We have all been experiencing and navigating an uncertain terrain of intense change & loss during this worldwide pandemic. The impact of this public health crisis has been overwhelming. For me, it has been comforting to find some refuge and calmness in connecting to my own creativity and the creativity of others during this time of isolation. This has taken the form of mindful doodling, working on artist trading cards that I will be sending out as mail art, gathering for virtual art making on Zoom, and enjoying the art & creative expressions filling my social media feeds.
Every year, April 15-21 is designated as World Creativity & Innovation Week which is celebrated to recognize the important value of creativity on our lives and around the world. This year I believe WCIW shines a bigger, brighter spotlight on the role of creativity on these dark times, as our lives, workplaces, relationships, and well-being have collectively experienced great stress and disruption.
When fellow creative, artist, poet, friend, and Spark Your Creative creativity coach Sharon Burton reached out to me to spend some time talking with her on World Creativity & Innovation Day about creating calm through creativity, I was honored to help inform this discussion. It is always a pleasure to chat with Sharon and I appreciate when her creative acts and inspiration pop up in my social media feeds.
Some of the topics we touched on were creativity as self-care, ways to activate creativity as a family in these times of staying at home, tips for jumpstarting your creativity if you think “I’m not creative” or if you are experiencing a creative block or feeling stuck. You can catch the replay here.
In addition to our discussion, I also wanted to share some resources and content that also addresses some of the topics we covered:
- Post Traumatic Growth: Finding Meaning and Creativity in Adversity
- Creativity at Home in the Time of Pandemic
- In a Time of Uncertainty, Look to the Arts
- 5 Stress-Relieving Activities Recommended by Art Therapists You Try at Home Right Now
- Quarantine Family (Art) Toolkit
- Can Creativity Help to Stop Contagion?
- Staying Emotionally Close in the Time COVID19
How have you used creativity during this time of COVID-19?
creativity in motion 
Great video. I love the things you said about using what you have, from doodling to writing a poem to time in your garden.