What a crazy world we are living in full of closures, isolation, panic buying and illness. I hope you can all find your own happiness in such dark times. Me? So far I have been using my university work as a distraction. I have found that applying myself to my book-illustration work and dissertation has kept my mind (only slightly) away from the stressful situation we are all in.
Here is a list of things I think we should all try to do to reduce anxiety over this period:
- Have a break from social media… It’s too easy to get sucked into Instagram for hours at a time, believe me, I do the same! But unfortunately Coronavirus is all anyone is talking about at the moment and having this exposure to constant negativity can impact your mood massively. If you do post, why not post something positive… We all love a cute dog video!
- Pick an activity, something you have always wanted to do but haven’t had the time… If you are Self-Isolating you’ll find yourself with a lot of time on your hands. Use your time wisely, learn a new language, bake something new, knit that Gryffindor scarf you’ve always wanted to do, learn to draw something you’ve always struggled with (for me this would definitely be human hands), read a classic or watch all those movies you have on that Netflix list! This not only offers a distraction but will make you feel accomplished.
- Exercise… There are lots of home exercise videos that I can vouch for on YouTube that can keep you active even though you are housebound. I love a good cardio dance workout! There are also lots of Yoga videos that I can imagine are very calming (Yoga is something I am yet to explore). Keeping good health is very important at the moment so don’t forget to drink lots of water and eat those veggies!
- Be creative… Use these negative experiences for good, channel your feelings into your art. You could even use isolation, safeness and home as themes and go wild! The best art has emotion running through it. I have seen some people on Instagram (I also need to pay more attention to number 1 on this list) who have made a list for themselves of things to draw each day, kind of like Inktober. If you are suffering artist’s block, I highly recommend one of these challenges to get yourself out of that rut!
I am no expert but these are things I will be trying over the next few weeks to maintain positivity in these difficult times. I hope these may be helpful for you too. If you have any more advice, I would absolutely love to hear it in the comments below…
A LITTLE BIT OF ILLUSTRATION 