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"How I reboot my Creative Mojo"
I did stopped doing art and painting for a while, its like being frozen and getting started was like playing out the scene in slow motion. Well, I did bounced back and live to tell this short tale. (I first wrote this article in Sept 2018)
Does self-fulfilling prophecy exist?
The story I hear often and fear is one that a creative person stopped being creative as they faced a mental block. Some say they had lost their creative mojo. As I listened with fear, I would also prayed silently at the back of my mind not to lose my creative mojo if I can help it.
As the saying goes “if you don’t use it and you lose it”.
Everyone’s creative journey is different and unique; I aim to share in this article how I had ‘rebooted my creative mojo’.
Wishing to be creative again was just a wish; it sure was a feat to get into action again as if taking a big leap to overcome dragging my leg on the floor. I took me almost a year to get my act together again.
I used to be rather creative and enjoy spending my free time creating art like painting or making crafts. When I began to feel as if I could morph into the sofa when I am at home, alarm bells began to ring at the back of my head as the fear that a self-prophecy could exist.
How I unleashed my creativity
Fear was the motivator that unleashed my creativity. My fear of losing the ability to paint terrifies me simply because it had been the activity I find most enjoyable as I could be in the state of flow. The day I found joy in painting I count my blessings to have found my passion from a hobby.
The setting of the scene
One night in my kitchen as I was just relaxing after dinner having tea while looking at my phone I stumbled upon my vacation photos. The kitchen being my happy spot at home and in a relaxed state coupled with the habit of looking at the photos in my phone must have set the scene and mood right. A thought spark the ignition to my imagination, I questioned myself how would I be able to convey the mood of the moment in the particular photos taken. To be a painter is a like a narrator, to be an artistic painter the artist’s brush becomes the extension of her body. I just challenged myself to convey the intensity of the feeling at that place at in that moment. So I picked three photos to adapt into paintings.
Managing expectations
Being kind to myself and setting my expectation to manage any disappointment as I had not painted for almost was a first step. My aim was to get into the momentum of doing a creative activity again. Although I did have a goal to finish what I start out painting and thought perhaps at worst I just discard the piece if it turns out bad. The activities of engaging the process and applying basics of knowing what to do, and somehow do it a bit differently from the previous steps slowly but surely the results eventually showed. A positive step just leads to another and after all the hours or a weekend, I did complete what I had set out to do.
I believe creativity is something one does; for me it is painting. Being ‘creative’ makes me feel very much alive, having my creative mojo back is like recharging the wires in my head. There has been research done to back up the health benefits of being creative, activity like painting is one of them.
Last weekend I surprised myself that I was able to produce three paintings which I am pleased at the final results. I adapted the paintings from my vacation photo of Holland. Holland is definitely one country I love visiting anytime – positive vibes, good people and great landscapes! It gives me joy just to share my art with you.
If you had a personal experience that you had overcome your creative block please share how you got your creative mojo back as I am curious to know and would be great to learn too.
End note : Mojo – as defined by the Oxford dictionary means a magic charm or spell.
(I first wrote this article on Sept 2018)
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