8 KEYS TO GETTING YOUR CREATIVE MOJO BACK

Feeling uninspired and need to break through a block and get your creative juices flowing again? This happens to me all the time and I often question if I’m heading in the right direction with my creative journey. Losing your creative mojo can often lead to procrastination and it becomes so hard to create any momentum in our journey with art. There’ve been times when I’ve just felt like my creativity is totally zapped and I’ve got nothing creative left to give. But it’s simply not true. I believe we are creative beings, with so much inside of us to share with the world…and there’s room for all of us! Here are some of the ways I get back my creative mojo when I’m feeling blah:

01 DO IT FOR YOU

I got a message from a fellow artist the other day, struggling with lockdown and ‘artist life’ generally – which many artists can relate to, I’m sure! It was great to be able to try to give some encouragement that strangely turned around and encouraged me too. Here’s what I said… “Yeh it’s so frustrating, sweety. We pour our heart and soul into our art and when we don’t get the reaction we want it’s so disappointing. But I just keep creating anyway because I enjoy it. So just keep doing it for you. And you never know where it leads or who it touches!” So if you’re feeling a bit blah about your creative practice right now, hope these words encourage you too. Whatever you’re dreaming or creating, just keep doing it for you! Who cares if you don’t get the likes or comments you were hoping for on your socials? If creating gave you joy and your practice was calming, then you’ve achieved something and that is enough. You are enough!

02 JUST SHOW UP

Sometimes simply showing up to your desk is the first and most important step in your creative practice. Whatever it is, your pencil, brush, knitting needles, ukulele, just pick it up and start. I often find just being in my studio helps me to get my mojo back. I often just start doodling on a blank piece of paper, or look through art books, or my old sketchbooks. This process of just starting is often enough to stimulate my mind into sparking an idea to work on.

03 LEARN SOMETHING NEW

Sometimes I feel completely overwhelmed by all the talent I see out there on instagram, Pinterest, etc. I find myself thinking, “I have SO much to learn!” Or “I’ll never be as good as them!” The first statement is fine because I’m a great believer in the importance of continual lifelong learning, but the second statement sucks. Comparing myself and putting myself down is not helpful at all. Instead of wanting to be ‘as good’ as someone else, I now just focus on improving on my own skills and bettering myself. Submerging myself in education is something I can be proud of. The more I learn about art or different artistic methods, the more confident I become in my own practice. So if you’re feeling like you’ve lost your creative mojo and you’re stuck in comparing yourself to other artists, shift your focus. Liven things up by taking an art class, or watch some YouTube tutorials (there’s zillions of them out there). My mottos is, “Always be learning and discovering new things!” Through education, we become more confident in our newfound knowledge and in practicing that knowledge, we become better at what we do!

04 GET SNAPPING

Whenever I’m stuck for ideas or inspiration, I tend to grab my camera (or my iPhone usually), and just start snapping. I get outside into nature and start looking at my surroundings from a fresh perspective. The key is to just take photos of anything and everything that catches your eye. Don’t be too precious about it, as you can always go back and delete crappy shots later. You just never know what you’ll see through your lens and it may just inspire you to create something magical from it.

05 BE OPEN TO INSPIRATION

Looking at work by other creatives is a great way to get inspired. Of course, Instagram and Pinterest are treasure troves of ideas and visual magic, but you can also indulge your senses in art books, design magazines, fashion blogs, art galleries (in person or online), movies, listen to music and so on. Inspiration is everywhere … you just need to be open to it.

06 REVISIT OLD IDEAS

I have notebooks in which I write down lists of ideas – many that never get finished, or even started in the first place. But there are times when I’m feeling really stuck that I revisit these old lists. I find that looking at an old idea with fresh eyes often spurs on a new perspective that I can work with. The moral of this story is to never throw out any of your ideas – you never know when they might come in handy!

07 EXERCISE

We all know the benefits of exercise for our body and mind. I find that when I make a point of getting away from my desk to go for a walk, it really helps to free my mind. It gets those endorphins working and by just changing up my environment for a bit, it’s all I need to get my creative juices flowing again.

08 CLOSE YOUR EYES

At times, when all else fails, I close my eyes and basically zone out for a while. Whether it’s some mindful meditation, deep breathing or simply falling asleep for a bit of a power nap, sometimes you just need to switch off. I find this completely recharges my body and mind and allows me to start back at my art practice again feeling ready to create some joy. So if you’re feeling uninspired and need to break through a creative block, I hope some of these strategies might help to get your mojo back!