The Creative in Crisis

My words today are for all the creative professionals out there: the writers, the painters, the sculptors, the drawing artists, the graphic designers, the illustrators, the web developers, the marketers, the PR experts, the musicians, the singers, the photographers, the social media influencers, the bloggers…yes, YOU!

For many of us, myself included, COVID-19 has zapped our mental peace, hijacked our daily routines, and left us with more questions than solutions.

One of my friends posted recently [thank you Michelle!] saying something to the effect of, “no creative should be bored during this time [of COVID-19]“.

Gone are the excuses of not having enough time in the day or lacking inspiration. We should be leveraging our newly found “free time” to do what creatives have always done…

Creatives thrive in crisis.

There are examples throughout history of writers, painters, sketch artists recording the events around them…good and bad. Without paintings of wars, maps illustrating boundary disputes, writers publishing eloquent words of social injustices, or fine artists translating the world—and people in it—through the brush or clay, we would not have such a vivid depiction of the human condition.

Creatives channel.

We have all been impacted by this global pandemic in some way; whether physically, emotionally, or mentally. Instead of consuming depressing data, infuriating fake news, or disheartening opinions on social media, take that energy and redirect it into your creative outlets.

As artists and creatives, we have the ability to transport. We possess the God-given gift of transposing the intangible to make it tangible; make it possible for others to empathize feelings, see emotions, experience inspiration, feel colors.

Who else can say that?

Creatives…well…create.

Okay, so in case you missed the title and preceding text, you are a creative mind, so create! You have the power to take all the inspiration around us right now and form impactful visuals, words, music, experiences, and real solutions for the world.

Merriam Webster¹ defines creative as an adjective and a noun. It’s literally what you do and who you are, and THE WORLD NEEDS US RIGHT NOW!

Creative adjective

• marked by the ability or power to create : given to creating
• having the quality of something created rather than imitated : IMAGINATIVE

Creative noun

1. one who is creative
2. creative activity or the material produced by it

¹Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creative