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I seem to have lost my mojo

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michael

Michael Edwards

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My teeth grate at the use of that awful American word 'mojo'. Do we really mean 'inspiration'?
michael

Michael Edwards

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Yes maybe John - certainly popularised in America - but not for me - I'm a Brit. But then I can't stand the use of 'guys' for mixed company - or the increasing misuse of the word 'sat' - perhaps I'm past my 'live by' date.
michael

Michael Edwards

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It's not the case with my own grandchildren Jen (I'v got 6) although I did hear one of my grandsons (aged 11) only yesterday saying 'I was stood'. He was soon advised it was incorrect, not by me but by his father.
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Tony Auffret

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Like Michael, I too dislike the growing use of the American language (how dare they call their language English?), and am watching less and less television owing to the over abundance of American programmes. Like Jen, I have lost my enthusiasm and haven't painted anything since the end of June. It had not occurred to me before, but perhaps the second is caused by the first?

Janet Ng

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Hi Jen, my reply is late? Hopefully you got your creative mojo back if not maybe you can try retract the steps and set the mood right. I did lost my creative mojo too but recently bounce back, I written an short article too (because I am in happy I got the groves back). I try re-post the article on the blog page soon if you are interested to read.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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I was stood was correct English once upon a time, as are many phrases and spellings used by Americans - where, after all, did they get them from in the first place? Primarily from English "pilgrims" - really exiles - and the King James Bible. Other imports are Spanish, Yiddish, Native American, Irish, Russian, Polish,and from God knows where else, given the USA's east coast, at least, was once an international melting pot. Don't know where 'mojo' comes from, offhand, but the important thing is, whatever the word's derivation or more common English meaning, has Jen got it back yet? I too haven't painted for a while, though not from loss of enthusiasm - more from an excess of sciatica, and foolishly taking on work in my retirement that I should have left to someone younger (MUCH younger...). But I do know how to get the inspiration back - my two methods are 1) Just damn' well making myself find the time and doing it - once you get back on track again, the process is really fairly automatic from then on, and 2) Playing the sort of music I know gets me in the right mood - in my case it's Mozart; could be Bobby Crush for others! Doesn't matter - so long as it plucks the right cord, synapse, chord in your brain. A nice new spine WOULD be helpful, though - should anyone have one to spare...

Anth Knight

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My mojo's positively jumping at the moment (and on the subject of mojo - if it was good enough for Jim Morrison, it's good enough for me :) ) I think I've finally discovered some drive now that my art is going to at least pay a percentage of the bills. And my practice of 'paint every day, even if it's only for five minutes' seems to be working. I know I have to paint something and most of the time I end up doing more than I initially hoped for. I really hope that everyone here who is having a crisis of mojo rediscovers their drive in their own way and gets some paint slapped about :) Anth
michael

Michael Edwards

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Who is Jim Morrison? 😐
michael

Michael Edwards

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I knew the name but nothing more - just googled him and now about to google the Doors.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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Just a wild guess here, Michael, but I've a suspicion Jim Morrison and the Doors aren't going to be QUITE your thing............
michael

Michael Edwards

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You are so right as always Robert. Just googled them and they play pop music.
michael

Michael Edwards

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Yes I have heard of MW and do like his work. I'm a bit of a defender of RP as the standard upon which all else is judged/compared. My wife is from the East and speaks perfect RP English and I love many of the Asian writers who write with such eloquence. My favourite authors include Eliot and Hardy which is evident from much of my poetry. We have such a rich language it grieves me when I see it being diluted by lazy traits in its use. . Don't get me wrong - I have no problem with local dialects and other countries developing the way they use it - providing the core language (RP if you like) is still preserved as the core standard and for that reason I tend to be a bit of an old f**t in its defence. When I hear someone say: 'I was sat at the table' I want to ask them : 'Who sat you there?'

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by MichaelEdwards

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