I don’t know about you, but it was hard for me to stay focused and do anything at all during the first few weeks of quarantine. I was consumed by sheer information overload until it made me numb. Shock turned to disbelief, questions turned into more questions and the news of increasing death counts from all around the world screamed we were in clear and present danger. It seems like we are living the 1995 film Outbreak. Is this our reality now? The medical personnel in protective gear and masks made the danger seem so real. When the virus hit my community, affecting my friends who were healthy young medical professionals, it suddenly became something that was not in a faraway land. It was here and now. The first few days were a mad rush of trying to find suppliers of personal protective equipment for the healthcare workers. Then came the dash for finding plasma donors, keeping up with the news, figuring out what and where to go in case of emergency, and staying abreast of testing kits only to be shocked that we can’t manufacture them fast enough because we do not have swabs. We found ourselves constantly watching out for signs of the infection of this inanimate particle that was finding a host to reproduce itself and cause havoc not only within our bodies, but also bodies throughout the world. We had to take charge of the situation and prepare for the long haul. For me, when reality finally sunk in, I knew I had to get out of my numb state of mind.
So, here’s what I did:
- Sought out grant applications and residencies I could apply to. Here are a few resources: a. https://www.arts.gov/covid-19-resources-for-artists-and-arts-organizations b. https://www.callforentry.org/ c. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/arts/air.htm
- Cleaned up my website. It is not child’s play to get your website up to the mark. One has to make a serious study of it in order to get eyes onto a website. It was and still is a work in progress. It will be a good subject for another blog post!
- Started a journal, aka my blog, so I can learn and communicate the pearls of wisdom in my musings. If you would like to get my monthly newsletter, I would love for you to sign up! It comes with benefits!
- Painted a bit, believe it or not, and entered daily and monthly competitions. There’s still time to enter! The following paintings snuck up to the popular entries.
Storm Chasers – 24 X 36 Oil on Canvas – Hyacinth Paul
https://faso.com/boldbrush/painting/209597
Nascent Earth 20 X 16 Oil on Canvas – Hyacinth Paul
https://faso.com/boldbrush/painting/209599
Tempestuous 48 X 24 Acrylic on Canvas – Hyacinth Paul
https://faso.com/boldbrush/painting/209600
If you like them, I could use your vote to inch upwards.
I have been busier during the quarantine than ever before, and dare I say more productive.
In my quest to see what people around the world have been up to, here is what I found:
- Read 5 tips here.
- I think every artist is an entrepreneur, so I think you will enjoy reading this article on five ways an entrepreneur can rebound after a crisis by Danny Beckett Jr. Founder and CEO of Assemble and Guest writer for Entrepreneur.com.
- Do your art and business have a mission? Why not brand your marketing to the mission? Read Myriam Sidibe’s article in Harvard Business Review on Marketing meets mission.
- Why not take the time to virtually tour these museums during quarantine?
- They say that every good artist must recreate famous works of art to learn from. Somehow, I had a problem wanting to do that, and my answer was to recreate famous pieces with a twist that would be all my own! But guess what? People are already doing this during quarantine! This put a smile on my face, and I hope it will for you as well!
As always, be curious and create!
Hyacinth
https://www.hyacinthpaulart.com/works
