Has the pandemic affected your creativity & line of work? If so how? & how are you doing now?
I'm doing a little project with a friend on how the pandemic has affected the mental health of the people in the creative industry & would love some feedback / experience / opinions. Use this space to vent if you would like :)
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- Hey Yashee,At the beginning of the pandemic I was working with a couple of hotel clients but that work fell through as the travel industry slowed to a halt. Was stressful at the time but I pivoted my business to work with clients in other sectors.Feel that the pandemic has been an important lesson in diversifying your income streams and not putting all your eggs into one basket!
- @Yashee Jeebaun thanks for response. Parameters can really help the creative process. Happy to connect if you’d like to know more.
- @Becky Nallon Some people such as yourself were lucky enough to be able to work remotely!I've had a quick scan through the link you sent & I love your work! Especially the project on male & female products - minimalist but speaks volumesExcited to see more!
- @Neo Dragoslavic It's very easy to get distracted by Netflix - I don't blame you at all!I completely agree in that the power is within us - at the end of the day it's all down to our mindset.I am also becoming aware of the illusion that the world is built on & if i'm honest, it's very enouraging & empowering to slowly becoming bigger than said illusion.
- @Mandie Johnson Hi Mandie,I am really sorry to hear that you have lost some of your clients. I can only imagine how harsh the pademic was on your relatively new business. It must have been odd to go from working those frantic hours to having to descale & have more free time in a matter of a week. But as I said before, it has been a blessing in disguise.I am still new to the Dots therefore I haven't found my way around it yet but there's still time. Are there any tips you could give on how to make the most out of the resources on the Dots?Thank you so much! It came to me attention that a lot of creatives have been affected by the pandemic so I thought - why not make a project on it?All the best with everything, Mandie!
- @Peter Jackson This is a great example of the pandemic being a blessing in disguise.It's interesting that you found creative freedom within the pandemic whereas the majority of the people around me felt rather restricted creative wise due to the lack of freedom to explore & be inspired.I am actually looking for a mentor myself to kick start my inspiration or even just guide towards some sort of career path - is there anything you could suggest?
- @Rob Wright It always shocks me to hear about businesses that are over 10 years old being hugely affected by the pandemic. I was always under the presumption that although they would have been affected, that part is undeniable - the damage wouldn't have been that great.As for the idea of 'fundamental wins', I think that's a very encouraging and positive outlook on life. I think one of the keys to beating the anxiety is to keep yourself busy so that your mind doesn't wander.I will look into getting a mentor for myself since the pandemic has put a grand stop to my creative flow.Thank you very much for your input, I really do appreciate it & I wish you the best for your businesses & career!
- I’ve been working with Shutter App meaning I can work as a photographer remotely!Dr Martens 2021 shows some of the shots!https://nallonphoto.carbonmade.com
- Hi Yashee,Yes, my creative work has been affected adversely by the pandemic (more precisely from the economic impact of the pandemic).Unfortunately, I have lost some of my regular clients.My independent freelance business was relatively new and just beginning to grow as the pandemic hit, therefore my work hours rapidly transformed from full and hectic to very slow!With regards to mental health I am one of the luckier ones, I found the slower pace gave me time to reflect on my business, to make new plans and contacts. I have said this before, but The Dots really has been a life-line for me, such a positive, kind space to connect with new creative people, discover new companies and to continue learning. In particular during the stricter lockdown periods when social contact was very limited. Big thanks to Pip and her great team : )I am still looking to fill the space of some of my lost work, although things are definitely looking more hopeful. There is light ahead!Hope all goes well with your project (great idea).All the best,Mandie
- Although my work flow slowed down during the pandemic I've enjoyed creative freedom.Rather than brushing up my portfolio, I looked at how I’d done the work.The source of ideas remains a bit of a mystery, but a sense of wonderment is all part of it.What I discovered was how to make the space to have ideas.I registered as a mentor and shared my findings.My workflow has picked up, but I’ve found that sparking inspiration in others has helped me ‘vent’ my creative approach.
- By creativity I take it you mean the craft & discipline of making art, instead of being innovative, adaptability, inventive or imaginative, right…?
- The pandemic hasn't been kind to my 28-year old business, Yashee. Was doing a lot of public sector work at the time (my career is almost exclusively B2B) & all my contacts got diverted to work on the pandemic.So we've experienced moments of high anxiety over the last year or so, as we've struggled to hold onto our house (we've lost a home before when my work hit an escalating downturn on the back of not being paid £37k I was owed by a client).I was introduced to the idea of 'fundamental wins' yesterday by my youngest sister. Basically, it's staying loyal despite adversity to the things that align with our core values & beliefs. Carries with it the idea of integrity & authenticity.This gives us a foundation of self belief & self confidence that helps us withstand life's harshest winds. Means we're less easily buffeted, badly bruised or thrown off course.So any anxiety I've suffered is less pungent as I keep making progress on my goals, keep moving the dial on the new brand I'm building (GIANT) keep delivering on my potential & keep growing.Anxiety for me has also been dampened with lots of support. I'm typically rubbish at asking for help (HUGE problem) so I've been intentional about doing that this time round.So I've subscribed to a mastermind (peer-to-peer coaching) as well as reached out to coaches & mentors – particularly when I've needed to make myself vulnerable. And I have an accountability partner in my corner too; a top social media influencer who's way ahead of me in the online education space.Their support has been a lifeline in troubled times.All this helps make it feel as if the turning point to calmer waters is just around the corner. Highly recommended…
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