By : FWDthinkers contributor Cecilia Monet (@cecisignifica)
So we’re stuck in what seems like a post-apocalyptic moment where time seems to relish in an anxiety-ridden movie scene. As artists, we’re pretty good at maneuvering through uncharted territory. So the question is, how can we go about utilizing this time to continue progressing towards our creative goals? Here’s a list I’ve composed for you explaining how you can do just that.
First, build your social media: don’t let it go like you have your body hair (for those of you mortified that you can no longer use your local waxer/threader to tame the beast surfacing your skin).
If you suck at hosting live videos, now’s the time to hone your skill. Think about is this way: the time’s going to pass regardless… I know most of you have time to be bored, so why not use this time to improve upon a skill. Live videos are a great asset and especially now. I’ll explain. Think of all the sports fans who no longer have it watch. A whole slew of live sports and programs are currently suspended for safety reasons. That means more people with more time to check your channel or social media content. If you do it right by posting decent content regularly, you can make yourself a couple of fans. Think also about all the live venues and events that fans no longer have access to. These unequivocally under-stimulated folks could very well become your next listeners.
What if creating live content is really just not your thing, and you feel there is no way in hell you’ll develop the bravery to try any time soon. Well, here’s another way you can make good use of this time. You can still strengthen your social media pages by building a back stock of content, from photos to videos, and posts you can release in the future. For instance, if you make and save 48 videos to phone or laptop; you’ll have one video you can release every week for a year. If you make 24 videos, you’re set with video content for 6 months. This is not always the best strategy (depending on the content, current videos to the times is best) however if done right, it can be a great asset for those weeks where you really feel uninspired to create content.
What else can you do while time slowly pieces itself back together? ….. well, who else here is a shitty guitar player? 🏻♀️ pick that thing up and par up those skills. Ever learned how to read music? Brush up on that knowledge. Every bit of music knowledge helps. How about memorizing some more covers to have ready for future gigs. Work on your lyrical and vocal freestyle skills – par up on those nasty riffs. Read up on the music industry and the business world – educate yourself on how to thrive financially in one of the toughest industries. Are you a singer and hate waiting months on producers and engineers to finish your track? Now is the time to start learning some software like Pro tools and or logic.
The point is, don’t stay stagnant. We all know how emotional and unproductive us artists can become when we stay unproductively still for too long. Don’t allow yourself to get there, get cranking, and work on some of those things you didn’t have time to in the past.
Here’s a good one for you songwriters: I like to sit down and make poems. Sometimes they’re short four-line excerpts, and other times they end up a page long. I’m not much into the poetry slam scene. So what do I do with these poems? I keep them in my lyric archives for those moments when I’m in the studio trying to come up with my next line and need inspiration or ideas. I create my own library of lyrics essentially in the form of poems. Try it out. See how much lyrical content you can come up with for those future music sessions that are soon to come for you for my friend. Be ready!
We all acknowledge that we’re not living in the most comfortable times currently, however, remember, you’re not alone in these times. Don’t take this career halt too personally, and try to remember that COVID is being felt worldwide. The smartest thing to do right now is to maintain fluidity while continuing to find creative ways of maintaining productivity. Best of luck: you got this my fellow poets, singers, drummers, dancers, and painters worldwide. Move onwards and forwards.
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