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Life can be really hard.

Let’s not sugarcoat it.

Sometimes it gives you a shake up and you’re left wondering where your mojo has gone.

It’s not until you attempt to try and find it that you realise it disappeared in the first place. But has it really disappeared? Or is it just cowering away somewhere in the depths of your being?

And anyway, what is this elusive mojo thing?

I’ve come to understand it as a living entity, seemingly with its own free will. I’ve also noticed that without ‘It’ life can be very joyless… and not much fun.

‘It’ shies away from the drama that life sometimes throws at you. At least mine does. Right now, I’m trying to coax it out. Gently. Slowly. Cautiously. It needs to feel safe to come into the light and show itself and I’m not sure that it is yet. I now realise it has a deep connection to my mental health and is acutely in tune with my state-of-mind. I suppose that makes it a great barometer for my mental health so any awareness and care I can give it is surely going to nourish and help to bring it back out of those dark recesses. Even with a life of its own, it remains fundamentally connected to me… an invisible umbilical cord between us.

I’ve noticed that Mojo draws back further if I impose too many demands on myself. Demands that lurk and whisper in my ear. “Isn’t it time you posted an update on Social Media.” “Why aren’t you creating?” “You should be generating new artwork for your website… writing captivating newsletters, connecting and building a following.” 

But I haven’t done anything for a while…

So more time passes… more procrastination…

Then there’s the guilt of not creating…

Pressure is undoubtedly counter productive.

The pendulum of mental health and emotional energy can swing slowly and calmly in a gentle motion then suddenly erratic – soaringly high to, oh, so low… in the blink of an eye… one minute on cloud nine, loving life… to… WHAM! 

How quickly things can spiral one way or the other with so little warning. When events or people around us, conspire against us so that we feel like we’re losing control, that’s when Mojo most noticeably withdraws.

The truth is, I’m slowly trying to find my way through the challenges that are at times overwhelming me. For now, Mojo seems content to stay under cover. I can’t say I blame it really so I’m trying not to be too hard on It or myself for now.

To coax it out from it’s dark space, I indulge in plenty of self-care by;

• listening to my favourite podcasts
• surrounding myself with comforting scents
• taking time to read
• doing a little yoga,
• walking in nature
• Catching up with friends
• getting a good nights sleep
• and immersing myself in a little oasis of calm that is my fortnightly Art Club.

These things all help to soothe the turbulence I’m feeling.

Actually, it’s not such a hard life when I take stock of what I have. To think that it is when you see the suffering and true hardships going on around us seems unforgivable and adds to the blanket of guilt that the mojo hides under. But still, life is hard for us all at times. In a myriad of ways. Often unexpected. The issues we face are universal. We all experience ‘stuff’ differently and have different coping mechanisms. I’m certainly not an expert but I know deep down I will find a way through these difficult days – no doubt with the love and support of my nearest and dearest. So hang on in their Mojo. Not long now.

And how about you? How’s your Mojo doing?

I have a question: is Mojo only related to creativity or does it take other forms? We use the phrase ‘I’ve lost my Mojo’ in so many different contexts but I’m interested in your thoughts and experiences?

Whatever form it takes, I really hope it’s thriving. If not, take heart – it’s still in there… somewhere. It might just need some time out… all curled up, tucked away,… waiting for a little gentle encouragement and mental nourishment.

Your Mojo will have its own unique needs. Take a step back and see if you can work out what they might be. I’d love to know what you discover so tell me your thoughts here:

[email protected]

Maybe we can encourage them out together! 

I find the following really help …

Fave podcasts at the moment…

#ArtJuice – just like listening in on a couple of art friends in conversation… so accessible and engaging

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/art-juice-a-podcast-for-artists-creatives-and-art-lovers/id1451530001

#Art2Life – Nicholas Wilton is an inspirational Artist who is so easy to listen to and encourages listener’s to apply the same principles and awareness in art to life itself.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/art2life/id1579122752

#Ffern – my latest monthly obsession. I love the soft lilt and rhythm of Lia Leendertz’s voice combined with the sounds of nature.

https://ffern.co/podcast/

Latest art club explorations – negative space painting

Sheer freedom to express …regardless of the end result!

