Ten super creative Covid things that made 2020 great

Hello Creative QB’s,

In this, my last blog post for 2020, let’s celebrate the great things, give gratitude for the moments of light and give 2020 a great creative wrap up and kiss goodbye.

5 minute read
3 action steps

It’s the first few days of our annual family summer Christmas holidays at the beach. Over the past few mornings, we have woken to the increasingly confronting news of another Covid lockdown – this time in Sydney.

What happens now in terms of seeing our family from Sydney over Christmas is pretty much heartbreaking for everyone.

Now more than ever, I am reminded my biggest blessing in life is family.

I am a better person because of my family. Even though we all get busy, Christmas is a time we all come together and I am grateful for this. I thank my lucky stars for the family I have.

Imagine all the last minute Christmas preparations that are not getting done. After months of us all doing ok with COVID, Christmas 2020 may turn into a Christmas staycation at home after all! 

It’s rainy and stormy at the beach, so far our summer holiday has included one morning of glorious sunshine and warmth – that felt super special. This summer, like no other, is shaping up to a season of storms. It got me thinking about all the super, creative, and special things that happened in the world during 2020, rather than the sad and scary, tragic things. 

Here are Ten+ great, creative things that happened 2020

(From my perspective and in no particular order).

1. Great Music hit our playlists. The Chicks (formerly known as the Dixie Chicks) released their first album in 14 years – and it is a sooo good! I love it. With a title track, called ‘Gaslighter’, what is not to love? It’s anthemic, empowering, super catchy, clever, and sassy – everything I love about the Chicks. My sisters and I had so many out loud joyous singing moments listening to the album this year. If The Chicks are not your vibe, Tay-Tay aka Taylor Swift, made music in lockdown that is right in the pocket of greatness. With beautiful, atmospheric storytelling, it gets a big tick on the greatness scale.

2. We all got super creative with Zoom. Once we discovered the unmute video and audio button, video calls got great for families like mine from all over the world who connected more than ever. Family catch-ups, office meetings, coffee chats, girls chats, and creative ‘girls nights in’ like the one I hosted in isolation brought us together. It helped us share our unique experience and lessening the feeling of disconnection and fear. 

3. The sky got bluer. Carbon emission fell sharply during the lockdown and we watched in delight as the Venice canals cleared, revealing fish and pearly green water. The skies over Delhi became a brighter shade of blue and wildlife ventured onto empty city streets. Did you also know that the noise level of the world decreased up to 68%? Our lives got quieter, we could hear ourselves think or re-think, potentially for the first time in a really long time. 

4. We made and ate our daily bread. Four simple ingredients – flour, water, yeast, and salt-were all we kneaded to get creative during the lockdown. The art of bread-making has become the butt of many more jokes than mine, regardless, it seemed everyone got their hands on the dough during 2020. Why? Perhaps the simplicity of making or the sense of control it instilled? My theory is that baking or making something from scratch with a few ingredients and watching it turn into something especially delicious and wholesome like home-baked bread gave us a sense of security and certainty. When the world goes to shit – at least we can bake bread. Baking is definitely one of my number one great go-to’s when feeling wobbly.

5. We got arty and crafty. Art sales boomed during Covid, craft stores rushed to keep up with supply, online drawing, and art classes became one of the top searches on Google (other than, how to make bread!). Life drawing, flower drawing, animal drawings, acrylic, oils, watercolour painting, mixed media, clay, weaving, knitting, it all became very popular as people turned to the mindfulness that the creative process offers. People really tapped into the importance of creativity in 2020! (As an act of Willfulness, mid-Covid, I exhibited with friends called the ‘Ateliers’ and sold almost all my paintings).

6. Creative stuff went viral. Ironically in a world dealing with a virus, one social media platform became a viral hit. We learned Tiktok is not a brand of small mint-flavoured confectionery from the ’70s ( also its Tic Tac)! Once the lid popped on the newest kid on the social media block, the world kinda exploded into moments defined by abundant creativity on Tiktok. We stood to have no chance of getting back our time once Tiktok enthralled us. 

7. We confronted inherit racism. We are really taking a good hard look at our beliefs. When shocking, disturbing, discriminatory violence comes onto our screens, we cannot unsee it.  What happens after we see it is what matters. ‘Black Lives Matter’  and perhaps for the first time in history we are truly questioning our own part to play, our behaviour, beliefs of perpetual indifference, and racism. It’s confronting, we need to go there because creativity is the acceptance of difference, without it, we cannot embody greatness.

8. Beer turned into hand-sanitiser. Like bread, beer is made with yeast – which makes yeast the winner of the most creative, most versatile, greatest Covid thing of all time. 

9. Creativity in the arts into our living rooms in a whole new way. The creative industries – those who make a living from live events, performances, galleries, etc did it really tough in 2020. My husband is a muso and it seemed overnight it all stopped. In true resilience, musicians, artists, actors, comedians, the arts in general, came together in all kinds of ways to bring entertainment and joy to us. From our lounge rooms, we engaged in online concerts, performances, and events, brought to us barebones and grassroots by the artists. I really hope it gave an insight into how important and special the creative arts are in our lives. 

10. Staycations are the new overseas holiday. Coming-out of iso we are staying home and re-discovering adventure in our own backyards. Country towns and regions are teeming with people ready to support them – especially those who have done it really tough. When visiting with fresh eyes we get to see things differently, infusing a sense of optimism in both us and the people we meet along the way.

Now Australia is going into semi lockdown again, in the hot spot of Sydney. Some of us will be doing a real Christmas staycation – at home, without family, friends, and looking for ways to bring cheer and goodwill into this situation. Even though Christmas 2020 may be smaller and quieter, there are still plenty of reasons to celebrate what is great and many ways to be super creative. 

Start your own list – even if it is a list of personal things that were great for you in 2020, give it a whirl, it’s an especially graceful way to wrap up the year we have had.

I hope you find magic in the ways you celebrate Christmas 2020.

A creative, merry Christmas to you.

Amanda ♥

PS. Do this!  

Faced with a Christmas staycation, here are 3 ways your can be happier, healthier, more connected, and creative.

1. CLICK HERE to download my FREE 10-day mini e-course to help you spark everyday creative ways to get you through Christmas lockdown.

    

2. CLICK HERE to listen to the ‘Daily Acts Of Creativity’ Podcast for students. It’s a 30 days series great for young people (and young at heart).

    

3. CLICK HERE to order my book, Daily Acts Of Creativity’. It is full of over 200 ways to spark your everyday creativity (including a great one for a staycation) and re-imagine creativity as a state of wellbeing.