When I was a tiny thing, if left to my own devices, I could often be found in the bathroom, making ‘potions’.
I don’t know why, or where the idea came from, but mixing up different bathroom products was one of the most fun ways I could think of to spend my time.
I didn’t do anything with the potions – mostly because they smelled and looked revolting by the time I was done – but that wasn’t the point.
The point was the process of combining various things, partly to see what would happen, and partly because it was so much fun just to do it.
I’d actually forgotten about my bathroom potions until fairly recently, but it makes a lot of sense when I look at my life today.
That curious little blonde kid is still alive and well, and she often comes out in the studio.
Even if you weren’t a little potion making weirdo, you have that curious kid inside you too.
And giving them a bit of space to play without purpose can transform the way you think about your art, and the way you make it.
Losing the art mojo
When I came back from my most recent trip to Cornwall, which included a five day course at the St Ives School of Painting, I had assumed it’d be the same as last time.
{Yes, I know. Good one T.}
Last time, I had come back brimming over with inspiration and motivation, and created an entire series of new paintings.
This time it was a whole different story.
Despite loving the course just as much as the previous one, when I got home I found there was nothing I felt like doing less than moving paint around.
Huh, I thought. Well ok.
And after two weeks away I had admin up the wazoo and was happy to redirect my creativity to things like blog posts and, er, emails, for a while.
That didn’t last long though.
While I acknowledge, recognise, and accept that my art and I each have our own cycles and seasons, and they don’t always coincide, after a while I knew I just needed to do something with paint.
Something non digital and non brain based.
Enter five year old Tara and her bathroom potions.
For the past few days I’ve been letting little me loose in the studio as an antidote to the total lack of mojo of the past couple of weeks.
She and I have been having a fabulous time.
Below are a couple of videos I made of the processes. They were originally shot for my Instagram stories, which is why the less-than-ideal long portrait format and randomly written notes. 🙂
The Frankenthaler Experiment
I found a very old piece of unused canvas in my fabric box, left over from the days when I stretched my own canvases, and decided that since I just couldn’t get in the right place with any of my usual stuff, I’d sneak in the back door, so to speak.
I’d do an experiment with no plans, no intentions, and no particular interest in outcome.
Music: Meantime by Jahzzar
As you can see, the experimental nature of this, combined with the big piece of rough edged canvas, freed me up to try anything and everything that came to mind.
I had a lot of fun thinking up ways to make marks, and working at a larger scale than I usually do was very liberating.
I still don’t know what will happen to the canvas.
Maybe I’ll cut it up and make smaller paintings from it.
Maybe I’ll stretch it in its entirety.
Maybe I’ll keep adding paint and see where it takes me.
Maybe I’ll ask little Tara.
Maybe she’s already moved onto the next thing.
None of that really matters.
What matters is trying something new, and staying open to sparks.
The Yupo Experiment
I’ve wanted to try yupo paper* {synthetic paper} for ages.
It was one of those typical ‘I must try that’ situations, which doesn’t actually come to anything. Also it seemed prohibitively expensive.
Then I was stocking up on paint and found some yupo paper in a pad that didn’t seem too extortionate, and threw it in the basket.
Below is the video of my first ever experiments with yupo.
I used mostly acrylic inks, some sumi ink*, and various mark making tools.
I feel I only really scratched the surface of what’s possible {obviously! It was the first go!}, but just getting to play with colour and line felt really good, and the introduction of a new-to-me material opened up doors to fresh possibilities.
*affiliate links
Music: I like it here {instrumental} – Robin Allender
Evidently, none of this is rocket science, and that’s the beauty of it.
When we’re lost in the dry desert of no mojo, our brains can start telling us very convincing stories about what’s wrong with us and how rubbish and lazy we are.
Pish posh, brains.
It’s a fact of creativity that sometimes we’re just not feeling it, and while I’d personally never advocate ‘pushing on through’, I do advocate sneaking in the back door.
So when you next find yourself in that place – because you will my friend, you will – remember little Tara and her weirdo bathroom experiments.
It’s totally ok {and potentially a gold mine of inspiration, but let’s not try and make it be that!}, to just pootle around, trying things that may or may not come to anything.
Here are some ideas to try – minimal brain power or inspiration required:
- Deliberately tell yourself you’re going to do an experiment – outcome not important
- Try out a new art material – how about that one you’ve been wanting to try for ages?
