Art and Writing During a Pandemic

It's really no surprise that this sudden and drawn out isolation is taking a toll on everybody, including myself. Even though I've been fortunate enough to be able to work a part time job throughout it, I've found myself lost and without direction. This was a big reason why I haven't been able to push myself towards creating, whether that be writing or visual art in general.

You can call it writer's block or creative burnout or just pure laziness and procrastination, but even the mere thought of trying to write or paint made me want to just curl up in a little ball and cry. Even when I did create, I couldn't help but hate it and not feel satisfied by the final product; each sketchbook page torn out and trashed as well as words erased from countless word documents was all that my creative life seemed to consist of.

As I began to talk to the people in my life who were involved in similar creative pursuits, I found that we were facing similar issues. My friend of almost six years now, who has stood by my side when it came to writing, didn't seem to hold the same passion for writing as he did before the pandemic was conceived. Friends who had previously spent their free time writing song after song couldn't push themselves to print or type a single line of lyrics. Even teachers that have been a strong influence on me and my journey as an artist couldn't bring themselves to create anymore. While there isn't ever going to be an exact answer, I found myself wondering why ; why were we all facing such an intensely similar burnout? My guess is the lack of socialization.

As humans, we tend to feed off of the energy of others. This is something I had always experienced while I was sitting in my art class; the mere presence of being around people who also enjoyed art as well as the general atmosphere of the art room drew me towards wanting to create, not just out of sheer obligation. I think it's safe to say that this is something that I truly miss about not being able to go to school. While I can (mostly) deal with the fact that I've missed out on the last quarter of my senior year and all of the events that would have wrapped up my entire high school career, I'd give anything to be able to sit in that art room again and just create for hours. I can't help but feel like I took my time there for granted when we weren't so restricted.

Regardless, as society begins to rebuild itself, I have found myself being open to creative projects. I'm unsure if it's the slowly approaching deadlines or the fact that I have people to encourage me to step out of my comfort zone. I've been able to paint again and, even though it is for preparation for university, I actually enjoy doing it again. Writing, however, hasn't been as easy. I'm slowly building up to write my next book, but first, I've found myself following in the footsteps of important people in my life and writing music. While I don't see myself releasing anything, at least I've been able to find a way to organize thoughts I have throughout the day and mold them into something interesting to read.

I think that once the pressure of the final product is taken away, it's significantly easier to actually sit down and do it. So consider carrying a notebook and pencil around with you; you never know where it may lead.