As many countries in the world are heading to a second -maybe third- lockdown, moving to a new prevention stage such as Tier 3, or extending the quarantine, it can be difficult for creatives to find motivation and/or inspiration sometimes.
Back in march, when the restrictions began, I wondered how Covid would affect artists all over the world. As time went on and the virus advanced, many artistic venues such as theatres, concert halls, galleries and studios had to shut their doors to avoid the gathering of people. So, what impact did this have in artists? What comes to mind first it’s the economic one, of course: mostly for artists that base their primary income on live performances or exhibitions. This is a major issue for the creative community worldwide, and while a part of it adapted to online performances and live streamings, there were probably a number of artists that weren’t able to do this. However, in this post, I’d like to explore how artists are keeping themselves inspired and motivated in a global context of restrictions.
Talking about inspiration is often talking about a very subjective matter, but we can all agree that it is that something that motivates us to do or feel something: a main factor in every creative process. For each artist, the process of getting inspired is different: for some it may be taking a walk, listening to music, spending hours in a museum admiring masterpieces, or just waiting until it comes alone while staring at a blank space and starting to create. Whatever it may be, staying at home 24/7, not being able to gather with friends and family or the constant worry and anxiety that living in a pandemic surely causes to many, it can often be a challenge to find inspiration, something that moves them to feel, to create.
Based on interviews, artists’ personal views and podcasts about the subject, I’ve gathered up what I found most helpful for every artist reading this post, and even for my own creative process as a music student.
There is something that many artists share in common regarding lockdown and live performances, and that is that ever since this kind of restrictions started, it was sort of a new opportunity to have a major presence online, and therefore, to get to a wider community. This has given many a chance to stand out, connect with their followers, keep flowing interactions and -this is something I find amazing and super important- helping to keep people’s spirits up during difficult times (I mean, would it have been really possible to survive all the way down to the last month of 2020 without music, books, movies or any other artistic expression to enjoy?). There is another point in which many agree, and that is lockdown and this very strange year being a time for self-reflection, to look inside ourselves. This has been a source of inspiration for many, allowing them to make art that was truly a reflection of themselves, more than ever before.
As a sort of a conclusion, artists tend to have a sensitive way of seeing the world, and this became crucial for finding beauty in little things, those we interact with everyday and hardly ever notice, whether it’s a material something or feelings we didn’t know were there, new thoughts about a specific matter, or innovating and original ideas. I personally think that, when the pandemic is over, we might be able to look back to artistic expressions where everyday things stand out, reflecting common elements of what life truly was during these complicated times, and why not, give the “movement” a name of its own.
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