We’re all feeling it right now: the stress. The boredom. The uncertainty about what’s next. For those of us who like to be creative, it’s easy to lose motivation and wallow in our gloomy feelings. But now more than ever, art is a great way to keep our spirits up!
One of the first things you can do to stay creative while self-isolating is to try and keep the same routine as before or make a new one. Maybe you have a certain hour of the day you dedicate to working on your creative projects or engaging with the arts. If so, try to keep it up! Or, since we now have so much more free time, you can establish a new routine. Use it to focus on the different creative activities you enjoy and set time aside for them specifically.
Another way to stay creative is to stay engaged in the arts community and continue to see new art. One way to do this is to watch a live-streamed performance. The Metropolitan Opera is going to be streaming free performances of operas every night this week because of the cancellations. Broadway is now offering free, limited streaming of shows on BroadwayHD, which includes ballet and plays as well. Watching events like this can help you to stay creatively engaged.
Another way to keep creating art, whether it’s visual art, music, writing, or any other type of art, is to try taking classes in that area, or in something new! There are many artists online who make classes and tutorials that you can learn from. YouTube has an almost never-ending number of artists who make free tutorials to watch. Another way to take classes can be through sites like Skillshare, which offer educational courses in many different areas that usually focus on completing a project. If you’re looking to try a new type of art, these are great opportunities.
During this time of self-isolation and social distancing, it can be hard to remain creative and want to keep creating art. But whenever there are hardships, the need for art becomes greater. So take some time to keep creating art and being creative.