This is such a weird time! It’s an opportunity to learn a lot about ourselves, get a lot done or rest and recharge, and maybe drift in and out of so many emotions. As an artist, I’m searching for inspiration and positivity, even in light of the Covid-19 quarantine. It’s not easy to find good news “out there” right now, so I’ve decided to make my own, starting with a good, old-fashioned top 10 list.
The Top 10 (Which Turned into 12) Silver Linings: Covid-19 Quarantine Edition
Inspiration and Positivity: Gratitude for People/Animals
1. Life is naturally distilling down to what (and who) really matters.
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- Considering what and who I miss during this time of quarantine gives me a clear window into what matters the most in my life. The things I enjoy doing are becoming crystal clear. Some things I deeply miss, like sharing a great conversation with a good friend over a cup of coffee or a meal. Or hugging my dad. Which leads easily into my 2nd amazing thing…
2. I have a dog. And I am so grateful for him right now! I think about it every day.
3. I love seeing the community, from my local community to our country, and even our world come together and work together. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to see people being kind to one another.
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- For example, my local chapter of Nextdoor (is the Nextdoor community broken down into chapters?) is constantly trying to find ways to help each other. Most of the time it feels like there are more offers to help than people who need/want help around here. In my opinion, that’s the way it should be and I love it!
4. Connecting with my people. I’ve been using Marco Polo, Facetime, email, phone calls, and even good old fashioned hand-written correspondence to keep in touch and reach out to people. Most of the time I’m feeling pretty connected right now, and maybe more so than before the quarantine. And my people matter to me so much.
Inspiration and Positivity: Life in General
5. Free time! I’m having no trouble at all missing out on things I didn’t really want to do in the first place. And it’s becoming more clear to me what those things are. This will make it easier for me to pare down my calendar once we get back to “normal” — whatever that ends up looking like! Some things are simply just a waste of time.
6. Cleanliness. I’m a bit of a clean freak and a germaphobe by nature, so I’m not at all upset by the fact that restaurants, stores and everything else are and will be much more clean!
7. The little things, the simple joys in life are even more delicious right now for some reason. Getting a cup of coffee from one of the (very few) local coffee shops that are still open in Asheville is one of the highlights of my day or week. Going for a run or walk in the sunshine feels like a million dollars these days.
8. I’ve developed a true capsule wardrobe. I’m only wearing the clothes that I adore, which is literally less than 5% of the clothes that I own. But I’m not ready to deal with that yet!
9. Because our lives are so pared down right now to what is essential, there is a lot of white space. My mind has slowly shifted out of “busy” mode, and into a quieter, calmer, more thoughtful place. This has opened up a window for so much creativity and time to brainstorm and come up with fresh ideas. And I’m able to (or should I say motivated to) clean out things that I’ve procrastinated in doing, such as the files on my computer, the apps on my iPhone, or my closets.
10. I like being home. I already work from home, so I didn’t have to manage making that adjustment. And I feel like I’m getting more done, including being able to create more artwork with my newfound free time.
Two More Bonus Items
11. Creating new habits! Because things have been changing daily, there are things that I never put off until tomorrow, such as spending time in nature. Some of the trails in Asheville have closed, so I’m not taking for granted the days that I get to use one of those precious few remaining trails. And calling my dad every day has become a habit that I don’t see ending with the quarantine. And I love it!
12. I thought my prayer game was fairly solid before all of this, but as of now, I’d have to rate it as strong (or at least quite a bit stronger than before). There is so much to pray for on a daily basis, and it’s teaching me how to really prioritize that in my life.
Tell Us What You’re Grateful for in the Comments
Okay, that’s all for now. I’m sure I could come up with many more. I’d love to hear your list of things that you’re finding to be grateful for these days.
I’m working on a new interview series called “Inspiration Friday,” that I’m planning to launch on Friday of this week! There are so many fun, beautiful and exciting things going on right now (and always) and I’m going to find them! I’ll keep you posted. As always, thank you for reading 🙂
