Constraint and Creativity in a COVID-19 World

In The Slow Approach, we share individual perspectives on what it means to slow down, and how doing so can have a positive effect on our experiences as well as the images we capture.

As we enter our third week of “shelter in place” in California, I’m still trying to process all of the alarming effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, while taking comfort in average people’s everyday acts of generosity and the courageousness demonstrated by our medical professionals and essential workers. I find myself counting many blessings, namely that my family and friends are, so far, unharmed. As I write this, family members are collecting donations and sewing fabric masks. One is reporting to her RN duties at a hospital with only recycled personal protective equipment, another to his law enforcement duties at a secure facility with no protective equipment at all. All of us doing our best to adapt to a new normal of leaving the house only out of necessity, something that would have seemed inconceivable just a short time ago!

In these times of literal life and death, it could seem trivial to acknowledge the effects of the pandemic on the photography community. But all of us have felt the impact, from full-time professionals who rely on guided workshops as their very financial livelihood, to hobbyists who rely on photography as a welcome respite from daily commitments, to those who approach photography as a therapeutic response to depression, pain, or chronic health issues. In my case, my focus has pivoted to seeking photographic opportunities at or close to home. With all planned travel, day trips, and projects having been indefinitely put on hold, I admittedly find myself struggling, like so many others, with the psychological effects of my new constraints.

“I am coming to realize that gratitude is the very root of creative expression”

So I’ve found myself wondering, what are the effects that constraint can have on our creative process? I have written about this topic here before, when I shared my personal experience of finding my health and mobility at risk. Coincidentally, I find a lot of similarities between the psychological effects of this global pandemic and what I experienced during that very individual and personal struggle. When loved ones express how this has all happened so fast, in the blink of an eye, and they now appreciate what they previously took for granted, it all sounds painfully too familiar. But I am coming to realize that gratitude is the very root of creative expression, and constraint can lead to gratitude, in that it increases self-reflection and appreciation of everyday, mundane things.

Examples of this include seeking out previously overlooked beauty, whether it is practicing macrophotography of botanicals or interesting objects around your home or backyard, or practicing portraiture of your family or pets. Here in Sacramento, rain is laughably rare, so when we recently received some spring showers, I ventured out into the front yard for some simple abstracts of dew and grass- anything to keep the creative juices flowing!

During our daily dog-walking forays out in the neighborhood, my husband and I noticed the rainbows in children’s chalk art on the sidewalks, as well as in their paintings in their windows, a warm gesture to elicit hope and cheer. This caused me to relook at previously unedited rainbow images to edit and share, as a little gesture of my own. When I’m feeling anxious and worried, I feel grateful for a backlog of unprocessed image files on my hard drive that I can edit, transporting me back to a personally meaningful location. Little did I realize back when they were taken how fortunate I was to witness these scenes. Every time I look at nature, whether it’s flowers in my backyard, a crescent moon in the sky, or old images on my hard drive, it reminds me that despite the global pandemic, Mother Nature soldiers on, and this is just a season we’re in. I find it strangely reassuring that our collective increased awareness of COVID-19 really ramped up and took off during the earth’s transition from winter, a season of dormancy, to the vernal equinox, the very season of rebirth and renewal. We will get through this, but we need to endure this season first.

Oblivious Cows and Ominous Clouds / Beth Young

Is there anything you are doing now that you have been putting off? Are you using this time as an opportunity? Are you spending time on post-processing, reading, rebranding, learning a new photographic technique, polishing up an ignored website? If you’re not, that is perfectly OK too! I believe it’s indicative of our American culture to be productive at all times, day and night, and it really doesn’t need to be. Doing absolutely nothing at all, whether it’s spending time in quiet reflection to absorb and process current events, or catching up on rest, or wearing loose pants with no buttons for weeks on end and watching Netflix, all these things are equally as important to recharging your batteries and creativity. There’s nothing wrong with listening to your intuition and taking a mental health break.

We at SPM are using this time to brainstorm new ideas and directions for the site, and reinforce a positive feeling of connectedness and unity that we all need right now. We’d love to hear from you! How are you doing? Above all, we hope you all are staying healthy and safe. Is there anything you want to share with others? Tell us in the comments, or message us, the ways in which you seek respite and renewal in times like these. We’re here to support each other through this!