I’m sure that by now most of you have heard about the Coronavirus Pandemic (also known as COVID-19) and it may have stuck you indoors for the time being. Or it might have also left you bored out of your mind, leaving you to stare out the window and eat everything. But if there’s one thing that I’ve learned from staying inside for days on end, it’s how to keep my creativity levels up and active during this time in isolation.
If you didn’t know, I’m a creative person. I like to express myself through forms of art and media, so scrolling through my phone and studying isn’t always the best use of my time. I mean I could just continue my Harry Potter marathon instead…? Anyways, after 10 days of doing nothing, something finally clicked inside of me and I had created a list of things I could do to avoid the right side of my brain perishing during this time.
Creativity: the use of imagination and production of artistic work
Google Definitions
1. Have a photoshoot
It may seem silly but yes, doing a self-photo shoot or one of other people/things is a really good way to engage your creative side. It allows you to use your imagination visually. I did one just the other day and it was super fun! Plus, they look great for Instagram 🙂
2. Baking/cooking
You might not think that baking or cooking is a creative activity but in reality, it’s making something new with the ingredients that you have. Another example could be if you’re baking a cake. Your imagination can pop out in the frosting, texture, and colours that you use.
3. Draw/sketch
It may seem obvious that drawing and sketching are creative things to do while stuck inside, but sometimes inspiration doesn’t come easy. Even if you’re not a “pro” you can still make your five-second stick figure look much better like adding coloured pencils. There are a bunch of other pen-to-paper or paintbrush-to-canvas things you can do, like follow a Bob Ross tutorial or sketch the trees and city outside.
4. Try different forms of writing
“You should try journalling.” is something that I come across from my teachers at school way too often. Even though I already journal, I was thinking about some other ways I could further my writing experience. So I wrote a screenplay and needless to say it was fun. I had done some research on some other simple writing styles that I could try and the list stands:
- Poetry (some ideas: here)
- Plays/scripts (here and here)
- Journals
- (short) Stories/Novellas (you can continue a dream that you once had)
- Essays
- Songs
- Speeches (you can make it funny)
- Memoirs
- Diaries
- Writing competitions (here – for teens)
- Letters
- Articles
- Vignettes
- Blogs
Personally, I recommend writing an article because there is no standard or minimum word count. It can be anything you desire. Plus there are so many places you can go to just publish your ideas like here, here, and here (this is specifically for teens).
Another way of being creative in your writing (and speaking) is this activity that I saw online that you can do with your family. Each one of you creates a PowerPoint (which can be funny) and then someone else in the family presents it. It’s a great way to spend time together and it gets a good laugh out of everyone.
5. Acting/live streams
Now, this is something that my brother suggested to me. We were talking and I had asked him what creative things he does. He replied talking about acting and monologues. They allow emotion to be presented and it’s a good speaking practice. This brought my attention to live streams. You could write a monologue and perform it live or upload it to YouTube. Plus – on a side note – live-streams are a really fun way to interact with others online.
I know that it may not be the best situation right now around the globe, but you can make the most of your situation. This is a great opportunity to use that side of your brain that may not be activated as often. I also know that it’s hard not to go out as often, but staying inside is a good thing and it’s helping the health workers.
Thanks for reading and stay safe out there ♥