Quarantine has presented its challenges for everyone. For some people, they’re working on the front lines. For other people, they’re working from home. Teachers are having to figure out how to make their classrooms virtual, and for some, their jobs are completely gone. For me, I’ve been thinking about this from a creative standpoint. Actors have suddenly put all of their projects on hold, and, when that’s how we make our living as creatives, it can be challenging trying to figure out how to fill that void. In this week’s blog post, I wanted to speak to my fellow creatives, who are learning how to navigate this unique situation when it comes to their craft.
Personally, I’d been doing back-to-back shows for a little over a year and a half. I remember the date I took my last curtain call, March 15th. Since then, I haven’t stepped foot inside of a theatre for any kind of audition, callback, or performance. For Broadway actors, their shows are closed for the rest of the year. For anyone in the arts, whether they’re performers, musicians, or lighting/sound designers, we’ve all been adjusting to our new normal.
In a strange way, we have so many tools at our fingertips right now to keep the arts in our lives. There’s YouTube, and various social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok. I’ve personally been trying to take advantage of these platforms, especially within the last month or so. It doesn’t look like we’ll be getting back to normal any time soon, which makes it that much more important for us to keep the arts in our lives.
If this quarantine has taught us anything, I believe it’s the idea that we have the ability to get creative with being creative. Sure, things aren’t the same right now. We won’t be getting back onstage any time soon. However, there’s virtual cabarets, online teaching, and various ways for us creatives to continue to express ourselves, even if we feel cut off from our craft and the rest of the world. So, whether you’re an actor, musician, technician, blogger, or influencer, I challenge you to use this time to rediscover and recreate. Start that podcast, YouTube channel, or blog. Find a way to reinsure yourself. Your life will feel so much more fulfilling if you do!
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