NYA FURBER: LOCKDOWN LOWDOWN

During lockdown, I have had an unprecedented amount of free time, a lot of which I have spent on my phone trying to forget about the state of the world. Something I have noticed is an influx of influencers pushing this lockdown as a time to be used for harnessing creativity; learning that new skill you have always dreamt about, or monetizing a creative niche you may have.

There is a lot of validity in the idea of utilising the lockdown as a positive rather than a negative – I’ll be the first to admit I have not been great at this, and I for one am desperate to see my friends and leave the confines of my flat – however the majority of this encouragement takes the narrative of, ‘if you don’t come out of this lockdown with a new skill you don’t lack time, you lack discipline, etc etc.’ I first noticed this when I read an article from The Guardian titled ‘DIY fashion: designers tips on what to make at home.’ The article aimed to help people learn new skills, and included items most people have lying about at home; crochet hooks, dress making pins, and a glass cutting machine to name a few.

The underlying feeling I couldn’t shake from reading this article was that it was written for people who are privileged enough to spend quarantine at home with full pay, without the stress of being furloughed or being a key worker. This narrative I noticed in that article has since become increasingly rife and has felt increasingly frustrating for me, as it disregards how the experience of living through a pandemic is anxiety inducing for a lot of people. The rising number of people applying for universal credit, students with no exams to fairly assess them, healthcare workers risking their lives daily, makes this apparent. Creativity is natural, and we are living through unnatural times. Telling people that they are not utilising their time advantageously – see Forbes writing

‘ you now have a critical choice to make: you can either waste away the moments that make up a dull day or use this time to your advantage. You can continue binge-watching television and munching on snacks or you could embark upon a campaign of self-improvement and helping others.’

 – is guilt inducing and unfair, and perpetuates the idea that this vast free time a lot of us currently have is a productivity contest, rather than an unknown situation that is likely going to leave our society in a state of economic and social recovery that nobody was expecting.

If you are feeling confined by social media at the moment, and feeling as though you are not worthwhile because you are not being creative or productive, please remember this stretch of time we are experiencing is not a productivity competition.

Pressure to be creative is woven into the fabric of social media – the very act of consuming content is a result of someone else’s creativity – and this pressure exists outside of the current lockdown too. Everyone, including myself, cultivates their social media to show their most exciting pursuits. The ability to present yourself as constantly doing something is the essence of social media, part of the appeal of these platforms being to represent and cultivate yourself as well as your interests for others. I think it can be easy to forget that whatever someone has presented to you has been chosen for a specific reason, to allow them to come across in whatever way they choose, and it is far-fetched to believe it is truly indicative of someone’s daily life.

Creativity is not one size fits all. I have felt completely isolated because of social media at times, because I feel like I am looking at the pinnacle of how to utilize my time successfully, and it has made me feel under pressure to try out new pursuits and prove something to the internet, questioning how I spend my spare time. While I do think having an outlet for creativity is vital, especially challenging yourself by trying new things, you should not feel pressure to be the best, to do this all the time, or be producing something for people to be impressed by. Sometimes, creating things just for yourself to see, or embracing your laziness, is good for the soul.

Something that really reinforces this point is from the ‘On Being’ podcast by Krista Tippett. Her series titled ‘Living the Questions’ recently had an episode with a lady call in who was struggling with doing little during this quarantine; this episode and Krista’s podcast in general are really helpful with feelings of unworthiness around productivity, and can help remind you to be kinder to yourself. Alongside this, another resource that can be helpful in cultivating calm and kindness to yourself is an app called ‘1 second a day.’

This was recommended to me by a friend, and it allows you to film one second of footage a day that eventually comes together to make minutes of a film for whatever length of time you choose. Using this app can help remind you of the goodness and beauty that arises in the seemingly insignificant moments in your life; your morning cup of tea, watching tv, even the way the light might look on your windowsill in the evening. These forgettable daily activities are the perfect moments for mindfulness and taking the time to remind yourself you do not have to be under the lens of other people’s expectations all the time.