One of the things I have been working on with my career coach is finding ways to stay motivated. When I get excited about something (my sewing classes, ballet or fabric design class), it's easy for me to have laser focus and just keep pushing. My usual motto is: "If I don't care about my art, then who is going to care? If I just stopped painting, the world would go on and no one would care."

Ever since I have committed myself to "Panda and Me" paintings in 2014, I have been so excited to come home from my day job. Everyday I itch to paint Panda and all the stories that are flowing in from my head.

My coach encourages me to isolate the factors that keep me excited. So far these things have helped: