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Creativity Collective

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  [23]Creativity Collective | [24]How we think
  How to be creative in isolation
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  (Image credit: Alamy)
  File image of a woman sitting at a desk
  By Anisa Purbasari Horton7th April 2021
  Some people find isolation helps them tackle creative projects, but
  others find the lack of stimulus leaves inspiration in short supply.
  W

  When freelance writer Caroline Topperman moved from Vancouver to
  Warsaw, in 2013, her creativity flourished. Walking around cobblestone
  streets with cafés filled her with inspiration. “I’m one of those
  people that finds [creativity] outside of myself. I really like going
  to art galleries, reading a book and people watching,” she says.

  By the time the pandemic hit, Topperman had moved back to Canada, to a
  small town outside Toronto. With activities curtailed, Topperman admits
  she spent the next two months crying. “I really felt that isolation
  then quite a bit, because I was by myself a lot of the time.” Like
  many, all of her work moved online, and she struggled with the lack of
  face-to-face interaction.

  One of the assignments she was finishing was writing a piece that
  described a real-estate development. Before, she’d walk around the
  property and use visual stimulus for inspiration – something that she
  couldn’t do during lockdown. She’d also co-founded a writers’ group and
  was teaching workshops across Ontario – something that she found much
  harder when the group moved online. “I work a lot better when I can
  lounge around and hang out with people and be more casual and throw
  ideas around,” she says.

  For many people like Topperman, isolation and a lack of stimulus kill
  creativity. Yet for others, solitude fuels creative thinking; for every
  individual who feels stuck in a creative rut during lockdown, there are
  others who are producing more work than ever.

  So, what is it about lockdown that seems to creatively block some
  people while allowing others to thrive? As restrictions on our
  activities continue, understanding where and how we can find sources of
  inspiration could help those who struggle with isolation tap back into
  their creativity.

  Stimulus and boredom

  We’re fascinated by creativity. It’s a well-studied field, but
  scientists are [27]still researching the thinking processes that go
  into a flash of inspiration. Scott Barry Kaufman, a Los Angeles-based
  psychologist and co-author of Wired To Create: Unraveling the Mysteries
  of the Creative Mind, has [28]described creativity as a combination of
  traits and habits that can appear contradictory. For example, two
  common characteristics that are important are openness to new
  experiences and the ability to be comfortable with one’s own thoughts,
  he says.
  Caroline Topperman says she struggled during the early days of the
  pandemic, before finding new ways to tap into her creativity (Credit:
  Caroline Topperman)

  Caroline Topperman says she struggled during the early days of the
  pandemic, before finding new ways to tap into her creativity (Credit:
  Caroline Topperman)

  Sandi Mann, a senior psychology lecturer at the University of Central
  Lancashire and the author of The Science of Boredom: Why Boredom Is
  Good, highlights two specific opposing factors as necessary for
  creativity, stimulus and boredom, and says that people’s response to
  boredom often determines whether they can harness creativity in times
  of solitude. Those who typically get their creativity from novelty
  might be more likely to turn to electronic devices in isolation,
  because it’s a form of stimulus. As a result, they might find it more
  difficult to let boredom overtake them, which is what they need to be
  more creative. “But if you actually let the boredom sit, your mind will
  wander, you will come up with a little bit more creativity,” she says.

  Mann says there’s an optimum load to boredom, however, because too much
  of it can reduce your energy. Isolation might well have pushed some
  past that optimal limit, like Dannie-Lu Carr, a leadership trainer,
  theatre director and singer/songwriter based in Sussex, UK, who has
  traditionally relied on travel and meeting people at events for her
  creative inspiration. Pre-pandemic, Carr could be creative by herself;
  she’d get inspiration from talking to people at events and then refine
  her ideas during a long, solitary train commute or a flight. But during
  lockdown, without the burst of stimuli to break up long periods of
  isolation, Carr found creativity harder to come by. “I think in
  isolation, it’s a different headspace. When you’re looking for it, you
  fall short,” she says.