- Choose a colour palette from a photo in a magazine, or on Pinterest or Instagram, and mix up the colours, just to mix new colours. Like this:
- Go large
- Go off the stretchers!
- Go tiny
- What do you ‘usually’ do? What’s the opposite of that? Do that
- Try a collaboration with the weather – what does rain/earth/leaving your work outside do?
- Make something entirely with your non dominant hand
- Combine two materials you’ve never used together before
- When you’re done, you’re done. No justifying, no need for a ‘finished’ piece, no need to share {unless you want to}, no need for it to be anything beyond the experience of making it
Now tell me in the comments what experiment you’re going to try. 🙂
Great post! Thank you for sharing. I found it very inspiring and encouraging. I was feeling in a bit of a slump lately with my painting but now I think I’m just going to try some experimenting. Just for fun! Who knows what may come out of it?
So glad you found it helpful Kimberly! Go for it!
I am a welded metal artist. I haven’t been in my shop since Christmas and haven’t had the “mojo” to get back to it. This spring my Mom passed away and I had to put my very sweet 15 yr old dog to rest. It’s not been a very inspiring year. I really miss welding. Mostly I make sculptures of animals and nature. I am going to take your advice and go off the rails with some abstract pieces. You never know, I could discover a new part of me that I’ve never explored. Thanks so much for your advice!
Hi Lu – I’m sorry you’ve been going through such a difficult time – really not surprising that the art might have gone dormant! I’m so glad you found something helpful here. 😊
Fantastic post and mirrors my current experience, and also reassuring to know others go through it too ????
So glad it was encouraging for you Nikki!
Lately I either haven’t wanted to art or my brain just wasn’t working enough to be able to do it or just plain old too tired. But I miss it and when you’re an art journaller like me, days passing by without pages filling up with happenings is sad. It’s like a lost period of my life or maybe it’s a bad period in my life that I don’t want to remember anyway. Today I prayed, “God, please help me get that spark back for making art.” Hours later I pop onto Pinterest and right at the top is “Lost your art mojo?” Which is funny enough, BUT what’s funnier is I used to do the same thing in the bathroom!!!! I had a family that didn’t pay attention to me, so I was left alone a lot and when I was something I used to do a lot was get into the lotions, etc. in the bathroom. Even though no one ever used them, they were just sitting there wasting away – the mother I had would get mad and yell about it. Well shoot, if you didn’t want me getting into things, perhaps you should have been watching me? When I’ve looked back on that, I always knew that was a sign of my artistic desires to experiment. As a matter of fact, I don’t call my studio a studio, it’s the La-boratory!
High five fellow potion maker! 🙂 I sometimes think of my studio as a lab too – takes a lot of pressure off!
Cool video Tara. It happens to me often lately. I start out not having a clue where I’m going, sometimes it works, often not. But recently I just feel like I’m in a fug of confusion. Gonna try the yupo, it looked pretty good to me. Thanks
Laurel
Glad you found something helpful here Laurel! Sometimes a new material can be a great kickstart.
I make art for a living. Recently (5 weeks ago) I had a baby, my 11th child. I’m tired – so tired! but the nagging feeling that I need to do new work, create something good!!! has been driving me… trouble is, nothing is working. I’ve been feeling so down and unable to make anything new. This is a great post. Today (before I read this) I actually did some of the things you recommend but felt like I’d totally wasted my time. That experimental work with no great result was a failure. But now I feel much encouraged. So thank you. : )
Wow, eleven kids! I truly believe that sometimes all we need is a reframe and a new way to see something to give us permission to not do it, or do it with less pressure, or in a slightly different way. So glad you found something encouraging here Micklyn. 🙂
What do you mean you need to create something? You just created a baby! And an 11th? Any doodle that doesn’t come out of a diaper should be considered a rousing success.
Double down on your vitamins, stay hydrated, and do something fun. Your mojo will come back. In its time and in its place, all things happen.
