This summer I worked 2 jobs and often worked 85 hour work weeks. I'd work almost around the clock for some days... would literally go to my day job, then go home, eat real quick, take a 30 minute nap, then go off to my overnight shift. Then when I got out at 7AM I had about 15 minutes to eat breakfast, change uniforms, and leave for my day shift at 8AM (Had to leave at 7:35 at the latest due to commute - 20 minutes home from overnights and another 20 minutes to my other job). 2 different companies, in one day. I still managed to find time to make music somehow. However, this was not easy to do. In fact, I think I wrote some really good songs but then forgot them while working. The motivation in this whole thing was not easy. I had to quit one job on July 30th and eventually I ended up quitting the other one too on August 11th (I think you can understand why).

Mental health is important. One of my employers understood, the other one didn't care. I wish more employers would understand the importance of mental health, for it is just as important, and in some cases even more important, than physical health. One can drastically affect the other. If your mental health is bad, it can cause fatigue and laziness and other things which can lead to physical diseases that can be fatal in turn. If your physical health is shit, it affects your mental health too. In fact, stress causes blood clots in your main arteries... which can in turn lead to lack of bloodflow to the heart causing the heart to malfunction. That's a heart attack, dude. So think about stress like this - if something's not worth dying for, don't stress over it. Because when you stress about something, you are literally slowly killing yourself for it. Worry and stress are the key to a shortened life. So maybe you can try requesting less overtime? You may need the money but it's ok to sacrifice some of it for mental health.

Basically what I did for motivation was during my days off, I would go for a walk. There must be something in this world that makes you happy, yes? Think about that. Is there a person in your life who makes you smile? Or anyone in particular that makes you smile, even if you don't know them? Think about them every time you feel stressed or sad.
Energy wise, I guess drinking calcium really motivated me. Like milk (particularly chocolate milk), which gives me the energy I need and is scientifically proven to be more efficient than actual energy drinks. I could drink 3 redbulls and still be drowsy. I drink one glass of chocolate milk and I'm wide awake. I don't know if this will work for you but maybe it's worth a try?

If you don't mind me asking, what is your job? Perhaps I could point you in the right direction for something to do for energy. That's what you need. It's not motivation... it's energy. You're tired as hell, not demotivated. This is normal for people working full time and more than one job, etc.

Just throwing out ideas here. Because I know it's a real struggle and I really do care a lot when it comes to the connections between occupation and health (am actually licensed to teach occupational health to employees).

 

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That's indeed what I do now. I am cafeful with the software I install. I've already developed a workflow and I don't wanna mess it up with new software. As for new toys, there are a couple of things that I need to buy, like a hardware two-buss compressor or a transformer-based summing mixer, but we are talking about big bucks here. On the instrument front, I have all the basses I'll ever need: A Fender P, a Fender J, a six-string BTB, a Kiss Gene Simmons Axe, and a Khala uke bass. As for making music, I put in fewer hours than before at my workplace so I can invest time in working with bands, mostly recording and mixing them. In the mid run, I hope I can transition to doing this full time and quit my teaching job. I've always dreamed of working in music full time, and when you are past 40, you don't want to be on stage carrying a 10 pound bass on your back every damned weekend, so I hope I can get steady work running a studio.

Cheers to you, buddy

 

Yes, new toys helps inspire. When I got syntronik from IK Multimedia, I ended up writing like an 7-8 song EP because I was so inspired. Same thing when I got some Sample Magic packs. They inspire me for the type of music I create. I hear a pack and think of something of my own and don't even have to use anything from the pack. Just sparks a song idea.
Go to the sister site and look for some goodies when your time permits. That may give you some inspiration.

 

with me, there was a bunch times in my life where i got new full time good job with overtime and get home eat go right to bed screw up my schedule in bunch ways but it also really impacted my sex life and intimacy with loved one and just healthy relationships in general , because of all this my drive for making music and creativity in general was destroyed AND it actually took a long time to figure out that it was mostly missing a healthy sex life, intimacy and healthy relationships that was the culprit, i fixed everything one by one but nothing change until i got to the very last thing which was fixing healthy sex life, intimacy and healthy relationships.(last thing being all involved in healthy relationships)

this is why i posed my comment before about it. you would be surprised how many people i have heard this happening with .

it is only when we meet our objective requirements ( what our body and brain actually requires of us, based on how they really work in reality ) will our creativity be in check and we can make music right.

