Dune Daisies at Folly Beach. I took the picture when I wasn’t working.

Ever heard of the summer slump?  You know, it’s that time when productivity lulls because of vacations, too many distractions, or it’s just too darn hot to work?  I am always the least productive during the summer months.  My children are out of school, we are on the go, and I find it hard to squeeze in hours for writing, even though I desperately need to.  If I can manage to get everyone out of the house for two hours or more, I am motivated to work. And once I start writing, I am motivated to keep going because I want my characters’ stories to come alive.  I thought it’d be interesting to find out what motivates some of the other people I’ve interviewed here on Nerdy Chicks Rule. I asked a few of them to share what motivates them to work, when they don’t feel like working.  Maybe you will find motivation or inspiration in their answers!

Insanity? (or would it be more politically correct to say mental illness?) lol…i’m buried under a pile of work right now that i would be more then happy to ignore, but that little voice in my head keeps nagging me to get it done, people are counting on me, I have yet to figure out a way to plug my ears from the inside.  🙂 —Donna Farrell, web designer  www.donnadoodles.com

If I don’t feel much like working, one trick is to spend a little time daydreaming about the final product — what the book would look like, who the audience might be, who the illustrator might possibly be, etc. Of course, I hold these daydreams loosely but it does help me to be hopeful about my work.  —Kristy Dempsey, author and librarian www.kristydempsey.com

My Visa bill. — Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, author www.sudipta.com

Variety is the spice of life! The same is true of my productivity. Should I tire in one area or lack the motivation in one direction I simply shift gears to another area or direction. Thus, if I’m not able to start or progress in a writing project I shift to another work, home improvement, reading or leisure activity. You might say I keep productivity on the table at all times by remaining flexible enough to allow it to transpire in multiple ways. I also view “unproductive” time just as valuable to the end game as productive time. I don’t fight it, I simply make the best of it. Having a healthy “to do” list on hand makes it easy to shift gears or reverse course when necessary. —Ann-Marie Adams, Aquabet PR  www.aquabetpr.com

I think about how incredibly fortunate I am to be able to write and illustrate for a living and that usually does the trick! —Dan Yaccarino, illustrator www.danyaccarino.com

Inspiring others motivates me to work even when I do not want to! —Shanna Stanton, artist http://www.slsoriginals.com/

Sometimes I use the kitchen timer to motivate me. I set it for fifteen minutes and make myself give a manuscript my all during that time. Almost always by the end of fifteen minutes, I am ready to go for hours. But when I don’t feel like working and just can’t get into it, knowing I only have to do it for a little bit of time somehow motivates me. — Kami Kinard

I hope you’re finding ways to stay motivated this summer. If you have any great tips, please share them in a comment! If you want to read more about the contributors above, click on their names to see their Nerdy Chick interviews or visit their websites.