2/2023

Global Concertina Collective Sketchbook Project 2022…

I’m not one to make myself too visible.

But sometimes an idea gets under your skin and you instantly know you have to follow it up. It won’t leave you be until you do something about it, whilst other ideas can float in, hang around for a bit, then drop away. Occasionally, there’s the idea that comes along, and really sticks; like one of those sticky plants that, as a child, I remember, we loved to throw at each other until we hit a target. It doesn’t matter how you try and shake it off and reach round to grab and remove it, it’s not going anywhere. Nature never ceases to astound me; those little Velcro inspired burrs are astonishingly effective at dispersing their seeds. So all at once, dispersing creative ideas in some kind of collaborative project seemed an incredibly appealing idea that I was compelled to share. 

The Concertina Collective Sketchbook Project was one of those ideas that stuck.

I shared the idea within an online art membership – Louise Fletcher’s, Art Tribe (the same Louise Fletcher of the ArtJuice Podcast, which incidentally, I heartily recommend). Frankly, it was on a bit of a spur of the moment whim that I sent out a call-out to members, to see who might be interested in a little collaborative experimental play. If I’d known how much time and energy was involved initially, I may well have talked myself out of it! That said, 4 months into the project the feedback and positive comments that I’ve received to date, far outweigh any initial angst! 

Goal: to connect in an enjoyable creative collaborative experience –  a chance for each Artist to do their own thing without overthinking the process, banishing expectations and most of all… have fun! 

End result: a beautifully crafted individual book, consisting of a number of artists contributions, with each responding to the previous creator’s marks.

77 members around the world put themselves forward to join the collaborative experiment.

I wasn’t prepared for the response… in hindsight I’ve learned a lot – for instance, if you’re doing a call-out in a private Facebook page, make sure you have a means of contacting people, with permissions to follow up.

Being mindful of potential costly postage fees – I divided groups into geographical regions within each country. Groups from UK, including Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England, USA, Canada and Australia were created. 

Within each group, people made individual concertina sketchbooks – with no restrictions on pages, shape, size or materials. Artists could add random marks, sometimes with collage, in a colour palette of their choosing – after which they sent each book on it’s way to the next member. The following artist then did the same, responding each time to the book, before passing on to their next group contact. After everyone had made their creative contribution and rotated the books on, the book would eventually return to its owner for them to add their final consolidating marks… a kind of a chain project, going full circle with no knowing what the end result would be. A great opportunity to connect – and a fun experiment to see what would evolve…

• For my own book, I included a few scraps of my collage to enable group members to harmonise the piece as they worked.
• Different sized groups meant that some would be finished sooner than others. Within my own group we agreed to have no deadlines to put pressure on people – with COVID raising its unwelcome head and people having other commitments, we’d resolved to be patient for each round to appear.

As I write, I’m waiting for my book to return to me, having worked on 5 wholly different books to date. As one of the larger groups – we have 11 contributors – I’ll have to be patient and wait for another 6 rotations before I am reunited with it. With only 4 members in the smaller groups there are bound to be a variety of different resulting books. The diversity and unlimited range of possibilities makes the project even more exciting!

So what did I learn?

This project made me step out of my comfort zone and has given me the confidence to believe that my ideas are worth sharing. My art has provided me with a means of expression and in doing so, a stronger voice. How incredible it would be to share that with others!

Why don’t you step out of your comfort zone today and do something brave?! I think you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve.

Points to think about if you’re considering embarking on a similar project;

• Check participants commitment prior to starting the project.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help if it all gets a bit overwhelming!
• Relax and have fun! Don’t take it too seriously!

Finally, learn from feedback;

• Were there any issues that arose – and how could these be resolved in a future round of the project?
• What are the benefits of taking part in, or organising a project such as this?
• What connections were made that can be built on?

If you’d like to know how to make your own concertina sketchbook there are a variety of examples on YouTube – try making one for yourself… remember: there are no rules… take your pick and have a go for yourself!

Feedback from participants…

The Gallery below demonstrates the range of approaches taken and offers a clue to the fun that was had by all!

Many thanks to all those who took part!

If you took part in this project and want to include your book in the Gallery please email me at [email protected] with your first name, last name initial and country location. 

Feel free to share your books and comments on Instagram #ConcertinaCollective