Been feeling like this for while now after my father died about 2yrs ago and just can’t seem to get myself back in the flow but I think you my have hit the nail on the head when you said you tell yourself thing lazy etc so I think trying this maybe a good idea for me just not to bother about an outcome just to feel the process of rediscovering the the feel of the material s seems to make a lot of sense and even though I know my father would never comment I have really made myself feel bad about not being able to get my head around it so thank you
Yeah that inner mean voice can be horribly effective. The great thing is, we get to choose to use and listen to a different voice! Sounds like immersing yourself in process might be very forgiving and healing right now. Thanks for stopping by Lesley, and glad you found something helpful here. 🙂
Laugh…I was a potion-making weirdo too. I thought I was the only one! You’re right, experimenting is a great idea…at all levels in life! I think I’ll go play! ????
Ah, so there are at least three of us out there in the world! {One other commenter did it too!} Here’s to experimenting!
Thank you Tara! I love your ideas and the way you junp start my thinking. Its great to know everyone struggles at times.
So glad it was helpful Catherine!
As soon as I read about your potion experiments I chuckled – I did precisely the same thing as a kid! Will have to try some of the ideas you’ve listed. It’s good to be reminded how much creating is about the process, not the end result. Thanks!
It seems there were quite a few of us potion makers out there!
I experiment a lot and I need to do some experimenting today to get myself out of this slump. Thanks for the prompt 🙂
I’m one of those people who have different kinds of interests, and found that mojo travels in circles. When I can’t draw a straight line, or a crooked one, maybe I can crochet or knit. When all my yarn work turns into one big tangle, maybe I can write, If all my imagination can come up with is a cave with water slowly dripping in the distance, maybe I can sew, or cook, or draw. And sometimes even the most creative mind just needs to veg out a couple of days with ice cream and Netflix. A dry spell just means you need a small vacation, or are readying yourself to go to the next level. In its time. and in its place, all things happen.
That’s true for me too – when it dries up in one area I often switch modes to something else creative. And yes, sometimes a Netflix marathon is necessary to switch the mind off for a bit and percolate!
I so needed to read, see, and hear this today. I’m in such a funk, and the “gremlins” are tearing me apart. Since the passing of my sister a couple of months ago (a first for our family to experience) I haven’t been able to get back into creating, even for fun. When I see that others can be pulled into this same place of no mojo, I feel better. I knew to ‘art play’ would be a good idea, I just couldn’t get started. This post as really touch me. Thank you all for sharing. Off to ‘experiment’ this moment.
Sending much love to you Kayla at what must be an incredibly difficult time. It doesn’t seem surprising that your art mojo might have gone quiet for a while. Experimenting is a forgiving way in if you feel up to it.
Nice content. Just a tip for easier viewing:
Record stuff with the name/logo of the phone/tablet on the left when it’s on its side. This way you’ll get a lovely widescreen 16:9 video and we’ll see more, without those ugly black bars on the side from being in portrait rather than landscape.
That’s what I’d normally do, but as mentioned in the post, unfortunately shooting stories on Instagram currently only works in portrait, and those are the videos I used. 🙂
Totally enjoyed your videos…I’m taking a Life Stories Painting and Collage class and my teacher loves to say “Trust the process”!
I believe play is the core of creativity. I love the words, “let’s pretend like”…such possibilities!!!
You definitely touched a common thread with this post. Glad I found you on Pinterest…thanks Tara
Welcome Rita – glad you found something useful here!
Thanks for the encouragement Tara–just play and experiment like a 5 year old! I can only liken my art making to real child’s play after a stressful career of nursing and it’s quite therapeutic.
I go through these phases depending on what other big projects (garden, house) or life events are occurring. I can only focus on one or two things at a time.
As a child I enjoyed dressing up, making mud pies and scraping wax between our hardwood floors (loved ceramics late on). Love the potion mixing idea!
Just bought a 3 tier rolling cart from Ikea (Raskog) to store my WC supplies in my kitchen “studio.” Buying something helps to get the gears moving again too!
Thanks for this post! I needed it as I’ve been in a funk for months. Wanting to try this and that but never doing it. I just got a lot of fluid paints and am going to try my hand at the acrylic pouring technique tomorrow.
Btw Lynne~ I too just bought a 3 tier rolling cart yesterday to wheel up to my desk and filled with all my materials. Having everything right there and in sight was inspiring. I’m looking forward to a creative 4th of July weekend!
Yay! Always happy to hear when someone’s just going for it! 🙂
Also a bathroom experiment potions weirdo although at my friends house, not my own!! This blog brought back memories
Also feeling in a creative slump at the moment, the mojo has well and truly buggered off somewhere and am patiently waiting its return. Like you this happens to me in cycles and I can feel it coming back as the need to do something (anything) creative is slowly returning so thank you, you have given me some great ideas to try. Just need to haul my ass into the studio sometime very soon and stop making excuses that there are so many other important things to do ????
