Creativity will save us
It is no surprise to those who k well know that improvisation is my way of functioning. For those who do not know me....I improvise almost everything in my life. I will have an interest, goal and need. As much as I plan on ways to achieve the end result, some how, it is what happens in the moment, that determines how things are done to meet the goal. That being said, what ever is at the centre of my consciousness and subconscious will be achieved. I am goal oriented without a doubt. I am also a high achiever and can work through very challenging times. In the last fifteen years of my life, I have had my share of trials having suffered through the five major ( and then some) stressors of life and I am still standing or rather...dancing. I am a single parent, rehabilitation professional in Brain Injury and an independent dance artist and I run a my own dance studio. Being an artist and also a rehabilitation professional I need to always come up with ways to tell stories, express and share feelings, adapt to situations and people and solve problems. I am constantly working outside of my comfort zone. I give myself permission to explore where ever my thoughts take me and evaluate, manipulate, test and then employ the idea/s.
Improvisation requires many things, such as confidence and that is based on previous experience and the outcomes. We learn best from natural consequences. This informs me at the core of who I am. That's not to say that I am not afraid of trying new things. It is however, to say that when you improvise you are going in knowing you will find your way out through your creativity. There is no other time than the present to put creativity to the test. The world pandemic COVID-19 has brought the world to it's knees. There has been no other event like this in our modern times and therefore we have not road make to direct us how to get through this. Our concerns our different from when the Spanish Flu hit because, our lives are so much more complicated. Many people have been strictly quarantined, they can not even go out to walk the dog. People can not go out and work. How are they going to feed themselves, pay the bills? Small business and Companies, failed in the past because they didn't work hard enough or smart enough. Now companies are failing because they are "not" allowed to work. Now what? Now we have to think outside the box. We have to be creative. We need other ways to keep us from losing our minds, homes and lives.
In the past nine weeks I saw people in Italy singing to theirs neighbours from balconies to entertain and I'm sure console each other. In Spain, people are banging away on pots and pans to make noise or MUSIC to say thank you to the first responders. Industry has shifted gears and are making PPE. People who have never sewn a buttons on a garment, learned how to sew masks for hospital staff. The Arts scene, initially crushed when the plans stoped flying and artists were grounded, theatres and studios closed. Now we are enjoying creative ventures from artists sharing with the world their love of art by opening their homes and inviting you in. World leaders are coming up with ways to build new ways of working with the global community for the most part developing greater unity.
In the past few weeks I have had some of the best laughs every with the MIMES and I have had some painful cries when I have seen how people are suffering and especially in first world nations such as Canada and the USA the horrific loss of seniors and staff due to poor staffing and funding to mention a few issues. My mother passed away a year ago and was in a long term care facility due to her advanced Alzheimers. As much as I miss my mom (every day) I am so glad she did not have to suffer through this pandemic and that my brother and I were with her when she passed. So many people have and are dying alone. Creativity is the medium though which medical professionals are coming up with ways to ease the suffering in hospital. Musicians playing via telephone or Zoom to patients on ventilators. Family members staying connected via face time as nurses hold the devises close to patients. Artists are performing form their homes or neighbourhoods either exploring their own musings or entertaining their community.
For the those of us fortunate enough to be well, we are spending our time, learning many new things like how to bake bread. I still can't get my hands on yeast in the grocery store. No worries, I will bake a "no yeast" bread somehow. People are cutting their own pets hair, or their own hair. The list goes on. Social distancing is a new term that has made us come uip with a new way of socializing and being in physical spaces safely. As the world econombies start up we will also find new ways to earn a living and make ends meet. We are making it up as we go along. With a bit of previous experience, the need to stay sane with a roof over our heads and to stay healthy and alive we need to find different ways to do it. CREATIVITY WILL SAVE US.
