April 1, 2020
7 Ways to Boost Creativity While Social Distancing
With humankind hunkering down to flatten the curve against COVID-19, it can be hard to find ways to unleash your inner creativity. But adapting to isolation doesn’t have to be bland – especially when you’re part of Footscray Community Arts Centre’s creative community.
To help you fight the coronavirus blues, we’ve listed a bunch of tips and tricks for exercising your creative muscle at home.
Footscray Community Arts Centre supports over 550 artists annually. Support an organisation that supports your community - donate to FCAC today.
1. Curate and create your own music
Just because you can’t experience live music with the masses, doesn’t mean you can’t connect with music lovers online. Reach out to like-minded friends and start a collaborative playlist on Spotify to share new music and discover new artists.
For those who prefer making music, volunteer-run music outfit Sound School are also lending out electronic music equipment for free from their gear library (all disinfected with best practice procedures), so make sure you hit them up!
2. Support independent artists with online classes
With many independent artists and arts organisations losing gigs due to coronavirus and public health restrictions, many have shifted their classes and offerings online to help engage the masses in isolation.
Prepare for your post-corona social life by learning some fresh moves in your living room with classical and contemporary Indian dance classes by Studio J Dance. Learn to move to afrobeats and reggaeton with Azonto king, Dagogo Obogo, or pick up some new hip-hop moves with Rebel Stepz and L2R Dance.
Additionally, FCAC’s ArtLife program for artists with disability will be running a series of online workshops for artists at home using the video platform, Zoom.
While it’s difficult to replace person to person contact, Zoom gives artists the opportunity to connect with their peers and maintain their art practice. Stay tuned to our socials for more info.
3. Hone your inner talents
No matter the art form, the old saying rings true – practice makes perfect. Dedicating 15 minutes a day to practising a creative expression will heighten your confidence and ability over time. Keep track of your progress by keeping record of your work for post-session critiquing, this way you’ll be able to smooth out kinks you might have otherwise missed.
FCAC’s ArtLife Colouring Book is a great way to practice your talents with simple colouring exercises.
If you’re an artist or creative looking to up-skill in isolation, Adobe Creative Cloud, Ableton Live, and Masterclass.com are just some of platforms offering expert-led training courses at a fraction of the usual price. Make the most of a crisis and level up.
4. Start that project you’ve been putting off
Ever wanted to start a podcast? Write a song? Paint a self-portrait or author a book? Now’s the time to start! Isolation is great for self-reflection and nutting out ideas. Make a list of things you need to get started with one of FCAC’s funky fresh stationery sets.
5. Tune-in to a live music concert from your bedroom
We often turn to artists and entertainers to perform and use their networks to help support fundraising efforts. With many artists losing gigs due to COVID-19, its now our turn to return the favour.
For performances, live streams on Facebook and Instagram are at an all-time high. Don’t be shy; show support for local artists by tuning into their broadcasts. It’s a great opportunity to show love and ask questions about their artistic process. Make sure you spread the word by sharing it with your followers!
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6. Take on some light reading
Do yourself a favour and grab a copy of the deeply powerful book ‘The Relationship is the Project’. Written for emerging practitioners, artists and cultural workers looking to better engage with community-based projects, the book features a contribution from FCAC’s very own Artistic Director, Daniel Santangeli.
Also check out former 2018 Emerging Cultural Leaders program graduate Leah Jing’s online publication Liminal Magazine, profiling interviews with Asian Australian artists you should know about.
Fancy a podcast, instead? You can’t go past Hey Aunty! by Shantel Wetherall. Made for and by African-Australian women, this series connects Sisters across cultures and generations through lively and meaningful discussions.
7. Visit a gallery on a virtual tour
For those who love Frida Kahlo or attended our sold-out Frida themed Happy Art Hour session, you can take a virtual tour of La Casa Azul in Mexico thanks to Google Arts and Culture.
Galleries and museums all over the world are offering virtual viewings online. From NGV to The Louvre, audiences are being granted access to some of the world’s most renowned work from the comfort of the couch. You won’t have to worry about forgetting something in the cloakroom, when you leave.
Top image by Gianna Rizzo.
Footscray Community Arts Centre, a not-for-profit, independently run community arts organisation. To ensure our sustainability during these uncertain times, donate to the centre today.
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