you're working toward. But, generally, just putting yourself in a positive mindset and outlook on that project could change how productive your work is and how much pride you take in that work. You can change your mindset just by setting yourself small goals and a reward system.

In my case, one way I got motivated to start working on this week's article was by changing my typing font to make it less monotonous and fun to type out. And then just started to type what I was thinking instead of trying to force out another idea -- sometimes scrolling through Pinterest doesn't always spark ideas, but that's okay!

A lot of times when I feel overwhelmed by the amount of work I need to get done over the weekend (or during the week) and can't find the motivation to work on it because I'm tired or want to do something else, I just need to set myself a time limit or give myself mini-breaks. Most times all it takes is saying, "once you finish this, this, and this you can do whatever you want for the rest of the night" and then I just start working toward that reward period. It's helpful for giving myself some "me-time" every day. It also helps me be more efficient with my time because I want to get that work done in order to go get food, workout, or relax for the rest of the night. Sometimes motivation comes from separating yourself from distractions (aka technology). That can be difficult if your work involves technology, but I'm always more productive if I don't have my phone notifications constantly lighting up next to me when I'm trying to focus.

Although, technology can sometimes be inspirational. Listening to some mood music or watching a Youtuber that motivates or inspires you or watching a tv show or movie to grab ideas from can be a great way to get the creative juices flowing. In moderation, having technology can really help when you feel stuck, but it's when we start to use it as an excuse not to do our work is when we find ourselves stuck.

I frequently find myself staring at my computer and listening to the same ten songs over and over without doing anything else. (Yes, sometimes just listening to music is all you can do, but there's also valuable time you could be using while listening.)
Days off are nice when you're always in the "go-go-go" mindset. But there are also great opportunities to work ahead or on personal goals even on days when you feel you should take it easy. But also don't forget self-care days! Know yourself and what you need. If you know you need a break, by all means, take the best break ever and enjoy the day! But if you want a break but also know you could get some work done, split the day (do some work then relax and do what you want to).
Ultimately, the goal here is to get our work done and be proud of what we create in the process! Find the motivation within yourself and look for inspiration is things all around you (it isn't too hard to find if you look in the right places).
Get motivated. Get inspired. Get creative. Get to work. Get "me-time".