10 Work Strategies for Creatives During COVID-19

There’s a great deal of information floating around the internet about how to work from home but very little geared toward creatives. We’re a special breed. We tap into spiritual and ancestral realms. Artists conjure the past to bring forth relevancy into the future. We don’t just pound away at our computers. Creatives seek to move people beyond the senses. Our goal is to access the receiver’s heart space and inspire contemplation, action and feeling.

It’s vital that we be in the right emotional, physical and mental space to shift paradigms. The inability to walk along the shore, hold your lover’s hand or dip out for your favorite dessert undoubtedly affects you. We are empaths. As electric beings, we feel the frenetic energy in the air, taste the fear and hear what isn’t said.

How we affect the world is often difficult to quantify and yet we plug away each day knowing that our work is in the ethers. If you’re a freelancer like me, working from home ain’t nuthin’ new. But added to the worry about deadlines and exceeding client expectations is anxiety about morbidity, infection rates, the fate of the world and life as we know it. “You’re not working from home; you are at home during a crisis trying to work.” Here are 10 strategies designed to help creatives thrive during COVID-19.

1. Establish a Routine

This will help you form a sense of normalcy during this time of uncertainty. If you are unable to stick to a rigid routine, don’t be hard on yourself. One thing that’s been forgotten in the rat race is that you are not a machine — humans shouldn’t be expected to behave like one. It is advantageous to have a specific start and stop time. Do anything that grounds you in the present moment and sets you up for success. Make your bed, invest in quality herbal teas or coffee. Let the warm aroma and sensation from the hot mug soothe you. I wake up at 6 am and generally stop working at 5 pm. Because most of my clients are several time zones behind, I will take conference calls after my normal quitting time. Instead of scrolling through social media accounts or watching a movie, I go to bed by 9 pm and repeat. The weekends are for recharging and channeling ideas for the week ahead.

2. List your Accomplishments

Instead of making a to-do list, write down what you have accomplished throughout the day — even the mundane. I started this practice once COVID-19 derailed our lives. At the end of each day I was mentally and physically exhausted but felt like I had accomplished little to nothing. I knew that I had done something but couldn’t remember what it was. That’s when I started giving myself credit for the little things, that when added up contribute toward my success. Now I feel accomplished, intelligent and confident!

Partial list of daily accomplishments

3. Maintain a Sense of Normalcy

Human beings are creatures of habit and are resistant to change. Normalcy is key for those of us that struggle with going with the flow. I’m a multi-hyphenate creative. I work as a professional stylist, producer and host of a web-series about international fashion and travel. Once I wrapped my mind around the fact that COVID-19 was real, I was determined not to be defeated. To me, normalcy looks like coordinating daily ensembles, ironing them and matching accessories. I’m in my home dressed like I got somewhere to go. I even wear lipstick even though no one can see it through a mask.

4. The Pomodoro Technique

Take breaks that don’t interrupt your flow. Use them to set your eyes on something fresh, akin to smelling coffee beans in the perfume section. Our brains are highly complex and are uneasy with monotony. A quick diversion energizes the mind. You can easily overwork a piece, get stuck on a word or zone out. Use your phone’s timer and stopwatch to keep you present. Since using the Pomodoro Technique, I can quantify my writing speed and rejuvenate when appropriate. Pomodoro means tomato in Italian. Think of a tomato-shaped timer. Work in 25-minute increments with 3–5-minute breaks in between. During breaks, I do yoga poses, grab tea, go for walks and prepare quick meals. Make a checkmark on a piece of paper or digital note after each Pomodoro (25-minute increment). Once you have 4 checkmarks (one set), take a longer break of 15–30 minutes — repeat.

5. Eat Away from Your Work Area!

We are quick to tell our children and spouses but neglect to fuel our own bodies while focusing on specific tasks. Many of us go the entire day without eating! Running on fumes results in spinning your wheels, mistakes, the inability to find the right word, color, brushstroke or note. If you ate when your body told you to, you’d have the strength and creative juices to be prolific.

6. Find your Happy

We need light, energy and perspective to create. Transmute the energy in your home. Emotional contagion is real. Boost your vibration with whatever makes you happy. I’m blessed to live with 2 dogs that make me smile. They have 2 puppies, Cookie and Biscuit that keep me entertained. Dance to D-Nice’s live #ClubQuarantine mixes. Watch your favorite stand-up comics and let the endorphins and dopamine flow.

7. Go for Walks

Lockdown varies per geographical location. Clear your mind, move your body and circulate energy. The beaches are closed in Los Angeles County and we are on curfew in Uganda. If the laws allow, go for a walk in any place that offers respite. Seeing other humans is beneficial to the psyche. I receive energy from seeing others milling about, engaged in their own activities. It’s a reminder that life is still going on outside my door and we are okay.

8. Follow Up

You sent an email, made a request, forwarded a pitch, submitted a proposal and didn’t receive a response. In the hustle and bustle pre-COVID-19, it escaped your mind. Now that time lingers, follow up. I sent a proposal to an airline in February to no avail. I called several times and failed to reach a live person. Yesterday, I called and actually spoke to the director — a small win! I added it to my daily list of accomplishments.

9. Indulge your Creativity

Do what you always wanted to do. As creatives, we often get stuck writing, painting, sewing, cooking and producing for other people. Perhaps it pays the bills but it keeps you stuck in a loop. Now that life has slowed down, learn a new skill. Take advantage of the plethora of free online classes. Make that thing, collaborate with that person, write that business plan. These days, I’m writing about what matters to me rather than prioritizing client content.

10. Ask

If you are a spiritual or religious person, ask the Universe to speak through you. The gifts that we share flow through us but they are not ours. When I have writer’s block, imposter syndrome or I am loath to start a new client project, I practice this technique. I imagine a yellow or white light flowing from the top of my head, down my neck, past my shoulders, through my arms and out my fingertips onto the page. A tickle of electricity lets me know that my request has been answered. When I look back at what I’ve created — I’m amazed.

As earth recalibrates, we have the opportunity to do the same. Resist the urge to be over-productive. Creatives need rest, perspective and a variety of outlets to thrive. What strategies do you use that others might benefit from? Please share them in the comments below. A fellow creative may find them helpful.

This article first appeared on Medium and has been republished with the author’s permission.