The Pandemic Profiles
Emily Then Keep The Creative Juices Flowing
Quarantine has been hard for everyone in different ways, but who knew that meeting Taylor Swift would be so impactful for someone during this time? Emily Then, a third-ear student at Whittier College has been greatly influenced through Taylor Swift and her music, recently got to meet Swift, an experience which has helped inspire her during the pandemic.
Then is something of a musician herself and Taylor Swift, who writes her own music, has been a major source of inspiration for Then’s songwriting. A Tumblr blog placed Then into communication with Swift and that eventually this lead to Then spending a day at Taylor Swift’s house having friendly conversations. Not between a celebrity and a civilian, but as two people connecting over a shared love for creating and writing music. During one of her music tours, Swift stopped to say hello to Then and ask how she has been. This encounter has been captured for posterity in Taylor Swift’s Netflix Documentary, Miss Americana.
Shy about her work, and lacking in confidence, Then described how Taylor Swift has personally helped her grow in this area. Swift took a picture with Then holding a Grammy award, saying she would for sure win her own someday.
“Taylor Swift has helped me become more confident in myself because she has showed and told me that she believes in my abilities.”
Despite knowing Taylor Swift, Then does not want to become famous. Her desire is for what she creates to reach others and help them. Then said that her biggest struggle during this quarantine is wanting to do so many things, but not taking care of her mental health. “I can’t relax, and I can’t just sit still,” Then explains.
Normally comfortable on her own and spending some alone time to recharge, she has found that the knowledge of not being able to leave and go anywhere has been making it harder. This leaves her alone with her thoughts, instead of attending school at Whittier College with friends and peers.
“The hardest part, is I know where I would be right now. I would be in Los Angeles doing an internship. I feel like I am in high school again, not knowing where life is taking me, or where I am going.”
The way Then works towards overcoming this has been through creativity, and various forms of art. Creating music, songs, poems, and writing short stories, Then also knows how to play the guitar, piano, and ukulele. It was in high school that she began to find her love for writing when she took a creative writing class. “Writing is my coping mechanism, by writing I am forced to face how I feel,” Then says.
When asked about her go-to watch for shows and movies during quarantine, she said that she has been rewatching her comfort show How I met Your Mother a lot, as well as Enola Holmes, and getting more into hockey. Then has always been a fan of hockey and been around it even when she was little. “When I used to figure skate I would often practice in the same rink as the Sharks,” says Then. “They would get off the ice and I would get impatient at the Zamboni because I wanted to get out there.”
Then’s favorite teams are the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, Dallas Stars, and lastly the Toronto Maple Leafs. She says watching sports as not always good for the anxiety as you can become really attached to the game, but this quarantine has given her more time to spend watching this sport, and how she would love to go to Philadelphia someday where her favorite team is based.
A hard aspect of being in quarantine is being online for her fall semester. “I have the motivation to pay attention and learn a lot in class. But because I work and come home really late, by the time I get to my classes I am really tired,” says Then, of a dilemma faced by many students.
Then loves to connect with others, something that has had to halt and change since March. And despite have all the classes she wanted to take this semester, quarantine has dampened her experience a bit. Like many of us, though, Then has found ways of adapting to this new lifestyle we all find ourselves in, lettng let her inspiration, struggles, and daily life influence her creativity and songwriting — which we will hopefully one day enjoy hearing as she wins a Grammy.
