I know we’ve all been sitting at home a little too long at this point. Some of us working, others are just passing the time with Netflix or making banana bread, or Tik Toks you pick your poison pretty much. The first two weeks of being in quarantine for me was an emotional rollercoaster. I cried, I laughed, I was angry that my trip to Mexico had to be cancelled until further notice, along with a number of photography gigs I had lined up for March and April. Even more so I was angry and disappointed at how unprepared we seemed to be for all of this and that it was also ignored. It was all looking too dark for me. It took a lot of adjusting and it still feels not normal, because… it isn’t. But this is a lesson in patience and I am taking each day in stride. Here are few ways that I have learned to maximize my creativity while staying home.
Start the day with Coffee.
This is something that many of you know is a daily part of my morning routine. You often see me post while I make my coffee on instagram stories, or post with it already in hand while I’m drinking it. Having coffee as the first thing I drink right after a big glass of water in the morning sends my body into a steady flow of energy. Now I am Cuban so you all know my version of morning coffee might be different from other people I drink Cuban espresso, far from anything overly sweet (frappuccinos) or watered down ( big pot coffee). The alertness you get from an espresso cannot be compared to anything else.
Surround yourself with things you love, not things you HAVE to do.
Although we all know the things that bring us joy and fulfillment, it can be easy to forget when we are caught up working. This is the time to bring these things to the forefront. Surround yourself by things you love. For me that’s not waking up in complete silence. As soon as I get up from my bed every morning, I tell my amazon Alexa to play pandora. My playlist ranges from Bossa Nova, Jazz, 60’s French Pop, Reggaeton, Salsa… the list goes on. I also have my camera in plain sight so when I’m taking a break from working on the computer it is a subtle reminder that my camera has gotten me to where I am now. It has helped me grow. This is also a reminder to not overlook my surroundings. I’ve been taking it out for a walk with me (don’t forget the mask) and I snap what I see. I’ve actually gotten some cool pictures during this quarantine.
Lastly, I am always surrounded by my journals! As some of you guys know I’m writing a book right now of short poems about love, life, and self. Once I have done step one my brain usually starts to speak sentences and ideas that often can be turned into a poem. So it is always more than convenient to have my journals nearby to jot down a new idea or sentence for a poem that can either end up becoming something totally different once I work on it, or can be built on to become another part of the book.
Stay connected to other creatives.
I know we are all social distancing but, there are still many others ways to be social per-se. One of the ways I have been staying connected with other creatives during this time has been through text or call with my other creative friends, we’ve been talking about all the ideas we have and want to execute once things are somewhat back to normal as well as, the ways we have been getting creating at home, like shooting the sunset, or int the bathroom with one of the house plants (like these pictures) setting up a little in home studio, or learning a new photoshop trick, etc. And just passing information back and forth creatively can be such a great way to release stress.
Turn your phone off
Turning your phone off can be one of if not the BEST way to increase your creativity. Embrace the boredom that comes from not being constantly connected to other people texting or calling, and social media. This can actually spike your originality as a creative. Since we are constantly seeing what other people are creating and doing , a lot of the time this takes away originality and we end up one way or another replicating what we see from other people. Turning your phone of can also bring a lot of peace of mind, the constant beeping or blinking notifications set my anxiety off depending on the day I’m having which is why I almost always have my phone on silent.
5. Study
Although this is a very broad term, what I am referring to exactly is to study those who you admire , that are in your field. For example me as a photographer i like to study the composition, and shadows, people, places of other photographers who I admire and who’s work inspired me to start photography. I also study short videos done by people who create short films. As I said it is a very broad term. In short, study whatever it is you would like to improve on. This is the perfect time.
