Where Did My Mojo Go?
Lucinda Williams by Yee Haw Industries
In the words of Lucinda Williams,
” I think I lost it
Let me know if you come across it
Let me know if I let it fall
Along a back road somewhere…”
My spinning, knitting and fiber mojo has left the building. I think about doing things, I make plans to do things, I get things out and even fiddle with them, I pack things to do on my trips but I am not feeling it at all. The only fiber work that gets done is for deadlines, for paycheck work.
I’m not worried, just bummed. I’ve been here before and I know it usually means something is going to break out of my brain soon and I ‘ll know my next creative direction. I’ve watched other people do the same thing. It’s that tick, tick, tick, upward ride on a roller coaster before that first big drop.
My problem is, I am not a patient person. I want to know what’s next. Even as a process person and knowing this is part of my creative process, it’s hard to sink into it. But that’s what I have to do. Here’s what I do when I drop my mojo along a back road somewhere.
Don’t stop. I never stop trying, I don’t give up. For one I still have work to do which means I’m always spinning, knitting, weaving, fibering and writing and talking about it.
Dream. I’m a daydreamer and I like to dream outside. I watch bugs and wonder. I stare at horizons and fly. I float by on clouds or ride leaf down a stream.
Look and listen. I read, I watch, I listen. Books, movies, magazines, tv, videos, exhibits, music, plays, podcasts, I mainline input pretty randomly until my brain relaxes, then I start getting interested in specific things, wanting to revisit something I saw or heard or seeking out something new.
Follow my nose. I follow anything that interests me, anything. I research and try anything that causes the tiniest spark of curiosity in me. This is great fun and how I make connections to things that I’d never thought about putting together.
I get things out. I walk, dance, sing, cook, sweat, talk, laugh, play whenever the mood strikes me and sometimes when it doesn’t. Walking especially unhooks my brain.
Write it all down. I love to write. The physical act of writing soothes me, not to mention all of the pens and paper I have to play with. I keep track of every idea no matter how weird or stale, I have to get it out of my head before new things can pop in.
Stop fighting. Inside my head it sounds like this, “Now!”, “No, not yet”, “Now”, “No”, “Now?” “Nope”. On and on, until I stop fighting it and just give in to the ride.
What do you do to find your mojo?
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Great advise.
Everything about spinning is new to me. So I am overwhelmed with wanting to learn it all.
Maybe reframing the word away from mojo to metamorphosis or fermentating or cooking?
I just try to not stress it. I check back with it on occasion to see if it’s still on hold, but don’t push myself. I’m visually inspired, so I do a lot of internet-fibre-surfing. It sucks, but I feel better knowing I’m not alone. 🙂
I recommend Fiber Trek, Urban Gypz, and Yarnspinners Tales…go…
I meant to add, they get me thinking in a different fashion, sometimes more serious, sometimes more playful…but always different…
I lost my mojo in a major way last year, and just rode it out. Eventually my mojo came back and it expressed itself in an obsession with rigid heddle weaving. Right now my mojo is shared between working with my handspun yarns in crochet and weaving. Things that get it going again were organizing my craft and fiber arts books – seeing all those projects I wanted to do and saw again.
I like to try something completely different, something I know nothing about…belly dancing, drawing, acting, collage. It’s fun to come to something completely new and not know how to do it. You have to trust the process and the teacher and just be.
I read a book. An actual, physical book, preferably paperback so I have to hold it open. Getting out of my head and into someone else’s is refreshing change of pace that usually brings back all kinds of mojo in a week or so.
Then go back to reading fibery blog posts and such. I personally like the spun to finished threads on Ravelry.