What do you do when it feels like your mojo is gone? Went to my craft room and stared for 45 minutes. Nothing.
Here’s a deeper look into my answer:
I have been there more times than I can count! Especially recently. Sometimes it’s just hard to find the motivation and mojo to feel and be creative even though it’s what you WANT to do. Some “basic” things I used to do were;
- Hop on Pinterest and Browse around
- Go to www.Craft-e-Corner.com and see all the Featured Items to get me excited
- Walk around a craft store anywhere
Grab a coffee and favorite paper and see what comes to me- Grab a favorite snack and Latte from Starbucks in a different setting (a fav!)
- Look through pictures of my kids and see what hits
- Looking at random websites just to see color schemes and layouts to see if I can adapt them into scrapbook pages or cards
- Watching my favorite “scrappy movies” like How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days or Music and Lyrics IN my craft room used to be a favorite go to for creating.
But sometimes, this isn’t even enough! Sometimes it’s hard to even get motivated to do that small and simple thing to get your rear in gear to create, though you want to.
I have found that the “exercise” that has been working best for me these days is this:
Grab a SmashBook or notebook, a pretty sheet of paper, something beautiful and with a basic pen or colored marker start writing words and happy thoughts that come to you. It does not even have to make sense. It can just be on or two words or an entire paragraph thought. Sometimes something beautiful comes out, sometimes nothing at all other than reflections of what is in my mind. Something wonderful and warm can come from this to inspire you to just make something even more artistic.
However, there are times, nothing happy, positive or creative comes to you when writing, (this block is generally what is causing you not to have mojo to create to begin with!) this is OK! I want you to be encouraged and use this to your advantage! How you ask? Just like this!
Take a scrappy piece of paper, something not as beautiful or that you don’t like quite as much and a pen and just start scribbling down what’s on your mind! It can be a little whiney and complainy if it has to be, just write down what those thoughts or words are. Doesn’t matter what it is. BUT, I highly recommend you read it, reflect on it, then grab a big marker and X it out if it is truly negative and discouraging. You can read over it and reflect on it and why those words or thoughts came out, but then say outloud even;
“Even though I feel ….. I completely and totally accept this moment. I am thankful for this very breath and I will create again”
You can than either throw that away and move on – or hold onto it to reflect on a little further to see just how deep it goes. Once I do this, I typically grab my Bible and read Psalms – Especially chapters where David is kinda letting God know he’s had it with life, but in the end, David still comes back and says, “But God, You’re awesome and I thank you”
I know this is probably not the typical answer you’d expect to read and it was probably way deeper of an answer than Lori was asking for, but it’s been on my heart and in my mind for awhile.
Life is not always easy. I love smiling, singing and enjoying moments that come at me, but I would be a complete liar to say I don’t get down and blue and depressed and don’t want to do anything sometimes. It just happens. We can encourage each other through those moments.
Recharge your batteries, take breaks from creating and enjoy others creations. Accept what is. Helps you enjoy the moments so much more!
Please feel free to share what YOU do when you loose the Mojo to stay crafty and going and let me know! I’d LOVE to learn from you as well!
I love you all!
Meg
PS – One more thing I wanted to mention in this very post is something that I have been reflecting on a LOT alongside of my Bible and that is this book:
A Little Bird Told Me by Melody Ross. I strongly recommend you follow Melody at www.BraveGirlsClub.com it is truly encouraging to my spirit and I pray it is yours! Here is a video I did as part of the 12 Days back in November – Let me re-share it with you now.
Megan
Thank you so much for this post. I have been feeling this way quite a lot lately. It’s encouraging for me to know that you have bad days as well. Not that I want you to have bad days but I don’t feel so alone now. Thank you for the encouragement.
Lisa
Meg, Thank you! I needed this, I love your blog, creativity and your words of encouragement!!!’
again! Tina
I can’t begin to tell you how much this describes me lately. I think it started when my local scrapbook store closed, only to be followed my my local bead shop. Those were the places I visited for inspiration. I guess we all go thru this but it helps to know you aren’t alone. Yesterday, a friend and I got together and beaded braclets from a pattern in a magazine that neither of us were enthused about at the time but by the time we finished we were both starting to feel a little more up. So I am going to try getting together with a scrapping friend next week to see if that will help. Maybe make a page about the winter blahs.
I wish I had someone local to craft with but I am very grateful to have online communities that help get me inspired again. But when I don’t feel inspired I organize and usually come across something that I just have to do something with and it gets me going again. If I ever get my scrapping area clean it doesn’t stay for long ;D (sigh!) Thanks for the suggestions Megan and all you do with the gifts God has given you!
Hello Megan,
Thanks for the words of encouragement I guess now that Christmas had passed I have been in a rut. I have not created one single thing. But now that Valentines Day is around the corner. I have been feeling like I can get back to doing what I love. I have walked around Walmart and gotten some good ideas for projects for the spring. So thanks for sharing your story.
