Maximizing Creativity During a Pandemic: Fail Proof Opportunities

It’s February, 2021 and we’re nearing one year of being fully entrenched in the COVID-19 pandemic. Life as we once knew it, has been completely altered, whether it’s careers, in-person gatherings, travel, etc. Depending on where you live and the level of “lock-down” you’re experiencing, those of us who work in the creative media industry have been extremely limited in our ability to resource our physical environment for creative ideas. To some, this might not sound like a big deal, but it is a huge hit to this professional community.

In an attempt to lessen the blow and alleviate some creative stress, I’d like to discuss five opportunities to get those creative juices flowing in the midst of the most unprecedented times we have, and probably will experience:

1. Utilize stock video and photography resources — If you’re like me, you enjoy filming and photographing your own content. However, in some of our cities that’s just not a viable option. Stock resources provide a great secondary option and enables us to continue producing content. Some of those resources include istockphotos, storyblocks, Izito, Envato, Unblast and more. There are also plenty of free resources too. Just do a Google search for “stock photos and video.”

1. Create a home studio — If you are your brand, consider finding ways to use part of your home to record footage or take pictures. In most cases we already have the equipment in place. The difficulty is carving out a room or a wall to shoot video or take photos to continue to promote your brand. Once you get past that, you find great satisfaction in having a location within your home that you can create content from at any point in the day.
2. Spend more time in creative brainstorms — This one only makes since, but it’s probably the one that we want to do the least, especially if you’ve been in the industry for an extended period of time. Over the years, we’ve all developed ways of being efficient that have quite frankly gotten us in our comfort zone. These times present us with a new opportunity. Instead of fighting it, embrace the challenge. Be greater! But it takes time; more time. Invest more time to achieve the desired outcome. It will be an added benefit in the long run.

I hope these tips were helpful. We’ll continue to examine opportunities to overcome the challenges that COVID-19 has presented, in order to keep the creativity flowing in these unprecedented times.