Coronavirus Quarantine? 9 Things to Do To Move Your Creative Empire Forward for the D.I.Y. Rock Star
This post very loosely accompanies Gab & Jam Episode 119
(video: http://bit.ly/Ep119Quarantinevid and podcast: http://bit.ly/Ep119quarantinepod ).
There are so many people focusing on what is being lost in the arts—cancelled Broadway shows, cancelled gigs, and cancelled networking opportunities—that we had begun to lose sight of what might be gained.I mean, we realize how serious this situation is and we are praying for all people who are negatively affected by it.
South By Southwest playlist: http://bit.ly/sxswplaylist2019
Gab & Jam Eo 119 Podcast,
"Coronavirus Quarantine? 9 Things to Do
To Move Your Creative Empire Forward
for the D.I.Y. Rock Star (http://bit.ly/Ep119quarantinepod)
We don’t know about you, but the cancellation of our visit to SXSW (http://bit.ly/Ep118Coronavirusvid ), followed by the cancellation of the NBA season, capped by the state of emergency that was declared in our state—which closed all schools and sent us into self-induced quarantine was a pretty grim reality for our family. We know WHY we’re doing it, but it can feel discouraging and overwhelming. At first, it felt like an albatross, holding us back from living out our business goals and plans. —No live shows, no conferences, and no travel, —But after a few days of drowning ourselves in pity (http://bit.ly/Ep118Coronavirusvid ), we started to find the silver lining. We decided to make lemonade from what seemed like lemons. We started to realize that we can use this time to harness our skill, our power, and to help us build an even stronger foundation for our creative empire. What we came away with was a list of the ways this isolation could benefit us on this road to creating a business and a life we like. This is the list we built from our reframing of the situation that gave us hope for a better even brighter future once the 3 week quarantine is lifted.
So, here it is, our 9 Things to Do During the Coronavirus Quarantine for the D.I.Y. Rock Star:
1. Take the time to reflect on your practices
After revisiting our Vision Board, and, for the time, crossing those things that we can’t control right now (like travel and conferences), we decided which goals we COULD be working on, which is reflected in the rest of this list. (Here’s more about how having a Vision Board helps guide the D.I.Y. Rock Star: http://bit.ly/rockstarvision ) We decided that what we have been given is a little more quiet time to actually think, strategize and create. If you had asked us in January if we wanted a 3 week span of time right at the doorway of spring to focus our energies, we would have asked where to sign up! So, why wouldn’t we take the opportunity to use this expected span of time to retool our thinking and our practices. We will make sure that we spend time doing the things that can definitely and singularly moving our enterprises foreword, like discovering new online playlists to submit to and working on finishing our funk album (The album, “Sugar Fit,” is due out in June 2020). We realize that many of our mindfulness activities have been lost, because we were constantly moving and not taking time to look at how the bigger picture was being affected. This is that time to do this. 👍🏽
(Curious about our music? Check out our SoundCloud page at http://soundcloud.com/prejippie )
2. Take time to take in some stimuli
We have conceded that being a Blooming Rock Star requires living some life. Well, if you can’t go out and live some life, you certainly can Netflix it. (See How to Decide What to Watch post: http://bit.ly/Ep83BV2019vid9 ) What we mean is that this might be a great time to Netflix-, Hulu-, Apple-binge a couple of shows. —Fun fact: it was watching Game of Thrones that inspired the former theme of our Gab & Jam YouTube/podcast (http://bit.ly/songtradrbruce ). We absolutely got hooked on it! During this quarantine time, you may find some other binge-worthy show and be inspired to create your own art to celebrate it. Embrace this quiet opportunity to get lost in something other than the “every day,” so that you can create your own theme song. This is the moment and you’ve got the time...
