When I first moved to London, I lived in a flat share. I remember one of my roomies despairing about being alone. She said ‘I don’t like my own company.’ Her remark truly surprised me. How was that possible? Then again, perhaps I enjoyed my own company too much. Bottom line is being on my own was never been hardship… untill I became a mum. Motherhood can bring a certain type of isolation, especially if you are an expat. Over the years, I’ve learnt a lot about myself and my capabilities. Connecting with our creative-self can help us cope with social distancing and isolation.
Learn to Cook
Knowing how to cook a few meals from scratch is a valuable life skill. The time spent will not be wasted and you will save money too. Whether you are on your own or have a family cooking can be a fun way to be explorative and creative. Fingers crossed, you will have an edible reward at the end.
We don’t know long we will be living as we are. It appears that people are panic buying less, but the shopping queues are long. Some takeaways may still be in operation but is it worth the risk? Wouldn’t it be amazing to know how to cook those ‘weird’ looking root veg at your local green grocers’?
Make A Joyful Noise
Aldous Huxley (author of a Brave New World) in his work Music at Night and Other Essays said, “After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” Why not try learning how to play an instrument or reignite your passion for one you used to play.
Let now forget singing. Practice the scales and sing your favourite songs. I’m a big fan of the 80’s. If I could catch my breath long enough on my jogs, I’d sing along to the 80’s tunes on my playlist. Instead, I sing at home. It’s for my ears only.
Practice Painting
Watercolour painting is where my passion lies. The delicacy, fluidity and transparency intrigue me; albeit, I am a novice. Do you have a favourite medium? Maybe you have never tried it but you have seen it at an exhibition or in a magazine. There are many materials you could explore until you find one that works you. You can paint with: oil-based, watercolour, gouache, acrylic and encaustic; the latter I am not familiar. My friend checiegirl_creations is currently using coffee for her art challenge.
Some artists even mix media. Art journals works well with mixed media. Think collage meets drawing, meets calligraphy, and meets lettering and painting. Side note- calligraphy on its own can be very soothing as well. Mindful Calligraphy is a thing now. Did you know?!
Best of all, it’s not just for the grownups. Children love painting and crafts and it’s an excellent way for them for support them in managing anxiety. You could find your tribe of creatives via Instagram which could to you having an entirely new network to connect with.
Write It Out
Lastly but my no means least, writing. There is a special moment when pen connects with paper. It can be like a great cleansing. If you’ve never journaled before why not give it a try. If you journal perhaps you can now move towards blogging or vlogging. If you are missing travel, these are all skills you can apply to creating a travel journal as well!
It’s said that we all have at least one book in us. What’s your novel? Perhaps you have an idea for a novel or a children’s picture book, why not have a go during this time.
Social distancing is a struggle but we can eek out some positivity from it. You are capable of great things. You never know what you may learn about yourself. Getting to know yourself is magical and self-affirming. Believe and do.
Comment below tell us how you are getting on?
(updated 25th May 2021)
(updated 12th Nov 2022)
