Creating Beautiful Art During The Pandemic

As the pandemic has raged on, one has to think of how it has been to create art during the pandemic. We are still in Creative’s Week, actually just Day 2 of Afroblogger’s #WinterABC challenge. One of the things I felt was important to share was my perspective of how art has helped many during these dark times we are facing as a globe.

For some like me, Coronavirus seemed like something that was just going to pass by. It never seemed like it would stay for as long as it has, just a cough that would go once we were in summer. However, almost a year and a half later and it does not seem like it will be gone anytime soon.

While the virus has impacted so many industries across the world, one of the industries highly affected was the art industry. When the world shut down, a lot of people depended on arts to keep sane. It was at this time we all thanked the tech gods for creating the digital world we all enjoy now. However, as much as people consumed a lot of art during this time, it was also taxing for a lot of creatives. And this is where I wanted to fully expound on.

As a creative, it was exciting to finally see people truly want to consume your work. Mostly attributed to the fact that they were holed up in their homes and Netflix seemed to be a bore. But, it was truly exciting to have people read up on work and appreciate it. What many would not understand is how healing creating art during a pandemic can be, and also, how it can break one.

positives of creating art

For the most part, a lot of people used art as a way of escaping the raging reality of the pandemic. The virtual music shows made us feel closer to artists, and poets, etc. Bloggers were creating content suggesting the many things occupy you during quarantine, Tik Tok was creating stars. It often was entertaining.

And that was the thrill of creating art during the pandemic, having people depend on your work to keep sane. Knowing that your art is being appreciated, and the hours you put in creating were being paid off.

It also brought about a lot of collaborations from different artists. I saw a lot of my Afrobloggers family writing together and guest blogging. The pandemic was bring a lot of people together even if they did not know it. There was so much inspiration to use when creating, inspiration that could not have been noted if the world was still operating as normal.

But sometimes, there was none….

negatives of creating art in a pandemic

As much as people were consuming art due to the panorama, a lot were also creating. While many were consuming to take their minds off of things, creatives were creating to also take their mind off of things. For creatives like me, we create to hide away and find our safe haven. A space on the web that allows us freedom that we often do not feel in our own realities.

During the pandemic, I witnessed many write to hide away their pain. Not to share it, but keep their demons at bay. So many creatives were creating art to appease their audience, while they suffered alone. And this is the part most do not see.

Often, we say our art resembles our minds and hearts, but sometimes, it also hides what truly is in those two organs. For sometime, it was fun for me to write happy-go-lucky posts and some that were motivating, when I was going through a dark time of my life. And I know I am not the only one who did this.

Then, there was the mental blocks that seemed to attack so many people. Having ideas but not knowing how best to frame them and share them. The pain that is writer’s block or creative’s block. And the biggest pain in that is seeing others creating beautifully while you suffer to come up with a word on an empty canvas.

The pandemic really has taught many creatives so much. But overall, were rocks to many that depended on their art to maintain a healthy mental state. So while we continue with the panorama, pat yourself at the back for staying strong and sharing beautiful art with your audience. It has not been an easy journey, but we are in this together.

Do share some of your stories in the comment section below.