Flexing Your Creative Muscle While Social Distancing

Whether you’re adjusting to working from home for the first time, balancing your kids all day or even keeping pets busy – this drastic change to our routine doesn’t mean we have to stop thinking creatively. This unprecedented upheaval has the potential to result in some of your best ideas. It is said, that “all great changes are preceded by chaos.” As we all learn to master the art of social distancing, here are a few suggestions to flex your creative muscle while staying safe at home.

  1. Only Boring People Get Bored. Remember when you were a kid, and you felt bored, and you nudged your parents, and your dad would say, “only boring people get bored.” How much fun stemmed from that boredom? When is the last time you sat in silence? Not looking at screens, not reading, not having a conversation. Now is the time to experience the benefits of being alone. Allow yourself to be still, and your brain to be bored. From that boredom, the brain will naturally wander to new places and thoughts.
  2. Arts & Crafts. If you have kiddos at home with you all day, every day, I’m sure you’re working hard to find new and different ways to keep them occupied and engaged. A favorite activity right now is trying out different arts & crafts. Hand your child a paper towel roll and ask them what they can make with it. Let them finger paint, then paint their faces and hands and hair. Let them get messy. Break out the glitter and glue. Their creative muscle is strong – we have a lot to learn from them.
  3. Try Something New. Someone recently reminded me, we have found time again. We have time to pick up that guitar. We have time to try a new recipe. We have time to pick up that DIY project we’ve been dreaming about. We have time to try that new software. We have time to do something creative for ourselves, beyond work and clients – paint, sew, macramé, design. Take time to nurture the artist in you.
  4. Set Up A Creativity Corner. If you’re working from home, you probably already have a designated workspace. Have you tried setting up your own creativity corner? Collect sketch pads, adult coloring books, colored pencils, drawing pencils, poetry books, scissors, magazines, tape, glue, candles, flowers – whatever you need to create a space to explore your creativity.

The more you have fun exploring the abilities of your creative muscle, the more the ideas will overflow into your work. There’s no shortage of online classes available to try new things from experts all over the world. Now is also the time to share your talents with your community from the safety of social media. Share your videos, foodie photos, artwork, designs, blog posts on Instagram! If you see someone else posting their creative work, give them kudos, too.

Now is the time for kindness and playfulness.

Rebecca Wrenn

Director of Client Services and Operations

Rebecca joined Sweeney in 2014 as an account executive and subsequently shifted roles in 2016 to support the agency leadership team in successfully establishing a highly effective, full-service creative capability, including branding, design, and video production services. In 2020, she pivoted once again to take on a senior account leadership role while simultaneously leading agency operations. With nearly a decade of strategic marketing, communications and creative experience, Rebecca currently directs several agency account teams, while also managing critical aspects of agency’s operations. Her deep knowledge of the account management process and her high creative aptitude are an exceptional benefit to the agency and its clients.