3. Take time to draft a reasonable, but purposeful daily plan
We suggest that you don’t overdo it, but have at least 3 meaningful activities to accomplish every day. Even if you have other—new responsibilities (like child care, working from home, etc.) that take up MOST of your quarantine time—you can still feel that you have accomplished something that will move you toward your creative vision if you schedule just a few meaningful activities to check off your list daily. That special project, those songs that need finishing, etc. are possibilities for your plan. (Here are our Productivity Tips: http://bit.ly/Ep92BV2019blog18 )
4. Take time to celebrate small wins
As you check items off your list, you will feel a sense of progress, which helps fuel your motivation to go even further. This is a hard one for us, but our end of the month newsletter helps us to see what we have accomplished. (http://bit.ly/april2020diyrockstar ) A small win that we can celebrate—even during this quarantine time—was we did a private tour of Grove Studios (Ypsilanti, MI) https://grovestudios.space/ ; a place that we had been meaning to visit, but never felt as if we could fit it into our schedule. Not only did we create what we think is a meaningful connection, but we were inspired by what those guys are doing over there to help support artists. (http://bit.ly/bbbgrovetourvid )
Prefer to watch the video for
5. Take time to learn something new
As you check items off your list, you will feel a sense of progress, which helps fuel your motivation to go even further. This is a hard one for us, but our end of the month newsletter helps us to see what we have accomplished. (http://bit.ly/april2020diyrockstar ) A small win that we can celebrate—even during this quarantine time—was we did a private tour of Grove Studios (Ypsilanti, MI) https://grovestudios.space/ ; a place that we had been meaning to visit, but never felt as if we could fit it into our schedule. Not only did we create what we think is a meaningful connection, but we were inspired by what those guys are doing over there to help support artists. (http://bit.ly/bbbgrovetourvid )
Not sure where you—and your band—stand?
Download this Check Your Brand Cheat Sheet to see how you shape up
(and what you need to shore up).
6. Take time to relax
Be sure to take time to get rest. If you haven’t centered yourself and are well-rested, you won’t be much good to anybody else, so look at this span of time to do a little extra. —Even when we are NOT in a state of quarantine, we would tend to rest and spend time with family on Saturday and work like the Dickens on Sunday, recording our YouTube videos, making our podcasts, sharing our song clips, and drafting our blog posts. So, really, no matter what your schedule, you can find your flow of resting in between the work.
Here is the final list of episodes (with topics, episode numbers, and links): http://bit.ly/blogvember2019
How to Get More Done? Here's how...
7. Take time to clean up your creative space
Hey, not only do we have the studio—and the garden—but also the office space and the bigger space in general that needs our TLC. Well, maybe this 3 weeks will give us a little time to tend to those. The same goes for you. Assuming you are not coughing up a lung and/or plagued with Coronavirus symptoms, you might want to clear the clutter, clean, sanitize, and organize your sh*t; the same we are planning to do ours…. It’s a great use of that solitary time.
8. Take time to revisit some of those administrative tasks
There are those things that take you out of your creative process, but that you haven’t stopped to take the time to handle. App upgrades, organizing files, clearing out your email inbox are all prime activities to take care of during this time where you are likely to be more focused and centered and mentally-prepared to troubleshoot. You know in your heart of hearts that if you JUST sit down and do it, you will feel so much better—and won’t be as easily annoyed—when it is time to begin your creative process again. So, even if you aren’t thrilled about the actual task of doing these things, you will feel as if a weight is lifted if you take the time to solve some of those nagging administrative tasks. We will be looking at older blog posts and making sure that links are cross-referenced with newer video and podcast links. (Here are our File Management Tips for the D.I.Y. Rock Star: http://bit.ly/Ep99BV2019blog25 )
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9. Take time to create art using the experience that we are living through
This is a unique experience that has never happened to us like this before. As artists, we want to analyze and channel our impressions of this time. Again, use this time of heightened awareness to create art that captures this time as a historical moment. We are first-hand witnesses to a historical moment, so what better way to process what we are going through than to express themselves and to express the frustration, anxiety, and gratitude through our art? And/or, as artists, we may decide to be the one to give people hope in this time of loss of entertainment, so your work may be uplifting versus lamenting what is lost. Who knows? But we bet whatever you decide to make of this won’t be boring. So don’t miss the moment by not creating something during this time of confinement.
Well, that’s it. Those are our suggestions for things to do during this Coronavirus quarantine to move your creative empire forward.
What do you think?
What are you doing while you are sequestered to move you closer to your goals?
We’d love to hear about it!
Please share your experience in the comments below.
Until next time we meet, here’s wishing you love, peace, and chicken grease.
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