Skip to main content

Letter to Creatives

Dear Creatives,

These are indeed trying times. Who would have imagined that this how we would be spending the 2020, which we so eagerly awaited? COVID - 19 has altered a lot for everyone, everywhere. We all had plans and dreams of new projects and new endeavors we hoped to embark on. Unfortunately, life can be that way sometimes; uncertain. Right now we have no idea when this uncertainty will clear up. But we must do all in our power to stay woke and not sink into depression.

In this light, we as creatives should remain vigilant and ensure that we do not drown amid the panic and do our utmost to keep that creative touch burning.

Following these steps may help you to remain creative.

1. Clean your space.

It is imperative that we keep our work spaces clean. New energy can not flow into a cluttered space, therefore it will be difficult for you to paint that new painting, write that new song or poem which has been tugging at your heart or create that new dance routine which you have been longing to do. It appears now that we have all the time in the world to do all the creative things we ever wanted to do. Don't let procrastination get the best of you. Get up and clean your space, so you can invite new energies.

2. Reading/Meditate.


Reading often helps to get my creative juices flowing. I have always believed that a reader is a thinker and thinker is a creator. We have this super-power on the inside of us, which refuses to be unlocked unless we engage in intellectual discourse or read/listen to edifying content. Two of my favorite reads are The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and Chameleon Aura by Billy Chapata.

Meditating is a super-power by itself. There has been a stigma attached to it as many dub it as part of the "New Age" religion. But meditating does not have to be religious. It helps to keep you rooted and you learn to control your thoughts. During meditation you are thinking about thinking. Meta-cognition seems to be rare theses days. We do not take time to think about thinking. But if we did, maybe we would be able to silence the parts of us, which so blatantly seek to be vindictive, and creativity would more easily flow from us.
  
3. Do something creative.



Whatever being creative means to you, now is the time to do it! Whether it be doodling, painting, colouring, drawing, singing, writing, listening to music or dancing. If there ever was a time to reach for inspiration, now is also the time. In doing so, you also inspire others. That's the philosophy of any creative. Therefore, I urge you to, not only to wake up, clean, read/meditate, but to also do something simple to get your creative juices flowing.


4. Create.


Although, we are confined to closed spaces our minds are not closed. As the big ideas come, we need to grasp them and create. Yes, our plans may need to be altered or twerked just a bit, but we live in a global community; we are all connected via social media. Thus we have opportunities to share our art on several virtual platforms, like never before.
Create and share, not because you feel like it, but because you must. It is both your gift and your duty, to inspire the world in these difficult time.


P.S
Remember to practice good hygiene. Wash your hands thoroughly.
Stay indoors. If you must go outside, practice social distancing.
In all of this, please remember to be human and humane. Check up on your friends and family. A phone call can go a long way.

Be safe.

Comments

  1. Anella, good, timely advice. I'm writing a memoir about my 30 year adventure in Dominica. At home at my desk with a cup of saffron tea is my favorite place to be. Stay safe and be well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey, Kris🤗 thanks so much for reading. All the best with your writing.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It Is Okay To Rest.

 Rest  Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash I recently rang a relative to wish her happy birthday and asked her what she planned to do for the day. She candidly replied, "Work. We are a hard-working family, remember?"  She was telling the truth. I grew up watching my family till the soil with their bare hands, after all "by the sweat our brow" we had to eat. There is nothing wrong with working hard to provide for yourself and others but at what cost? I decided a long time ago that would not be my narrative.  Balance  Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash  I know what it means to work yourself to the ground. I know what it means to grind and hustle. I know what it means to get caught up in the horrors and toxicity of capitalism. I had to watch my mother do it and, for a while, I inherited that culture.  But there is nothing wrong with laying it down and walking away to redefine productivity.  I know what it means to work myself to exhaustion but, I...

I Am Not Alone.

                                                  I Am Not Alone.                                                                                  Photo by Saffu on Unsplash If we are anything alike, then you most likely value solitude. And there is nothing wrong with that. However, there are lessons that we need to learn alone and those we need to learn through community.  Photo by Hans Vivek on Unsplash I am finally brave enough to embrace a lesson that the Universe has been trying to teach me for some time now. Whenever I go through hard times, my first instinct is to isolate myself. I hav...

Sankofa!

  The Adinkra symbol  Sankofa has   been heavy on my mind lately.  The symbol is a bird that flies forward but looks backward. It means "Reach back and fetch it." Photo credit: Adinkra Corner How many times were we told that we should not look back, only forward?  Poets like Lucille Clifton were always "reaching back and fetch it" for great wisdom resides in the past. When Hurricane Maria struck on 18th September 2017, life as I knew it was over. Instead of celebrating my 25th birthday that year, I was salvaging my belongings. I concentrated on all that was lost. I held grief around my neck and, my waist and I carried it with me for years. When my birthday comes around, so does a great sadness. Photo credit: Melchior Damu     A few days before my birthday this year, I subconsciously began noticing things that had survived the floodwaters. Like my family, my guitar (which I haven't touched in years), my hot wheels cars, my favorite fountain pen, and my ...