‘In these uncertain times…”, “under extreme volatility…”, “10 Ways to WIN at Quarantine”…”Now’s the time to write that novel!!!…”
I kept thinking that more time at home would prompt me to write more, find more time to read, and CREATE while the noise of life quieted. But the last month has been a ride, keeping up with crisis communication needs for clients, staying relevant across 3 timezones, managing my own anxieties about what it could all mean, and just letting myself be.
George Saunders wrote a letter to his students as his university shut down that was published in the New Yorker. In it, he asked students to document what they are observing about humanity during this time. He told them that it is the responsibility of writers to bear witness and make meaning out of the chaos.
Just when writing began to feel like a fruitless exercise, he reminded me that, just because you’re not categorized as an “essential worker”, it doesn’t mean that your only responsibilities are to stay in your house and ration to 1 square of toilet paper per day. We are all contributing somehow, even if that means taking care of yourself and your family, making art, or comforting someone going through it.
Creativity gives us a sense of control and power, helping our monkey brains to see beauty in the mess and connect with each other. So I decided to make something. A speck of an offering to my inner critic, assuaged by talking with a friend who has never let his creative momentum drop.
Let me know what you think. Hope you’re healthy and finding a little peace.