
After a longer than expected podbreak, Jo is back and talking about turning the wheel when life gets in the way of creativity. Sometimes you just need to get the things done and that doesn’t always leave a lot left over for your craft, and that’s ok. Sometimes, you just need to eat some Malva pudding.
This episode begins with a re-introduction of sorts, as it’s now been over seven years since the first ever episode, recorded in South Africa back in 2012. That doesn’t feel that long ago (in the same way that 2004 was literally last week) but it’s forever in Internet years. Since the show started, it’s lived in Africa, Lincolnshire, Fife, Moray, Lancashire and now broadcasts from Asia. I’m not sure how, with so many moves, it doesn’t feel like longer ago!
Podcasting is something I will probably always do, even if there is the odd break here and there. It’s a fantastic medium and has brought so many new friends and opportunities my way. Plus, it’s good fun – so much fun, in fact, that’s I’m writing a book about it. There are no big secrets to it, other than getting started, and I want to encourage as many people as possible to give it a try. I’ve already helped lots of people to start a podcast, and will be doing more of this in the near future.
Where’s the mojo?
One of the main reasons for the unscheduled podbreak has been a big contract I have been working on since March, which has taken up a lot of time. As is often the case, the creative energy I would have used for making and podcasting, has been redirected towards training and project plan creation instead. This, coupled with far less time to actually make the things, resulted in not a lot of knitting being done. That’s ok, but it also somewhat reduces the content I have for the podcast. Lives are busy, and a mojo departure happens to all of us.
How do you keep the creative energy high? The way back to the knitting for me has been through a very simple pattern and some special yarn, to make a gift for a dear friend, and a two-week road trip with plenty of long, straight, knitting roads. I was gifted the Box of Chocolates yarn, dyed by Carle at Nurturing Fibres, and the addictive self stripe has once again brought me back into the knitting. Switching back to DPNs from magic loop also helped to reinvigorate my interest (even if I have pulled all the stitches off a number of times).
What have you found to be a good way to resuscitate your mojo? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Music for this episode is Adam and the Walter Boys, with I Need a Drink, available from iTunes.
Dear Jo
So happy to have you back, hale and hearty. you have been sorely missed.
From a Scot transported to the highveldt of Johannesburg.
xx Maureen
Thanks, Maureen! I have missed it that is for sure. How’s the Highveld treating you?
Awesome to hear your voice again, Jo. I’ve been listening to your past podcasts in the meantime. Wonderful to know that you’ve been busy in good ways, and that you have great plans coming up. Looking forward to your stories.
Thanks for listening, Bernice – and for re-listening! 🙂