 

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here is a suggestion i have for you that is based on music ontology and music theory that will 100 percent spark new desire creativity and drive to make music in you.

to explain i will use just key of C major but it applies to every one.
C major.
CDEFGAB
take a mode lets say Lydian
FGABCDE
build the 13th chord of the mode by skipping every other note.
FACEGBD
break into its triads
FAC CEG GBD
low med high
play a low F note then add the upper triads in high register in form of chords changing and arpeggio and lines
F ring out then CEG then EGB then GBD
F ring out then ACE then CEG then EGB then GBD then BDF
ill keep it short unless you have questions related to this, it is dealing with upper triads of chord.
lets take C ionian mode the 13th chjord gives us
CEGBDFA
C ring out then add high octave of GBD then higher BDF then higher notes DFA


here is a video as demonstration of the specific concept i was just describing for you

this is an extra bit of fun for you also!

 

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This is just not true.
You have clearly never worked a very physically and mentally demanding job. The OP has weekends off, but many (like i did) , work over the weekends as well and believe me, even if you are highly motivated, after a while you get in that gray numb middle where you arent happy and neither are you depressed, your reality become just one exhausting day and even when you have a day or two off, your body is so exhausted that even if you do sit down in front of the computer you have no energy left.

 

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Since it's a brand new job, you need to give it some time unless of course you are working in a very hostile environment from the start.

Otherwise I would advise you to try to connect with colleagues and the other people, this will help. And I mean, it will help a lot.

I have been in a similar situation where I was looking for a new job after less than a month because I knew I could earn at least 30% more somewhere else. What did save me were the people: The company was total crap but the people were some of the nicest I ever met in my whole life. As expected, they closed the company less than a year after I left but I kept touch with some of them (at least on FB).

Oh and for the record, in my next company I did earn 50% more than in this company but it turned out to be one the crappiest workplace I have ever been (toxic, did you say toxic?).

 

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Absolutely!
Give yourself some time and see how it works out. The more energy you have to put in your job (because you don't like what you're doing, or you don't get along well with the people there, or you just can't say "no" sometimes and that eats you up), the less energy you'll have in your spare time.

 

If it can help, you, think about guys who have no jobs and can't find anything

 

this thread must be on top of all others it is so important and informative but mostly supportive! i am going that way, as thread creator, but this thread itself motivates me. making music without social life is worse than prison ,it is a mental prison which brings all new health problems.my point is ,whole world is working that is making us a humans,music like a passion real passion will always find a path to you. You will not ever believe me ,but my best created ideas for songs were from walking from job or simple walking for some relaxation. When you have a good idea/inspiration there will be automaticly much more motivation to find those extra hours to get some music done. I haved a much time for music and creativity when i haved a job , rather to sit all day in studio and seek for inspiration and never comes up. That is our creativity but that is way to madness and depressoion. Cheers and heads up ,you have one mate from other side of world that is going on thru same problem but my love about music is biger than anything else! YOu are not alone dont give up! p.s. for some head up to you ,i am working in modern 21.century in middle of europe for 200e monthly without social insurance etc ,10h per day ,but for normal living you need here minimum about 500e for one person,so do some maths and think it is not all black,work hard play hard and you will get your gol soon or later! Cheers

 

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I know you know what you're talking about but Thankful mentioned how when it becomes your passion basically you'll find a way. IE my musician friend in France is able to get gov benefits to support his music. Or sometimes after a while working at a job there are ways to get extended periods of time off work which can become an intensive music production period. You might be coming from a similar experience I had where I got caught up in the daily grind and had zero creative energy when working the job. I got stuck in that for too many years and feel your pain.. On another note I'm not going to lie, I just got screwed out of a music deal that I spent months working on and am feeling the struggle again at the moment. None of this shit is easy...

 

on the real, you will find time when your sched normalizes a bit.. tv and internet will wear you down (imo), try and give those a rest