Falling off the creative wagon

My personal battle

I thought today I would share something a bit more personal that I am battling and I know alot of my creative friends have either went through this or are currently going through the same thing and that is losing your mojo. For me personally I am going through menopause and that has its ups and downs on its own with depression but also can bring you into a slump creatively. I wanted you all to know that all of us woman who create things for a living or even just for fun are battling our own issues at one time or another. Most likely if you are in a creative slump it stems from something much deeper that you just have to take the time to figure out. I bet you have a clue where it is coming from and if you take the time to see it through you may be doing yourself a bigger favor by solving the deep rooted issue of the mojo buster.

I have an etsy shop and so my creativity is a part of how well my shop functions so as you can tell by the conversation it isn't going as well as it could be at this moment! I am also on design teams that my creativity and mojo have alot to do with how well I function in that arena as well...and it is suffering too. Luckily for me the people who I do design for are very understanding people, they are creative people as well so they understand the ups and downs and having no mojo or ideas of what to even create.

I stare blankly at products that I truly love and I have no direction on what to do with them, i have no interest in playing with them, I honestly feel like I am in a black hole peaking out at all the beautiful colors but all I can see is the empty dark hole where I am locked in. It feels like a force that has me chained to my seat and won't let me out.

So what I am trying to tell you is that creative people can fall off the creative wagon too. Its not all sunshine and rainbows for us. I know there are so many times I share something I have made and I hear "Oh I wish I could do that" and I think to myself "I wish i could too" meaning that I may have just been on auto pilot because it is something I have made over and over for my shop and it wasn't because I felt creative at the time it was something I had to do.

I personally don't like to be forced to make something when I am not feeling it but having an etsy shop or a commitment you need to fulfill can be a blessing and a hindrance at the same time. It does force you to make things but when you get where you are battling a bit of depression because of menopause it is a constant struggle. But honestly if I am not forced I am afraid i will be stuck in the black hole forever so in order to break the chains I need to be made to reach out of that hole everyday.

Ways to get your mojo back

1. Go for daily walks to see the beautiful out there that may inspire you to start something that day.

2. Make a date for coffee or a meetup with a friend to socialize and catch up with each other.

3. Take some time off to regroup and don't feel guilty for it.

4. Browse pinterest and some of your favorite blogs to get some ideas or see if anything sparks and idea for you to create something.

5. Journal, get out your feelings on paper. Doodle and push yourself to get some fresh new ideas because it could be that you have made alot of the same products or designs and you need a totally new item to make you feel alive again.

6. Challenge yourself to think of 2-3 new things you want to do whether it be on the creative end or maybe it is a new place you want to go, a new item you want to get for yourself etc. Don't think of everything in terms of how it will make you feel creatively because making yourself feel good is equally as important to your creativity because they go hand in hand.

7. Get a new book to read. 

8. Buy a few new items for your supplies that you may have not worked with before but always wanted too.

9. Treat yourself to a spa day or go get your nails done just something for you personally.

10. Browse instagram. Chances are you are following people that are either making products also or that have some interest to you that may spark a bit of ideas for you.

11. Talk to someone. Sometimes that can be your spouse and sometimes it can just be a blog friend or someone who most likely can relate to what you are going through.

For me I make planner items. Mainly paperclips, stickers and that sort of thing. I am a newbie with sewing but I do enjoy it so I decided to put the paperclips etc. to the side and break out my sewing machine again. I purchased my first fauxdori that was a cute sewn one and I thought "I can make these" so it gave me a real sense of creativity and meaning again. So maybe just switching off one thing you do and turn on another. Sewing is going to help me get my mojo back. Going to the fabric store and seeing all the pretty fabrics that I can create more fauxdori's off has lit a fire in me. Maybe it will be the fire that will continue to give me the energy to get back to my other things at some point as well. 

I also like to doodle and it makes me happy when I get an idea of something to make someone so I will doodle a drawing (rough) and then create it. Like this example below for someone super special! YES ANNA!! So see you can find inspiration also by just thinking of something new you can create to give you something fresh to work on. 

I hope this wasn't a boring blog post for you all to read. I just wanted to maybe help someone else out there and let them know that you are not alone. Its not always easy when your in a group of people who you see making the prettiest spreads in their planners and all you can do is stare blankly at the pages and you see nothing. So for this post there is no pretty spread because I decided I didn't want to force the process. 

I am going to share the wonderful Feb Brimbles box I received for you so that you have something very pretty to look at after reading what can be a dark subject!

This month was a unicorn theme. Beautiful colors that made me smile. I do want to do a layout using these items but I didn't want to force the process because i just knew I wouldn't like it if I did. But the girls have provided plenty of pretty layouts using the items. The polka dot foil washi is one of my fav's and of course having more items with Anna's original artwork makes each box so special.
I love being a part of the team, they are not just teammates they are my friends and they are truly the support that sometimes you need in times like now. So lean on people when times get tough for you!