Passions of an Odd Chick

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Losing Your Mojo

Journal sketch
I lost my mojo. It was days with nothing and terrible paintings and no, none, zippo, nada inspiration. I felt a little lost. But I painted anyway. Those MEAN critical voices that tell you you can't paint, that you know nothing about composition, color, that you have no originality, that your stuck, that your boring, etc. got loud and louder. But I painted anyway.

One of my fav art books is "The Art Spirit", the collected words by Robert Henri. He said,

Your education must be self-education. Self-education is an effort to free one's course so that a full growth my be attained. One need not be afraid of what this full growth may become. Give your throat a chance to sing its song. All the knowledge in the world to which you have access is yours to use. Give yourself plenty of canvas room, plenty of paint room. Don't bother with originality, set yourself just as free as you can and your originality will take care of you.It will be as much a surprise to you as to anyone else. Originality cannot be preconceived, and any effort to coddle it is to pre-conceive it, and thereby destroy it. Learn all you can, get all the information that is within your reach about the ways and means to paint.
And I was set free again of the VOICES. I found my joy in the process again.
I painted knowing that I might paint over it, that I might hate it, and that the only good thing I did that day was LEARN something more about paint and texture and color and composition.

And Life. Goodness sake. Even when we're making a mess, getting it wrong, bullied by the critics, nothing's jivin, no mojo anywhere around - it's still just one more day toward getting it right.

We're okay.

No. 18 She Speaks For Herself

No regrets.

11 comments:

WrightStuff said...

Losing the old mojo comes and goes and tests us along the way. I try to use the time to 'fill the well' in other ways - read a book, catch up chores (ha! well for about 5 minutes!), then back it comes and boom you're off again. I have that book too - great to dip in and out of.

Ernie Hendrix said...

Your mojo was never gone, only your self-confidence. Sometimes we just try to dang hard! But you found the strength and courage to work through it and now the joy and the self-confidence are back. And you continue to inspire me.

Ernie
Gypsy Gold Studio

Poetic Artist said...

No do not think you lost your mojo.
You just needed a moment of silence. And it's seems you used that determination to get things in motion..

Diane said...

Thank you so much for this post!!

Buffy said...

That sounds like a great book. I might have to get it. The paragraph that you shared helped me. LOL. Anyway it looks like you got your mojo back. These girls are gorgeous. I love the sideview one.I'm glad you didnt give up and give in to the mean critic! I call mine the b*T*.

Jeanne Nelson said...

Thanks for sharing this great post. Glad to see you pushed through ... and came out the other side with another beauty.

Manon said...

Oh I can relate to the loss of *mojo*!! It happens to us all....believe me!! Great post!!

Jennifer Richardson said...

Holy Cow, I needed that!
Wow...thanks for the splash
in the face
with the cold water!
Geez i feel better.
Off to write something down.....
-Jennifer

Bren Graham Thebeau said...

Well amen to that! I loved that quote, great words of wisdom, ones I needed to hear as well. It's hard not to second guess yourself when you're taking the risks you are and getting your art out there, bound to be an uprising of our inner gremlins.

Karin Bartimole said...

love it!! You are so right on. The Robert Henri quote is magnificent, too. Bravo to you for forging forward - there really is no other way. great post Peggy!!
xox Karin

scribbler said...

I LOVE all 3 of these but especially #18. I have been suffering from an obnoxious bout of writer's block for what seems like 2 millennia. When my original blog home went belly up, I realized how much people reading my blogs inspired me to write more. Now, as I continue what seems to be an endless journey looking for a new blogging home and family, I realize, in spite of declarations to the contrary, how much I need that give and take discussion. So, I get the mojo thing. I have been perusing your blog for a bit this evening. It's delightful. Thank you.