February’s Missing Mojo

It is GLOOMY.   The light is so poor, we have lamps on all day every day and honestly: it just feels like we should all still be hibernating like sleeping bears.
 
The feeling that we need the brightness of sunshine – even if it is that wonderful low winter sunshine on a crisp and cold day – is palpable here at JC GQ.  We have photography and video projects on the go that require good light.  Yes we have ring lights and all that good stuff but the shadows are still there and nothing beats natural light streaming through a window.
 
It is another weight added to the heaviness we are feeling and which seems to be holding down our creativity.  Concentration is also in low supply at present.  In short, we have lost our collective mojo!  Is this a February thing?  We have an excuse in January because, you know, it’s January and there are as we all know 255 days in that beast.  But February?  The month of love?  Why aren’t we bouncing?
 
We are quite literally surrounded by yarn and crochet projects.  We have dedicated spaces set aside for just that and one of us is a quite good designer* And yet when we have our catch-up calls we are meandering away from the projects at hand and discussing BFF creams, resistance training and whether or not Justin Bieber made THAT blanket.

Did he make this? DID HE?

There are so many benefits of being self-employed in a creative role: the fun of it, the colour, the flexibility and the fact that no two days are really the same.  But when that spark is refusing to catch, it’s tricky.  Could it really be that there are days when we wish for an in-tray and an out-tray. Tasks which MUST be done, a boss banging on a desk demanding a report by 5pm or “I’ll have your job Perkins” (my name is not Perkins but you get the idea).  Honestly?  Yes.  Because kicking your own bum into touch requires Mojo.  And I have very much forgotten where I put mine!
 
Do you feel this?  How do you get out of it? Is it weather?  Time of year?  WHAT IS IT PLEASE?
 

​A quick search on Google yielded the AI result which made me say bad words (AI – don’t like it – do you?) so I disregarded its nonsense and decided to try my own ways to light the fire under my motivation. 
 
1: Check bank statement – self-employed means no work, no crisps.  This is quite motivating.  Bank statement confirms that crisp supply will dry up shortly if squib remains damp.  Mojo recovery score 4/10

Current crisp supply has dwindled to this: yes, every bit as awful as you'd imagine. Like eating a gas leak.

​2: Stare Out of Window – I’ve been doing this a lot so must be important and productive yes? No.  So much no. Literally NOTHING getting done here and no flames being fanned.  All I’m really doing is watching the squirrels nicking the nuts from the neighbours’ bird feeder and bury them in my garden. Mojo recovery score  -14/10

Look at it. Just look at it.

3. Go for a walk – no.  Sorry but no.  I can’t go out in my pj bottoms and I’d need to wash my hair. I am disregarding this as an option.  Mojo recovery score: inconclusive
 
4. Eat well – see point 1.  Mojo recovery score: probably good but untested

​​5. Be compassionate to self, accept current languishing and be patient.  I didn’t make this up – this is a thing.  I am nothing BUT compassionate to myself.  I allow myself as much cake and crisps as I want, I rarely say no to increasing my credit card balance, my squirrel observations are bang up to date and really there is very little else I could gift my inner glutton.  So, I’m not buying this as an out.  Mojo recovery score: 1/10
 

I toyed with these little Jane-made beauties and they did stir some mild sparking. Gorgeous.

 
I think this leaves “watchful waiting” which is a thing medical types do. They are much cleverer than me so I’m going with that.  I am going to waitfully watch what happens whilst being chuffed that I managed a full day without a nap. If you have ANY suggestions about how you pick up when you’ve had a dry spell creatively, please share.  I really can only watch the squirrels for another day.  Two at best.

​*Jane.  Yes I know she’s awesome.  Like, REALLY good.

Well you would dance like this if you could design like that wouldn't you?