COVID-19: The Silver Lining in Creativity

A global pandemic is a big thing. With so many lives lost and such a drastic impact on the living conditions of the world’s people, there is so much to worry about and it seems that sadness is the prevalent mood on everyone’s mind. Social distancing and an almost worldwide lockdown, people have turned to introspection, and tasks that would typically be reserved for a more introverted personality have been pushed to the virtual limelight.

The most surprising thing this pandemic has brought forward is an increased appreciated for art and the beauty of creative pursuits. Baking bread, knitting and painting categories that have touched the lives of so many in this dreary time and amidst all the sadness, it is refreshing to see. Yesterday, I went to a store called Spotlight, a home and craft store franchise, here in Australia, for the first time since the onset of coronavirus and it was also the first time that so many items were out of stock or running dangerously low. Entire sections of yarn and worst of all, the paintbrushes were almost all gone!

It was astounding! People had time on their hands and all of a sudden, creativity was a “trend”. Making something with your own two hands was a highly sought after activity and it brought forward some interesting observations.

• People turn to creative pursuits in times of distress. Is it out of boredom or something else? How many have begun creative hobbies because they have nothing else to do and how many have realised that the hobby means more than they realised?
• The limitations of lockdowns and physical distancing have caused an outburst of self discovery among people that they may not have had the time to realise otherwise.
• We become aware of what objects we are truly reliant on, and what is made to seem reliant.
• What would the world be like if we reduced work hours, worked from home more and let ourselves complete meaningful projects that we – on an individual level – were truly passionate about?
• Would we be happier if people were allowed to create more?

It seems only time will tell what the future holds for creativity and as the pandemic continues, we may come to realise things that will hopefully alter the world for the better.