During these unprecedented times, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives in ways we could never imagine. Forced to readjust and adapt to new environments, the usual way in which I stayed creative was extremely hindered. Not being able to see my friends or even work a normal job meant that I had to find new ways to keep myself busy and battle against my anxiety.

Expressing myself creatively has been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember, and it has been something that I have relied on for years in terms of keeping myself busy and living a fulfilled life. We often take for granted the small and simple things, and it was only until an international pandemic that I truly came to realize this.

For someone that has been an avid photographer and videographer for over seven years, I had to make some major lifestyle changes. How do I keep myself busy during the midst of a pandemic? Where do I find my inspiration? How do I continue to practice my passions, even from home? These are all questions that I was faced with and hopefully I can provide some clarity on my best practices and tips.

These are some ways I find inspiration from home:

We are so lucky to live in technological age, why not capitalize on it? The vastness of the internet means that there truly are no limits to what we can find online. Because it is much more difficult to draw from real life experience these days, finding inspiration from the web can be extremely helpful.

Pinterest is an amazing app that you can find an endless variety of photos on. When I want to focus on portrait photography, I can refine my search on the app and find great examples of other examples of work. You can be as specific or general as you would like. Examples of my searches include portrait photography, editorial poses, fashion magazine covers etc.

YouTube is an amazing platform that can you help you find almost anything if it is in the form of a video. I always find inspiration by watching editing tutorials, fun vlogs, or even just a video where someone is sitting down and having a chat with their online audience. It is a great place when you are lacking inspiration or even if you need a tutorial in an area you are not comfortable with.

Although my experience is mainly drawn from my photography work, this tip can be extremely helpful for anyone interested in finding any type of inspiration. Sometimes we can become so extremely focused on one task that we become unaware of our surrounding environment. Utilize the people you live under the same roof with or even reach out to a friend over text for some ideas. Whenever I am feeling stuck, the people I care about always know how to provide me with a fresh perspective on life and help me see things more clearly.

The best thing about music is that you can fully emerge yourself in a song or have it playing in the background while completing other tasks. Whether it’s an instrumental or a song loaded with lyrics, music can inspire the connections in your brain and allow you to get your ideas flowing. Try listening to something you’ve never heard before!

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing other people face to face was something that became almost impossible. Although things are getting better, spending time outside was something I had done more now than ever before. Being stuck in your house for days on end can become tedious and quite draining. It is always important, especially when searching for inspiration, to get outside and breathe fresh air. Take a good look at your environment, watch people from a distance, make notes of everything you are seeing.

Finding inspiration is a part of the creative process that not a lot of us realize is extremely important. Where we draw ideas from and how we process them into things we are passionate about is what makes art so beautiful. Areas of my craft involving other people were majorly negatively affected during the midst of COVID-19 and I had no choice but to adjust.

One of the best things that comes from creating art, is that you can draw from almost every aspect of your life. As humans, we are a product of our own experiences. Although the pandemic has placed us in such a difficult position, we can come out on top by using our surroundings to become inspired and make amazing things.