Hey all!
I wish I had a more inspired post to write about here, but with the world at a stand-still, frozen in fear, nothing has piqued my interest to write about. Perhaps my next post I will brush up on my art and fashion history textbooks and blog something more educational, but for this post - let’s talk about something every creative I’m sure is struggling with: staying productive and creative when no inspiration is coming through.
I’ll admit - I have not been blogging as much because life really did hit me hard the last month. Before going into COVID-19 lockdown, I ran into some pretty serious health and interpersonal issues that put my life at a standstill, and now our current international quarantine has made that standstill even more profound.
I create this blog to educate and inspire others, so let me lead by example on what I have been doing.
So, how have I been staying busy during “social disty”? I am a big fan of lists, schedules, and calendars, and utilizing those organizational tools has been even more important during today’s monotonous times.
My best advice to other creatives out there is: We have had our few weeks of mourning, of relaxing, of accepting. It is now time to create and contribute, for our own sanity.
I have been treating this time as an extended and much needed vacation. I am reading books I have intended to complete, I am finishing up my clothing collection, and catching up on films I have not seen. I am trying to keep a steady mix of assertive and passive hobbies in my daily rotations (see a couple blog posts down on my theory on different types of productivity) so that I am equally producing and consuming.
I intend to use this time to learn more, to try to maintain my social life through social media (unfortunately) and Animal Crossing, and to work on projects I keep putting off.
Raine 2.0 will have a soft launch within the coming weeks online until I am able to ship and deliver. I am going to attempt to make face masks for local hospitals as my contribution to helping with the world’s pandemic.
Basically, us creatives need to stay busy. Follow my example and make short term goals to complete and reach during this time. Make a daily schedule to get yourself moving and out of a mixed-up-sleep-schedule funk. It is PERTINENT that us creatives create during struggling times like these. When the economy has crashed and the world’s health is in the toilet, all we can do is create art. All we can do is provide creature comforts for others and ourselves to keep spirits high. The Netflix shows we are watching and the books we are reading were all created by artists and creatives. Those essential products made by creatives like us are what is keeping the world’s morale up.
So the least we can do is contribute. It may be hard to get out of that pandemic funk, but make a small step to making a daily schedule for yourself to create at least one thing a day. To express yourself once a day. To learn once a day. Your future self will thank you for it.
Love you all! Thank you so much for reading. Stay safe, healthy, and sane.
Lorraine