The Rising of Creativity in times of Corona! And what we can do.
How Our Increase Of Creativity, During Our Self-Quarantine Periods, Helps Us Overcome Anxiety, Depression, and Restlessness In the Time Of the Corona Epidemic!
The world as we knew it has passed. Our reality is very much like a dystopian Horror-movie. We are united right now, but sadly, not for a good reason: Social distancing and isolation are two of the aftermaths in the global fight of the Corona virus epidemic. People are staying inside. Rarely going outside. And, it is causing anxiety, panic, and even depression for those who are not used to navigating such a predicament. It can even feel restless and suffocating. Its time to start thinking differently.
For most of us our normal routine has changed massively and we are building up new ones. (not talking about the system-relavant jobs of course) That “rat race“ routine of „get up, get ready, work and make money“-programme is over for now. A number of us have been programmed to such a degree, that we have lost sight to the true meaning of. Working and making money took so much time that the space for „thriving to be alive“ was simply not there. And I guess too many of us even feel “lazy,” if we decide to take a break or take a week off, to simply enjoy ourselves.
Creative thinking, crucial for problem-solving
During this current „virus-period“, humanity has the opportunity to re-evaluate, how we are living. How have we been living within this past decade? Why has that happened? Where did we loose the contact and understanding of that interconnectedness of all beings? Have we been in touch with our spiritual side, our heavenly side, in the way that we are supposed to be? Or, have we been operating like programmed, and highly-trained robots, who are void of any presence of. . .life? Now as we sitting in our homes (well the lucky ones) or wherever we are, we have time for us to use our inside time, to observe the outside world. How has humanity contributed to this current disorder, where we had isolated ourselves, prior to any epidemic? Shut off from other people’s needs, exploiting animals. Only thinking about ourselves; while seeing someone’s problem, as their problem. Its time to start thinking differently. Our survival is mandating that we do. It’s time for solidarity. Someone’s pain and problems are greatly connected to one’s own.
Being creative isn’t a natural human response to stress.
But fight-or-flight response isn’t the only option. You can also focus, think and solve. Creative thinking is crucial for problem-solving in uncertain situations when time is of the utmost importance.
Panik, blame, and fear doesn’t help you solve anything. What does is collaboration, focus, choosing thinking over reckless reacting and working toward changing things for the better. Going into the depths of our beings and finding that spark that uplifts not only our day but also the days of others are those silverlinings at the horizon right now. For example people making music from balconies and sharing self-made beautiful masks all around the globe.
Create Art just for the Joy of It
Please don’t ever say you are not creative, because you are. Don’t give yourself that disempowering label, it’s just not true. Come out of that comfort zone and try out something new every once in a while. You just might amaze yourself. In the midst of what is happening, the creative Beings can soothe, comfort, care for the minds and emotions of the masses. When was the last time YOU took some time off to explore your playful side? Even if it’s just for you with no intention to publish it. The world is brimming with beautiful work right now: from poetry and paintings to comedy and virtual courses. And I’m so grateful for it. For you: put something into the atmosphere that doesn’t go live — something that resonates with you and just you — Start small. Take a pen now i.e. and draw what you see without looking at the paper. Making (any) art is healing for the soul.
Creativity is thriving on limitations
The best time is NOW. Because constraints make us more creative. By creating the box we are forced to actually think outside of it. The absence of limits, on the contrary, means that everything is possible. Challenging events like Corona create a susceptible environment for innovations. While in the regular times innovating is optional, during a crisis the necessity of evolving is crucial, urgent and vital. Even though everyone would prefer to avoid crisis situations, the new limited conditions force us to think in new ways and search for solutions where we haven’t looked for them before. So lets move from „Why did this all happen“ to „How can we fix it, how can we prevent it, how can we make the best out of it.“
One of the joys that will arise from this current situation is that humanity will become, more creative, and. . .closer! We are not there, yet. But, we are in that direction. During the time that we are isolated, and away from much of our social interactions, let’s take the opportunity to generate our own creativity. Even if you don’t think that you are a creative Being, do something creative, anyway! Why? Because it just feels good, to create something. Start with simple things like: childlike-drawings, cooking, journaling, writing, poetry, videos for fun, taking pictures (maybe inside your house), creative dance moves inside, singing… To all the creatives out there, you are superheroes! If anybody knows how to thrive in times of crisis it is undoubtedly you. And with you I mean US. We can all take this time off and change it around in a creative way for the better.
Take Rest
These uncertain times we are living in right now arouse a number of different emotions and anxieties. The best thing is to recognize your feelings, and then do your best to channel them into a creative outlet. There’s a reason so many pieces of incredible art will rip your heart out. It’s because the people who created that art put themselves and their intense emotions into it. Allow yourself to take some time off. Take long walks. Empty your over-stimulated brain, and if you can sleep — sleep a lot. It’s not only that sleep is healthy for our brain, our whole immune system get recovered while we sleep. So it’s a passive way and non-violent way to fight the virus. And then take off the media stream for a while. It’s important to stay informed, but try to limit it down to 30m per day. Inspiration is a beautiful thing, but there is something truly magical when you get quiet and create out of your own unfiltered personal voice. Take time in this period of forced social distancing to step away from the noise and the news and to record what your authentic artistic voice is urging you to create. And yes, if you haven’t listened for a long time, this might be scary and your inner voice will tell you something like: „See I know, NOT CREATIVE.“ Let it be, it’s ok. At some point this voice will shut down and will explore a new space within you which hasn’t been touched for long. But be patient and don’t expect anything to happen. Keep on playing, trying out new things and start with the simple things.
Bore yourself silly
When was the last time you allowed yourself to feel boredom? It’s inconvenient at first, yes — but hear me out. A study at the University of Central Lancaster found that between a group of people who had to copy out numbers from a phone book, and a control group that did no such thing, the group who had to complete the mind-numbing task of copying out phone numbers were capable of much more creative thinking than the control group immediately following the task. Researchers posited that it was because the phone number copying group were so bored, they naturally began to daydream, which jumpstarted their creative processes. So I invite you to just sit on your couch, watch the clouds and let your thoughts wonder! But be careful to not follow them down all the way if they go there. Recognize, Stop and empty your brain (focus on your breath i.e.). Recognize your feelings, and then do your best to channel them into a creative outlet.
Keep moving
Being under quarantine can invite you for watching too much Netflix, eating chocolate or being caught up in endless zoom-calls. Probably everything altogether. But if you wanna be creative you have to keep moving. Sitting still at a computer all day practically guarantees getting stuck at some point. We need movement (and blood flow and breath) to keep our brains functioning optimally. Physical stagnancy creates creative stagnancy. So, whether you stand up and do jumping jacks, yoga stretches or shake your booty, or you don your mud boots and go for a walk in the rain or snow, you’ll likely find yourself refreshed and unstuck when you return to your desk.
Learn and grow
Being creative is a lot about putting things together in another way to create a meaningful new connection. So learning something new, can spark your creativity. Now it’s the time to learn all those things you always wanted to learn. Like Starting a course or finishing the one you purchased but never got completely through. Or reading or listening to that book you know will help you to start your dream business or to take your existing business or side hustle to a new level and discovering some podcasts that speak to you and the things you’re needing right now in your life.
As you take care of yourself and those you love in this unprecedented time don’t forget that the best answer to destruction is and has always been creation.
