In these challenging times, when the world feels like it's coming to a standstill, it’s crucial to keep on moving. There’s an undeniable therapeutic force to it, powering through in the face of adversity, or just keeping busy as a means of growing and learning.
Some may argue that there is a correlation between stress and creativity. However, it’s important to point out that the quality of stress may differ significantly: it’s another thing to feel the pressure against a deadline and a whole different story to deal with anxiety, or a force majeure.
Let’s not forget some everlasting teachings here: Situations happen and and then cease to exist. Markets will go up and down. Jobs may fluctuate for a little while. Now is the time to focus on the work, on our ideas and on our aspirations.
Here are six little nudges to get you started, and please do share with us any tips that keep you inspired during these times.
1. Work on that idea you always thought about pursuing
Check your notebook, your voice memos or any other mediums you use to jot down any ideas that you may be having. You’ll be amazed at what you find. Now’s the time to start working on it, visualizing it, exploring and discovering how it could come to life. At worst it’s a time burner, at best you may surprise yourself and get another portfolio-worthy piece of work.
2. Learn a new skill
There are countless online resources that can teach you a new trick. As work slows down, you can pick up a new hobby and enhance your toolkit by adding more skills to your arsenal. A lot of online education companies are starting to offer courses for free in an attempt to keep everyone productive. There are hundreds of free online courses from top Ivy League schools, and online platforms. You can also immerse yourself in Google Virtual Museum tours. There are countless ways to keep you moving and learning.
3. Remember, we may all soon return to our busy lifestyles.
It’s true that we live under unprecedented circumstances. Pinterest reports that there has been a 31% increase in searches for ‘keeping calm’ queries. As hard as it is to stay at home because we have to, it’s always good to remember that we may all soon run out of free time once the quarantine is over. Stillness is only a temporary circumstance, so let’s seize the opportunity to stop and smell the flowers; meditating, observing, slowing down and recharging, apart from the obvious health benefits they offer, they also help bolster creativity levels.
4. Change the perspective
It has never been easier to connect with our friends, families and peers. In 2020, we have countless opportunities to get in touch with anyone at any point in the world. It’s not a coincidence that businesses and universities were among the first to move to a working and studying from home setup. We have to thank technology for making this isolation phase merely a spatial one and not a social one.
5. Start building a library of inspiration, trends and ideas for the year ahead and further
Ignite your creativity with the help of moodboarding. You don’t have to possess a integral idea of where you’re heading, you only have to start saving what you like and the inspiration will present itself. Are there any color styles you’d like to explore? How about any websites that you stumbled upon and impressed you with their layout and design? Visualizing your goals is a powerful way to keep you motivated and pushing forward. So go ahead and moodboard away!
6. Update your portfolio
Show the world what you’re made of. Put the free time in your hands to good use and earn yourself a headstart for the upcoming job and project hunting season. Reflect on your work. Decide if you want to further curate existing projects, remove them altogether and include newer ones. Take this time to to ponder on how you want to present yourself - maybe it’s time for a rebranding and spin in your personal story. Portfolio house-keeping is an excellent opportunity to keep yourself abreast of changes and signal recruiters and peers that you’re staying active and creative.
Whatever you choose to do, we’re here to listen and support you. Drop us a line on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and we’ll be happy to help!
Cover photo by Neels Castillon
