Like
most all of us in the creative fields, we were asked to put our careers on
‘hold’ for a bit and stay home while the world tries to figure out how to
handle the Covid 19 pandemic.
Hmmm,
looks like some well-needed time off. Recharge
the batteries! Stay home, cook, clean,
finish projects that we never have time for.
Read, listen to music, relax, sleep in, and watch TV. The possibilities are endless!
Then
comes day two. What now? Well, day two passed weeks ago and here we are. Home.
I am
reminded of a time several years ago (remember 2008) when things here were slow
and I was talking with a fellow photographer who was experiencing the exact
same thing at his shop. The difference
was, is that I was beginning to exhibit obvious signs of stress and he was a
cool as a cucumber. So I remember asking
him, why wasn’t he in a panic like everyone else? He responded by saying that work always
seems to come in cycles. When things
slow down, he takes that time to do all the things that he doesn’t normally
have time for, like marketing his business through blogging and social media
and giving his gear much needed cleaning and maintenance. He had such a positive attitude that it was absolutely
contagious.
That
is what we have been doing here, although mostly by remote home offices. It really is the perfect opportunity to concentrate on freshening things up. We can stay busy writing and archiving blog
posts to use now and for the future along with FaceBook, LinkedIN and Instagram
feeds.
We
can add too our websites, switching up and changing out the images in our
on-line portfolios. Most of all, we can
keep in touch with our clients and workmates, using Face Time, Google Duo or
Zoom for meetings, making plans for when activities open up again. What we need to remember is to stay focused
and positive by continuing to move forward with our businesses. Make the most of this time to catch up
and plan ahead.
With
that, be sure to carve out some time to do things that can keep our creativity and
minds sharp. For me, that’s been
writing, enjoying music and breaking out the film cameras. This
pause in our work isn’t going to last, but while it does I am making the most
of it.
