As promised, I am back with some more posts for my Creativity series. I didn’t realize how long it had been, sorry everyone.

I just finished compiling all of my notes from Adobe MAX and there is a lot to say. Before I get back into the who, what, how of all of this, I wanted to touch on something that hovered over MAX (and everything else lately), and what its impact has been on different levels of creativity. You know what it is… this pandemic. I have tried to keep this off of here for the most part, just to keep it light and airy. There were too many notes and discussions on the topic as it related to creativity though, and I couldn’t ignore it. Let’s rip off the band-aid, virtually hold hands, and get through this together.

It seems like all of the speakers were asked about their reaction to COVID-19 and the impact that it has had on their creativity. As you would expect, everyone had a different answer. Here’s a few of the answers that I saw:

“Stillness fed my imagination and creativity.”

A lot of artists talked about how their first reaction to the pandemic was that it was going to hinder their processes. Gwyneth Paltrow talked about how she was used to getting her ideas by being out in the world with people. How do I do that now? But she talked about how, sitting at home, in more of a stillness, she was able to really tap in to where her creativity really came from, allowing her to fuel it in different ways than she could before.

Ana DuVernay provided the quote above, that the stillness really pushed her creativity forward. The speakers talked about how, with less “noise” they were able to create in new ways that they never found possible before.

Personally, I have embraced the slower pace. Without a commute, or after work gym classes to run to, I have more time to get things done in a day. With less stress in my day-to-day, I am able to focus my mind on more creative ideas, digest them a bit, and actually act on them. I am not too tired at the end of the day to let some of this happen and I couldn’t be more grateful.

People talk about connecting with the things that matter the most. COVID-19 has forced us to stop. Take a minute. Look at what is really important to us. What really matters to you? What really fuels you? This connection will cause your creativity to grow.

“Creativity is fed through times of constraint.”

Many of the speakers opted to see this unique moment in time as a great opportunity, which I tend to agree with. The shift to ‘work from home’, and to more access to online services, has opened so many doors when it comes to communication and collaboration. Leslie Park mentioned that “we are more interconnected than we have ever been, which is good and bad.” She’s not wrong. There’s always a Jekyll and Hyde in anything like this, but the opportunities in education, communication and collaboration are really hard to ignore.

Neville Brody said that the doors opened by remote work has allowed for more international members to be brought into work projects. Teams are no longer limited by geographical proximity. The online world has been forced open in a way that we have not seen before, opening up to endless, international, and diverse opportunities that can create endless possibilities. As Rishi Magia put it, “work from home is creating inspiration rather than acting as a barrier.”

One of the first benefits I noticed, and hope will develop further, is the opportunity when it comes to education. Online learning could be life changing for some people. An international student could take the program of their choice in a different country if they are not limited by the cost of the move. Experts can take part in the educational process in all parts of the world without limitations of flight times and busy schedules. I have already been able to attend multiple education sessions in different provinces and countries that I wouldn’t have had opportunity for otherwise. Opening these doors really removes limitations on all people in so many ways. A wider access to educational opportunities can lead to amazing things. I really do hope that these benefits are seen and expanded upon.

These new possibilities have really given us so many new ways to create, learn, and communicate, changing the ways that we express ourselves and share our ideas with one another.

An opportunity for you.

When asked what advice they would give to the people out in the world, sitting at home, a lot of the speakers had similar answers.

“Do the things you want to do, not what you have to do. This is the time”

– Dan Stiles

“Take the time you’d spend on things you can’t do anymore to do something you’ve always wanted to do or get back to.”

– Sal Khan, Mala Sharma

“What can I only make in this time? I am grateful to be able to do this work in this time.”

– Miranda July

“This is an opportunity to find new creative outlets.”

– Naomie Harris

Almost every speaker talked about a new form of creativity that they turned to as an outlet. Some revisited old passions, others tried new ones. Personally, I have been dusting off my paints and markers, and find huge comfort in what they have to offer.

I don’t think that there is one person out there that hasn’t said “I wish I had the time to…”, or “I wish I was able to…”. This is the time. If there’s something you want to try, revisit, learn, experience, this is our chance. Now. Everyone is turning to social media to show what they are doing, how they are learning, and what they find works for them while they keep busy through this madness. The information is out there, it’s a matter of finding what works best for you.

Be gentle with yourself, don’t push too hard. You don’t have to be productive through all of this. I just find creating in any way, shape, or form, to be a wonderful outlet for my stress, overthinking and anxieties. There are so many things out there for everyone.

Now, I am fully aware that everyone has a different opportunity, life situation, and response throughout all of this. Not everything is as easy as it’s all written down. What I am getting at here, hopefully, is that, if there is a chance for you to see any opportunity in the world of 2020, I encourage you do it. It’s a tough world out there, and it is really easy to let it beat us down. But if we are able to see a tiny success in a day, see a tiny window to try something new, or help someone else to see an opportunity, then it won’t be able to beat us out entirely.

As David Tennant put it, “Creativity finds a way.”