All of us are feeling a little isolated, even those who thrive on being alone. Creative people are often a combination of introvert and extrovert. They express emotions and thoughts in their art but are still conversational and draw zest from others. For an artist, painting, sculpting, or designing is simply a way of releasing dreams, energy, and passion. However, without human interaction, creativity is stifled.
Inside this article we will go over:
- Ways To Get Your Art On
- Organization
- Getting Out Of Your Head
- What Now?
Ways To Get Your Art On
Working from home has its advantages. There are no interruptions (unless you have kids at home), and the quiet allows focusing and concentrating. However, it can also distract and leave you feeling alone. Interacting with others will enable us to get outside ourselves and motivates us.
While few of us knew about Zoom meetings before this year, most of us are now champions at it. Between meetings with co-workers and clients, this video conferencing platform provides much needed face to face contact. A Zoom meeting with a friend, co-worker, or fellow artist may get those creative juices flowing if you crave some inspiration.
Behance, DeviantArt, Dayflash, Art Station, Dribble, and a plethora of other art related platforms are available to search, connect, and stimulate your imagination. But don’t limit yourself to these. Reading a book, watching a movie, listening to music, and getting outside in nature are all channels for new ideas.
Also, try something outside your comfort zone. If you usually paint, try drawing or writing. The object is to choose different mediums to spark your imagination into overdrive.
We live in an amazing world where we can communicate with people globally. Take advantage of this beautiful gift as people of various color, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and abilities all have something to bring to the table. Getting perspective from someone different than you is an extraordinary resource for artists
Organization
With no real start and stop times, the flexibility of being at home can result in losing a schedule. The best way to keep focused on your craft is to set aside time every day to work on it. It is tempting to end up doing chores or scrolling on Instagram, but you can waste a whole day doing these things, leaving your creativity in the wind. Using a whiteboard or your choice of writing method, make out a schedule that includes an hour or more just for vision.
Setting up a designated place to create is also a practical tool to get you going. There is nothing more inviting than a drafting desk complete with brushes, pencils, and paper for painting, drawing, and designing or a comfy chair where you can sit and write. Placing your creative space near a window with a nice view presents the perfect space for brainstorming.
Getting Out Of Your Head
As the days go by and isolation seems to be a part of life, negativity can set in. Being proactive should include taking walks to clear your thoughts, doing brainstorming sessions or venting about the situation with your tribe, and learning new skills.
Volunteering to help a small business with remote tasks like designing a logo, flyers, brochures, or a website is a fantastic outlet for stomping out negative thoughts. Community work such as painting a sign for the local farmer’s market or helping build sets for a high school play takes your mind off of yourself and onto others.
Another catalyst for inducing creativity is to work on multiple projects at once. If you become ‘stuck’ on one project, switching to another project may be just the thing you need to get going again. Conversely, changing your activities by going to new, unexplored places may bring you home with more innovative thinking.
What Now?
All of these are insightful goals when united together as a plan of action to avoid creative isolation. The point is to keep your eyes on the prize, using this time wisely and not losing your love for creativity. Humans need relationships, and this pandemic has affected that essential part of who we are.
The key is to reach out to others and our world to make sure the beauty of art and creativity continues from generation to generation locally and globally