My 'mojo' was missing in action!!!

I'm sure that 2020 has been a terrible year for all of us.  I didn't think the impact I would experience would be as bad as many of my friends.  I don't normally go out very much and when I do it's always with my DH.  At first I coped quite well, but from about June on I found that my 'get up and go, simply got up and went'.  I would go as far as to say that my 'mojo' simply left the building.  Let me tell you it was not a laughing matter.  Let me explain a little more, I usually attend 2 stamp camps a year, and have done so for many years.  The second half of 2020 made absolutely sure I couldn't get to the one in September because of the intensified issues I was experiencing.  Also, I'm very lucky that I have a small group of friends who get together at my house twice a month (1st & 3rd Friday each month) for some creative fun.  In the second half of 2020, did I get involved?  No, I just sat and watched my friends' wonderful projects and activities come together.  I even read a book and/or played games on the iPad.  I became so frustrated and angry with myself because I let the issues control my actions.

My friends and I brainstormed ways that could get my 'mojo' back on-side.  I spent a lot of time reorganising my craft supplies and exploring pinterest and crafty sites.  We finally decided to try some motivational blocks to see if that would help.  I made 8 blocks that had choices like card type/design, cardstock type and colour, trims, embellishments and a variety of other components.  The first week we 'rolled the dice'  No, not really, I didn't actually have the blocks ready, but we wanted to make a start because I was finally engaging in the creative process.  One of the girls basically held a pen above the page, closed her eyes and pointed to one of the options and categories.  Our 'recipe' if you like came out as follows:

1.  Step card

2.  Brads / eyelets / metal elements

3.  Lace

4.  Blue

6.  Purple

7.  Corrugated card 

8.  Card for a male.

As you can see, lace on a male card wasn't going to make the cut, so we decided that each option was not necessarily mandated, but more of a suggestion.  We would be happy as long as most of the options were incorporated.  We also decided to get together on our regular night (1st Friday of the month) to actually make the card while we were all together.

I'll be back with the results of that first 'recipe' along with the next 'recipe' in another post.  Meanwhile, I'm still standing and fighting each and every day to be the best 'ME' that I can be.

I hope you'll visit again.

Until next time ......

Cheers

Chris in Oz

20-F%&*ing-20!!!

It's been the worst year ever.  Wouldn't you agree?  I wasn't doing too badly for the first 6 months, but after June, let me tell you, the wheels literally fell off and I was left feeling like I was treading water and was only just able to keep my head above it.  I managed to get myself out of bed every day, but many days it was touch and go. I often indulged in a 'Grannie Nap' which really screwed up my sleeping pattern.  I was reading and just playing games on the iPad most of the time and had absolutely no motivation to be creative at all.  My family and friends became very worried about me and tried to devise plans to help me get out of the humdrum existence that I was living.  

BTW, I should mention that I've quietly amassed a set of Copic Markers.  Yes even after swearing, up and down and black and blue, that I definitely did not need another colouring media.  I saw the wonderful colouring that my friend Mel Goodman was achieving (she's at "Mel's Art Journey" if you want to check out how talented she is), so I finally succumbed to the temptation.  Of course, once I had a few, I needed more and before I knew what hit me, I had a full set of sketch markers to my name.  I'm still not sure how it happened, except to say that the only interest that I was able to maintain during lockdown was my interest in buying craft supplies.  Did that happen to anybody else?  I really do hope that I'm not the only one. The investment into the Copic markers weighed heavily on my head and I finally agreed that I really needed to 'do' something to get myself back on track.  My stamping friends, both near and far, encouraged me and I finally came up with a plan that I believed might be helpful.  Let's face it, belief is the first step needed for progress in just about every aspect of life.  Right?

Since my motivation was practically not existent, except for the buying supplies I wasn't using aspect, I decided to 'borrow' inspiration and motivation from other artsy people.  I searched the net, followed blogs and spent heaps and heaps of time on Pinterest.  In fact for a while there I felt like I'd been sucked into the 'Big Black Hole' that is Pinterest.  I've updated my Pinterest pages with a couple of Colour Challenges and reorganised my Sketch Challenges, especially those that had finished.  I even found some new challenges that I hadn't seen before.  

Guess what, it worked!!!  I've become energised and my fingers and hands are restless to get inky again.   I'm now eager to try some of those new challenges out.  I can only hope that you are all in a similar state of mind, but if you're not, why don't you try it.  I can't promise that this process will work for everyone, but I'm very happy to have come out of the tunnel of lockdown with a new sense of purpose, motivation and energy.  As Aussies, we often refer to Australia as the 'lucky country".  I have to acknowledge that Australia is in the enviable position of not experiencing the pandemic as badly as many other countries and have no doubt that my situation has been helped immensely by this.  If you need some help to get motivated and would like to check out my Pinterest Boards, you'll find me if you search for ChrisinOz (no spaces) in people.  I come up under the name Chris Bennett.  DUH!!!  Alternatively, I could just give you the link, which is:

https://www.pinterest.com.au/chrisinoz  

Anyway,  I'll give you some more detail of 'the plan' in my next post and hopefully share some creations with you very soon.  I'll just finish with the fact that I'm still standing and fighting each and every day to be the best 'ME' that I can be.

I hope you'll visit me again.

Until next time ......

Cheers

Chris in Oz