How to Stay Creative (even during a pandemic)

Everyone, at some point in time, finds themselves lacking motivation. Whether it be stress, distractions, or maybe you just need a break. The same thing occurs when you are trying to be creative. Much of your work revolves around coming up with new ideas, new ways to express yourself and engage with others. There are some days where you feel like you are on a roll, and don’t want to stop. You document all of your ideas, so you don’t forget them. Perhaps you find yourself working late on a project. Lots of hours of dedication go into perfecting the final product, and you get to celebrate the fruit of the labor. These are great moments!

But what happens when a major event happens that puts a damper on your plans?

Not too long ago, life seem to be moving along normal for most people. Then we turn on the news and hear about VIRUS…LOCKDOWN…QUARANTINE…ECONOMIC COLLAPSE! All of these are scary moments, as we are living in some uncertain times! There is no doubt that many people are stressed, scared, confused, and any other adjectives you would like to insert here. So, as creatives, it is no wonder why suddenly some of the ideas are just not clicking like they normally would, or maybe, you just don’t feel inspired to work on anything!

How do we break out of this funk? Where do we find the drive to push forward? You need to ask yourselves these questions. The biggest question that you need to ask yourselves, however, is: “Why?” By “Why”, I mean, why did you become what you are today? That means, if you are a singer, why did you become a singer? Why did you become a writer? Go back to ground one, when you made that decision. Something moved you, something in your heart said, “This is my gift!”. That moment when you realized your gift, it became a major part of who you are. Once you have identified that gift, you begin to run with that gift. You shed off the naysayers who say you can’t do it. You overcame some financial difficulties, to make room for your gift. You set aside some of your other interests, just to have time for your gift. You became good at what you do and have now found a way to connect with others, using that gift. THIS is the “Why?”!

Now fast forward… Where were we? Oh, that’s right, that pandemic thing. You know, the thing that is keeping you from being creative. I’m not saying that there are no reasons to be concern, everyone is concerned in their own ways. Regardless of your political views, this pandemic has affected everyone in some way, shape, or form. However, at the same time, we cannot just lay on our backs, and let life pass us by. We have to keep pushing forward! That means, if you are a creative, you’ve got to pick up that paint brush, and paint! Pick up that guitar and play some music! Bring out the cookbook and start cooking! Dust off your tools and start building something. Whatever it is that you do, whatever your gift is, you have to keep pushing forward with it!

As for me, I too, need to keep pushing forward with my own gift. When all of the lockdowns took place and the economy started to slip, I became very concerned as well. I did not feel like being as creative as I normally would have. From my documentary to photo shoots, it seemed senseless to work on anything. Then I began to ask myself, the “Why?”. Why did I get into photography? Why did I get into filming? I can run off a bunch of reasons as to why. In a shorter context, I just love what I do, and it is a part of who I am. In fact, writing, filming and the occasional photo shoots has helped get me through this pandemic. I took this time to re-invent myself and become a better version of myself moving forward. I don’t know what your spiritual beliefs are, but I am a big believer that God gave everyone a gift. A gift to share to others. Sure, we get to enjoy what we do, but it is not about us. It is about sharing that gift to others. What good is that gift, if you don’t put it to use? What good Is it, if you just decide to give up on it. Here is a simple and direct answer: It does no good at all! “Faith without works is dead” - James 2:14-26

You might be asking yourselves, “How can I be creative in a time life this?”. While yes, these are tough times, this is also a great time to re-evaluate ourselves. A time to be grateful for what we have. A time to work on ourselves and our families. And yes…a time to work on our gift. I think if we really reflect on what has been given to us, and show gratitude towards that, we can find that drive again. At some point soon, we will all get through this pandemic together and become better people from this. Really take this time to appreciate what we have and not take any of it for granted. We will move forward stronger, filled with inspiration and motivation, and together form a stronger community!

In conclusion, if you are reading this and feeling lack of motivation and creativity, just go back to your “Why”.