  She’s also missing the inspiration that comes from working closely with
  other people. Before the pandemic, she was recording an album. “I was
  meeting with my producer, and we were playing around in the studio. And
  then we suddenly had to work remotely, and I found that so empty.”
  She’s missed having someone to bounce ideas off. “I think we lost that
  alchemy that can happen when you’re with somebody in a room.”

I think in isolation, it’s a different headspace. When you’re looking for it,
you fall short – Dannie-Lu Carr

  Those who achieve their “boredom sweet spot” – as Mann puts it – are
  better able to harness creativity during long periods of isolation.
  Katie Ruiz, a 36-year-old artist and prolific traveller, was forced to
  stay put in her hometown of San Diego when Covid-19 hit. Before the
  pandemic, Ruiz was constantly on the move, juggling many different
  obligations – like teaching and nannying – in addition to her art
  projects. Her busy life gave her plenty of inspiration, but she often
  couldn’t find the time or mental energy to turn that inspiration into
  creative work. “I have the tips of ideas often floating in my head, but
  it takes time and thought to really bring those to life,” she says.

  Since the pandemic hit, Ruiz has had an artistically very productive
  year, creating over 40 paintings and sculptures.  “Honestly, the works
  I’m creating in the pandemic are things I’ve been thinking about for
  five years,” she says. “I think I had burned myself out before the
  pandemic going to every art show and event, so it’s been a nice break.”
  That said, she is starting to miss some aspects of her pre-pandemic
  life. “I am definitely ready to see art and friends, and have my social
  life back.”

  Finding new processes

  For those who are struggling to access their creativity in these
  strange times, however, it may be worth taking another look at the
  creative process and even redefining what useful stimulus looks like.
  Experts say redefining your creative process - including finding new
  ways to collaborate - can help get you back on track (Credit: Alamy)

  Experts say redefining your creative process - including finding new
  ways to collaborate - can help get you back on track (Credit: Alamy)

  Kaufman, who says he’s been struggling with the lack of face-to-face
  interaction himself, suspects that one of the reasons why some people
  might not be able to tap into their creativity is that they are “stuck
  in the old ways of what their creative process looks like”. He
  challenges people to expand the meaning of “new experiences”, saying:
  “Openness to experience doesn’t have to die because you’re stuck at
  home.” For example, new “inner experiences” such as journaling,
  mindfulness and meditation, are all accessible; journaling your
  emotions, Kaufman says, [29]has been shown to help your creativity.

  For those whose creative processes have typically involved
  collaboration, Kaufman suggests joining virtual groups or talking to
  people whose interests and ideas are different. When you have those
  conversations regularly, says Kaufman, “creativity is bound to emerge
  at some point”. Kaufman believes that there are “real opportunities” to
  unleash creativity if people are willing to “think outside the box”.
  The key, he says, is accepting that the old way is no longer feasible.

  In fact, establishing a new creative process is precisely what got
  Topperman out of her rut. “One day, it suddenly dawned on me that I
  majored in film at university because I was a visual person,” she says.
  “I realised, hey, I’m also good at photography, and I just started
  looking at pictures on my phone.” Using her travel pictures as prompts,
  she started writing regularly and ended up reconnecting with an old
  friend. Together, they decided to turn her writing into a book, with
  her friend as the editor. She also started walking regularly, getting
  to know her city on foot. She says seeing ice-carvings, along with
  local art, helps her keep her mind stimulated and generates new ideas.

  For Carr, meanwhile, scheduling long virtual coffee dates with her
  producer has helped her combat the loneliness and frustration of
  creating in isolation. Both she and Topperman say the most helpful
  thing has been letting go of the pressure to create – something that
  experts and creatives alike agree is crucial to the process. Carr says,
  “If you let go of the end goal, you’re more likely to get something.”

  “The main thing is not to stress out about being creative,” adds
  Topperman. “The minute I start forcing myself is the moment my brain
  shuts right off.”
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