Glad you found something helpful here Sue! I think it makes a huge difference to be able to recognise the cycles – helps with acceptance I find! But yes, there’s also that fine line of ‘not the right time’ and just going in there and seeing what happens!
This is just what I needed! I have the tidiest studio ever . I waste time clearing rubbish, ” organising “, planning, Anything to put off that evil moment of making a decision on what to do. Right ! Tomorrow I am just going to clise my eyes and dive in Wow, I am excited already
I will let you know how I get on. Many thanks.
That made me smile. 🙂 The dubious achievement of the tidy studio! Glad you found something here to inspire you Rita.
When I want inspiration on what to cook for dinner I walk around Waitrose.
When I want art inspiration I walk around an Art Shop.
I’ve been trying to force some “lack of control” into my work. I’ve drawn with dry Inktense blocks then left the page outside on the lawn knowing the sprinklers would come on and hit it. That was a little too much, but made a nice under painting I could work on top of. I’m thinking of wetting the paper in chunks and drawing over it so the lines bleed unexpectedly.
Thanks for the post and all the great ideas!
That’s funny – force a lack of control. 🙂 Love that you collaborated with nature like that! To me that’s the mind of a true artist – that willingness to try things and think outside the box.
Home alone so time to paint ! But feel blocked at the moment so welcome your blog for inspiration !
Have also just come back from Cornwall ! Think I might try some abstract painting using a variety of mediums and feelings of Cornwall .
Glad you have found support here Eileen! Cornwall is such a mine for inspiration – happy painting!
I just found your post on Pinterest. My potion making as a 5 year old were mud pies and weeds I found in the yard. Lol. I have recently lost my mojo after a art studio owner gave me negative feed back. I’m trying to learn from it but it is difficult. This post and video was exactly what I needed. Thank you Tara!
So glad to hear that the post helped you in some way Lynne! Yes that’s hard, getting negative feedback. I always think it’s ok to feel a bit thrown by it, and then start to look for any nuggets and move on. Not always easy. May you rediscover your mojo imminently!
While wasting time on pinterest (not really wasting …) I spotted your post. Due to 4 difficult and demoralising years in my teaching career, I had given up trying to do any art. Since art is in my blood ( I too spent hours playing with mud, sticks, stones and anything else I could lay my hands on) this has left such a gap! I have now taken early retirement, which gives me so much free time. I’m in a cycle of guilt about not doing all the maintenance and sorting at home and pressure to produce meaningful art so as not to waste materials. Your post has affirmed what my heart has been telling me – ‘ stop telling yourself to create for a purpose, go back to being a free spirit who is happy to just play and experiment’. Thank you for this message . . . and to the fate that brought me to see it.
Lee this is wonderful to hear, apart from the part about the four difficult teaching years obviously. 🙂 Delighted that you found your way back to your art, and that my work has supported that in some way.
Thank you for this post. Its encouraging and I soooo know what you are talking about. Going back to play/experiment no results required or expectations formed. This is my new mojo for a while.
Yay! Glad to hear it was helpful to you Karolina!
Ahh, This may help me, Lately for the past few weeks I haven’t been in a mood of drawing, perhaps it’s because I’ve been drawing literally every day and just drained myself and now I feel like I can’t get back into the groove and now i’m having a fear that I may just forget how to draw….
Hi from Australia
LOVE your videos. Now is the time to really let loose with my art. All exhibitions have been cancelled, all galleries are closed, so there’s no pressure to paint a particular kind of work. I’ve had a tin of Dorlands cold wax for ages, but never even taken the lid off. Thanks to your inspiration I’ll DO IT. Can’t wait.
Yay! Go for it! 🙂
Hello Tara! Just the push I need. I love the sketchbook idea to create colors using a magazine image and jotting down the combination used. Also, I purchased Yupo paper on a whim while on an art supply binge (love doing this). I decided now, I have the motivation try it out. Thank you!
So glad you found it helpful Aissa! Happy arting!
Tara—thank you for todays email and the link to this blog entry. It inspired me to finally try playing with yup paper—such fun and really loosened me up!
So glad it was helpful Judy!