You would think all this extra time at home would result in massive creative output. You’d be wrong. I’m struggling to get through the things I need to do, much less the things I want to do. I want to make art.

The reality is, I wake up early, shower (yes, still), and with a cup of coffee by my side, I review my kid’s lesson plans and for the next four hours I’m a teacher, then a personal chef, then I crash out on the couch with exactly 3 squares of chocolate and surf social media. Nothing is happening there. Nothing ever happens there anymore. I stay away from the news and from Twitter, which has turned into a memorial wall of death and grief. I fall asleep.

In the afternoon I take my kids out for physical activity, cook dinner and go for my evening run before tucking the babes into bed. Before Covid lock-down it would have been at that point, about 9pm, that I start working on my art. There is little energy for it now. My body is exhausted but my eyes won’t close. My friends are calling it Quaran-somnia or Coronasomnia. So many of us have it. I’m writing this blog post at 2am now. I just checked Facebook for the fourty-teenth time and friends are still sharing memes…like right now…at 2am. It comforts me to know folks are still up.

I’m trying to come up with a plan to be more artistically productive. Here’s what I’ve got so far.

• Identify creative blocks: I’m fairly introverted. When life is running smoothly, I spend an enormous amount of time in my head…planning, dreaming, imagining conversations. If I’m not in my head, I’m consuming books, videos, blogs…anything that can be converted to planning, dreaming, etc. later. This is virtually impossible in house full of people who need my constant attention. I’ve been plucked from the comfort of my own head and dropped into the mess of real life. I’m not creating art, because I’m not thinking about art. I have to find time to think about art. Do I give up the afternoon nap? Will I survive the day if I do?

• Find new ways to make art: I admit it. I don’t do nearly as much traditional art with my kids as you would think. My kids are not art obsessed like I was and mainly just groan and roll their eyes when I suggest a project. My daughter; however, will stretch her creative muscle if the project is tied to something she’s interested in. I spent two weeks teaching her about Egyptian gods and goddesses and she was all in. We colored pictures of each one we learned about as we talked about their influence in ancient society. Maybe there’s something there that can be transformed into shared art time.

• Schedule Time: I was already doing this by working nights. My husband works from home, tucked away quietly in the shared studio/office we hardly ever share. It could be time for a family meeting to schedule weekend work for mom. Locking myself in the studio for a few hours on Sunday feels like pure luxury. I’m into this.

• Don’t sweat it: I suppose it’s ok to just take some time off. Aside from a couple commitments, I have nothing that has to be done. Maybe now is a good time to take on some other type of work. Something that will allow me to live comfortably back in my head again. Dog walker, perhaps? (I’m pretty sure everyone is walking their own dogs these days).

What are you all doing to stay creative during Covid lockdown? Are you staying creative? Have you had to adjust or change how you work? Let me know.