Luria
Meg, This was so good Yea when I feel down and out I love Psalms! God’s Word will always lift me up and see that sometimes our problems are not as bad as they seem. Keep scraping let the Love of God shine out in your work….. Love you all!
Just remember that you don’t have to do it all in 10 minutes or an hour. You can put it down and pick it up again later. I know that an unfinished project can just sit there. But I created scrapbooks for my 3 children and it took me weeks to go through ALL the pictures that I have put away, scan and copy and then try to put into something beautiful. I would lose my inspiration and put it away until I had a nice block of time. In the meantime I would remember stories that I hadn’t thought about in years and typed them into a page for later and then I only had to add just the right picture and embelishments to go with it. Then when I picked it up again I had renewed inspiration to do more. It’s okay to take time to think about your project when you’re cleaning house, doing dishes or driving somewhere. If you’re afraid that you’ll forget the idea, just keep a little pad with you to jot it down. The books came out so well that my kids wept to think that I remembered all these things and they saw pictures that they didn’t even know I had. Even my two boys were teary-eyed. They smiled, laughed and learned things that they didn’t even know about themselves. That is called inspiration and success. Even my husband made the comment that I was so good at doing what I do that I could be a professional and should help others to do the same.
So keep at it, take a break once in a while, think about it and enjoy the process. Do not rush… it all works better that way.
Beautiful!
Megan, Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful book. I have a friend who is going through so traumatic times in her life and this is just the thing for her. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for this video!! God Bless!! Cindy
This looks like such a beautiful book. Love things like that. This is what I like about ARS you encourage your viewers to seek products for the soul as well as the craftroom.
Thanks Lori for sharing your beautiful and inspiring book. I LOVE IT! I need to make one! And, thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings. I think we all feel that way sometimes and it’s perfectly normal. Maybe you could call it Overload?? I am usually an upbeat person but the last few days really drained me and I just couldn’t get that motivation I needed. Maybe it’s because I have too many irons in the fire so to speak with my Hobby Lobby classes, club house and private classes and online commitments And on top of all that, my sister from Arizona is moving in with me next month and is NOT a crafter…lol. I too wish I had a crafty neighbor or friend to keep me motivated. My special niece in Iowa has always been there for me but I just couldn’t get motivated again. Until, I received an email from Bird over at http://www.birdscards.com/#. When I saw her little suspended cupid Valentine card I felt that spark again. I couldn’t wait to make her Free card and then it got me thinking about making other cards with different things suspending. You can see my card at http://cardsbygeyda.blogspot.com/2013/01/valentine-cupid-suspension-heart-card.html Thanks so much for sharing! I am motivated once again….thank you thank you thank you!
I love my messages that come very day. They are often just what I need to hear. Beautiful book.
Well this Sunday my mother passed away 11 years ago and this week really hits me the hardest. Your blog gets me out of that deep spot I sometimes go to . And I want to go get ma a smash book and do so of the fun things your talking about. I will craft up a storm this weekend and laugh thinking of you this Sunday .. God bless you Megan…
Megan, Thanks so much for today’s post. I needed to hear every bit of it.
Hugs,
Tina
aurathentic@gmail.com
Enjoyed your post. The books looks terrific and I’ll look for it. Hope everyone can take some time out to do nothing but let the batteries recharge. Blessings to everyone.
Thank you for that…I love reading Davids words in Psalms..I often feel I can relate to him 🙂 I have been inspired to smash book it. I called it a dream book until I fell uponyour you tube videos. Very fun !
Megan and everyone else,
Well if any of us felt alone in this we shouldn’t because it is obvious we have sisters we just have not met. I am lucky there is a group of people who meed at the local Free Methodist Church and scrap one weekend a month. I have attended I think once but rest of the time saying that I could not because of family obligations. Truth…I could if only I would get my stuff together and go. Well this coming weekend is the time for Feb. I plan to attend and make some cards that have inspired me from a magazine.
I also need a mini album for a baby shower coming up. I plan to do it in a monkey shape since she is doing the baby’s room in monkeys. Should be fun and I even ordered monkey paper. Can’t wait. Just hope I don’t relapse before Fri.
I truly don’t know how I missed this post back in Jan/Feb. Those were dark times for me awaiting the April freedom I would experience. It is wonderful reading the responses and knowing we are sisters that haven’t met and willingly support each other. It was hard waiting while God’s Plan was working and my usual ‘escape’ into my creative mind was just so GONE.
Be still, said the Lord. And I was. And I listened to the stillness.
In that stillness I found direction as the complications in life were handled by God’s grace.
I have taken a leap of faith and have begun an adventure that has been in my heart for a long time.
Megan, you were my light through a very dark place and I thank you and praise God for you and all you do!
Every day I will make it my masterpiece!