Losing Their Mojo

Being able to paint any kind of image is one of those precious gifts I don’t have and probably never will. How anyone can take a piece of paper, canvas, metal or other material and dab paint on them to create something wonderful is a talent I admire and envy. So, when I see an artist give up the ship, it bothers me…a lot.

Over the course of last summer, I’ve had several painter friends tell me they’ve lost their mojo and can’t do it anymore. When asked to explain the reasons why, their answers were as elusive as their will to continue painting. Growing older, other distractions, an injury or an ailment; the reasons why are far-reaching and conclusive ‘in their minds.’ They just can’t do it anymore. I guess, it’s a kind of writer’s block for painters.

Half the folks I know on this planet would like to write a book someday. I have several friends who have gotten as far as outlining the books they want to write. They’ve done their homework in terms of their subject matter. They’ve interviewed friends and associates of their book topic/s. They’ve read books on ‘How to Write Books.’ They’ve watched UTube videos and perhaps have even taken classes in novel writing. They’re all set to go. All they have to do…is do it. I guess it’s like writer’s block for beginners.

It’s not just the arts that causes folks to stumble before they even get started. I have a dear friend who used to join me watching the Twin Cities Marathon each year. He would yell and cheer-on the runners as they passed by. Each year, he would remind me that he was going to be in that pack the following year. I told him that was great. I encouraged him and told him that all he had to do was train properly and then do it. He agreed and promised that next year would be that year.

Come the following spring, my friend had his training schedule down in print. He had mapped out his training route along the Mississippi River. He knew how much weight he wanted to lose and the days that were best for him to run. All he had to do…was do it.

But then there was his very hectic schedule as a husband, dad, coach, breadwinner, employee, etc. Things weren’t slowing down in his life and, in fact, were only getting busier. Time had become a very precious commodity. He was having a hard time dividing it up among all the demands in his life. Training for the marathon was important…but.

Now I have nothing but understanding and sympathy for those folks who want to follow their dreams but just can’t find the time. In their heart of hearts, they know what they want to do but everything in the world suddenly seems to conspire against them and their objective.

At some point, all of these folks run smack-dab into the irrefutable truth that there is an enormous chasm between the best of intentions and the actual act of ‘doing something to get there.’ That’s why some of us aren’t as financially comfortable as we’d like to be. We aren’t living the life we imagined growing up. We haven’t accomplished much on our bucket list and still wonder why? The list can go on and on.

I tell folks in my ‘How to Begin Writing’ workshop that there is only one truth to writing. If you want to become a writer, you must first sit down (or stand) and start to write. The painful truth is that no one else can do it for you. No one else cares as much as you do. Life will go on no matter what you decide to do. The easy way out is always doing anything. To try anything involves risk, demand on your time, energy and life adjustments. It’s really as simple as that. And in its very simplicity is the steel tough resistance you must overcome to at least start to pursue your dream; whatever it may be.

I get ‘losing one’s mojo’ and I understand the frustration of those who have experienced it. But there is no alternative to not trying again. If you don’t try, you’ll never know the outcome. If you try and still fail again, you know you tried and have that wonderful option of giving it another shot.

What do you have to lose?