Inspire Me Monday - Kick Start Your Mojo

Hello, Friends! This is Gloria Stengel with your Inspire Me Monday post! It has been a long time since I have been able to contribute to the blog, but you will be seeing me on a more regular basis for Inspire Me Monday and Creative Confetti posts! My creative mojo has finally started to come back to me!

After chatting with the rest of the Power Poppy Team, it turns out we've all been struggling to be creative! And, we are guessing you are struggling, too! So...we have been sharing some ways to get your mojo back! The Inspire Me Monday and Creative Confetti posts are designed to help you get past your creative block.

For me, when I am in a DEEP slump creatively, the best thing for me to do is to watch a tutorial, take an online class, or attend an in-person workshop. Nothing gets my creative juices flowing like following along with a tutorial or color-along! 

In January 2020, I had just been to Jenn Dove's Copic Boot Camp and I figured that the creative sparks would carry me for months and months! Then, COVID-19 came along, followed by some issues with arthritis and migraines...and POW! All my mojo got zapped! Plus, I lost all my coloring confidence. 

I love in-person workshops like Jenn's boot camp, which is a 4-day, extensive, in-person, Copic coloring workshop. I have attended the boot camp twice, November 2016 and January 2020. The first time, I learned so much about Copic coloring, the second time I was able to refine some of my skills and gain so much confidence! (Jenn is taking reservations for 2020, click HERE.) Jenn also has a blog filled with inspiration, Just4FunCrafts.

I colored this Pumpkins and Pears digital image at Jenn's Boot Camp, using a sepia technique. This was a technique that I had not tried in a long time, so taking the class helped me to have confidence that I could try it again! I hope that just looking at this will inspire me to give it another go!

If you cannot sign up for an in-person class right now, try to find some online content to jump-start your mojo. If you feel that your confidence has left the building, try looking at your past projects! Take inspiration from them! You will see that you CAN do this!

There are a myriad of FREE online tutorials, especially on YouTube. But, for a few dollars you can purchase a tutorial on sites like Patreon. One of my favorite online instructors is Amy at Vanilla Arts, Co. Amy has FREE content, one-time workshops, and a Livestream subscription! She has offerings for all price points!

This project was part of Amy's Verdant Spring Workshop using the Bowl of Beauty digital stamp set. I colored along with Amy using Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils. Amy gives great instruction for each technique, and then she allows you to finish the project on your own. (The skill level for this project was intermediate level + skills practice for advanced students, it is not for beginners.) This online class was just what I needed to get my mojo flowing! 

Make sure to sign up for Amy's newsletter Vanilla Beans, plus look for her posts here on the Power Poppy Blog!

Here is another version of the Bowl of Beauty image that I colored last summer. I pulled this out and put it on my desk to inspire myself! This is proof that I CAN color, which gave me a big boost of confidence!

After I finished Amy's online class, I also pulled out some class materials from Kit and Clowder, which is owned by Alyce Keegan. Alyce is an Australian-based artist who teaches online coloring classes for markers and pencils. The classes are a monthly subscription, but there are also stand-alone technique classes and lots of FREE content available. Alyce has a THRIVING Facebook page as well. Alyce's classes are for ALL levels and come in both marker and pencil versions.

I took several of the Kit and Clowder classes a few years ago and often refer to the class materials when I am stuck on a technique. The image above is from the Everything's Rosy digital set. After taking the Kit and Clowder February - March 2017 class, which taught how to color the roses and mug on the left of the image using lots of pale pinks, I decided to try on my own to color a patriotic-inspired picture! I am still amazed that I was able to color such deep reds and dark blues!

Being blocked creatively for so many weeks made me feel so anxious! But, taking a class and looking over some past workshop materials really helped. I ended up coloring this image from the Heart Abloom digital stamp set! I could feel myself relaxing and getting in the groove as I colored. 

I chose my own colors, and used a combination of Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils, with a bit of fine liner marker and gel pen. I feel that my slump is at an end and that my creative mojo is coming back!

To find my favorite coloring classes, clicks the links below. I also search YouTube for my favorite colorists to see if they have any free content to watch. I hope this inspires you to try some online tutorials to help you with your creative block!

Jennifer Dove Boot Camp
Kit and Clowder (Alyce Keegan)
Vanilla Arts, Co. (Amy Shukle)

Thank you so much for joining me ! If you'd like to see more of my work, please visit my blog, Scraps of Life. 

Until next time!

Gloria Stengel