This is a guest blog post from Kristen Kuhns, a Dixie Belle Paint Company contributor.
The Creative Soul’s Guide
We can agree that these are indeed some scary times, but I take comfort in two things: 1) we are all in this together, and 2) the creative human spirit is a tough beast to stamp out.
So, we need to stay focused and keep busy. Keeping “busy” doesn’t mean doing busy work just to pass time, but finding creativity and meaning in times of turmoil will help ease your worries as well as feed your creative soul.
If you are in isolation or quarantine, how can you stay focused and creative during this time? This post is aimed at helping you gain some control and hopefully some sanity around your day and life in order to turn this imposed U-turn in our lives into some creative and productive time.
First, take care of yourself! Make sure that you are getting enough sleep and eating decently, getting some fresh air (while practicing social distancing!) and exercise. You need to keep your body healthy and your loved ones need you.
This includes taking precautions prescribed by the authorities and staying in, avoiding groups, shopping, etc.
Second, create and stick to a routine immediately. This will give you structure to your day, rather than running around starting and stopping projects and getting distracted.
Third, plan & prioritize. Reach out on local Facebook groups, Nextdoor, or other local communities and forums to remember that although you’re in isolation, you are not alone. Prioritize what you need to take care of for the short and long terms so that you can start to think ahead – house maintenance work, de-cluttering or space re-arrangements, supplies and finances.
Fourth, feed the creative soul. This is the most important, in my humble opinion. We are all here because we are creative types, which means that we feel empty if we are not creating something – touching beauty, immersing ourselves in color, fixing and building, learning and absorbing from other creatives, appreciating nature and partaking of art in whatever form you desire.
As furniture painters, here are specific suggestions for things that you can do:
Organize:
- Take an inventory of all of your products. What do you have; what do you need? If you’re a hoarder like me (which I suspect many of us creative and crafty types are!) you probably have supplies you’ve forgotten about.
- Set up your workspace better. Carve out space to do your creative work, and organize your supplies so that you can easily see and find them, and prepare your space for good work habits.
- Take inventory of all your project pieces.
Plan:
- All those forgotten about supplies – do you actually need them? Will you ever use them? If they are just cluttering up your space, regardless of whether they ‘bring you joy’ or not (apologies to Marie Kondo), then prepare a donation pile or bundle items and sell them online.
- What supplies are you missing that would prevent you from completing projects? Can you order them online? Most stores are shipping! If you buy from the retailers – especially the small ones! – you may well be helping to keep them afloat.
- Consider your projects and how much product they will take to finish. Work on the ones you can complete so you don’t end up surrounded by a bunch of half-finished projects!
Learn & Support:
- Now is a really good time to up your game. There are thousands of videos, blog posts, tutorials and classes you can take on any topic. Learn something completely new, or advance your existing skills.
- Follow your favorite artists and see what they’re doing and teaching!
- Organize your Pinterest boards or saved files to inspire you at any time.
- Find some like-minded online crew who share, laugh, cry, learn, rage and ultimately, survive & thrive…..
Even if we are housebound, we are resilient and entrepreneurial. We find ways to thrive. We can use this opportunity to build, grow, learn, and somehow persist and thrive. It’s what we do!
