Hey, I get it. We all go through some form of creative slump from time to time.

For the most part it is no big deal to lose the creative mojo occasionally. I mean other than that nagging guilt and abject fear that you have amassed an impressive fiber/yarn stash in vain, babies and/or kittens will not perish if you have more than 4 languishing WIPs.

For those of us who identify as artist, breaking through creative blocks can be overwhelming and parallyzing.

It can shred your confidence and identity, as you wonder if you will ever create again (OK, we creatives can be a bit dramatic…)

I know this is a topic I have covered often. I have had a lifetime of creative ups and downs that I have had to push through to keep my job or business afloat. But Fiberista, my heart just breaks when I hear you take on all that guilt over not feeling the knitting/weaving/crochet love once and a while. Shifts happen.

Today I want to share with you 3 rather unconventional ways I have been nurturing my right brain lately, to keep my creative mojo in check.

Bringing the Woo. I was raised Catholic. Like many religions, Catholics are big on shrines and altars petitioning the saints for what they need/want/appreciate. While your faith may not be with any religion at all, going through the motions of creating a sacred space to meditate on where you are and where you want to be can be so very powerful in shifting your beleifs. Why not create an altar that reflects the faith you have in yourself as an artist. Seek out symbols of gratitude for your talents, petitions for where you want to be, and affirmations of who you are.  Since the beginning of time, so much art was made for spiritual reasons. Tapping into your woo just might open up a new stream of creative mojo.

Aromatherapy. Your olfactory bulb sits right next to your limbic system (the part of your brain that controls your emotions). What that means is your sense of smell has a hella-large influence on your emotional brain. This year, I have been exploring how different essential oils can shift my mood and emotional blocks which is usually at the heart of my creative blocks. I have had some crazy good results specifically with Young Living blends like Inner Child, Joy, and Believe. Aromatherapy has impacted my work so much this year. I love it so much, I have become an essential oil distributor. Give it a whirl, add a diffuser to your space and try you favorite scents. Lemon(uplifting), frankincense(mental clarity) and lavender(calm) is a great start.

Decluttering. At risk of sounding like your mom, sometimes you just need to clean your room. Most of the artist I know like to have beautiful stuff around them for inspiration. It is tricky proposition, because there is a fine line between creative space filled with fascinating inspirations, and shit getting in the way. I have had a heavy dose of this as I closed my studio and had to go through all my things. Things that once inspired, felt like piles of crap as I set about packing and organizing.  Your inspirational collections are worth revisiting if you find yourself creatively stuck. In feng shui, clutter = stuck energy. So as I mentioned in this article, ask yourself “does it bring me joy” If the answer is no, get rid of it. Commit to surrounding yourself only with things that light you up.

Pro tip: We all have petting stash(I am totally raising my hand here). Let’s just let this cat out of the bag once and for all—many of us buy some skeins because we love them with no intentions of ever knitting them. So let’s just OWN IT!! Put your most precious petting stash in plain view. You bought it for that very reason.

In a nutshell, creative blocks can often mean taking care and honoring exactly where you are and what you need personally. So my question for you toady, do you have any unconventional creativity tips to share? Leave me a comment below.