10 Ways to Navigate the Coronavirus Pandemic From Home | Jenn Terrell Photography

Day 103923922? What day is it? I have truly lost track. I feel like I am in middle school again and it is summer time. I don’t really need a sense of what day it is. Although, I have been doing a blog series since the start of self isolation so I know that today is day 18 (technically 19 because I started the blog series on the second day.)

Truly, though, I am most definitely an extrovert and the world just feels strange right now. I go through weird bouts of feeling fine and then being panicked the next minute. I am sure many of you can relate. I know how important it is to stay home and I am very serious about doing that. I only leave for groceries, food or to check the mail. The sooner we all stay at home as much as possible, the sooner this will all end. And I am so excited for things to go back to normal when this is all over. ❤️

Here are a few things that have helped me get through this time of uncertainty as an extroverted artist but I think these will work for anyone. ❤️Feel free to comment if you have some things that have helped you too. It is all a learning process.

1. Stay Busy

This personally helps me a ton!

I have been trying to stay busy with projects that I didn’t really have time for prior to the pandemic. I am someone who needs change. That is why I thrive working for myself in a creative field. The flexibility and work of being a photographer is very fulfilling to me. No wedding day and no portrait session is ever the same. Every single time I work it is a completely different day. I LOVE that about my work and I LOVE photographing. It never gets old and I feel so honored to get to photograph such amazing moments in the lives of others. It really means a lot to me. ❤️Many creatives thrive on variety.

So, this pandemic has admittedly not been super easy for me. The first week wasn’t bad. I kept busy and got a lot of work done. I reached out to all of my clients with sessions or weddings in the next six months and chatted about options and next steps. I worked on projects. I started a blog series. I applied for a couple of work from home jobs to stay busy and help create an income for the coming months. I finished all editing of sessions I had in queue. I starting working on a new product line (details soon). Now we are over a couple weeks in and my brain needs change. So I have been trying to stay busy doing things I wouldn’t normally do to give myself a bit of the variety I am craving. I have done this by mixing up my work projects and taking time for myself. I have taken my first bubble bath in years. I rearranged my bedroom. I clean the kitchen really well every day. I have cooked. I have baked. I did a zoom call with my sister and played with the backgrounds. I have worked on my business for hours every single day. I have done my own nails. I have called friends I haven’t talked to in years. I learned a song on the ukulele for my nephews, who weren’t that impressed I might add. haha

I still have a few projects to finish, mostly fun and creative so that is good. I try to do something different that occupies me for a few hours every day which brings me to my next tip.

2. Challenge yourself to do (fun) things you have put off

Think really hard about things you would like to do and haven’t dedicated time for. I will be working a lot during this time but I will also be taking some time for myself. I am not sure when I will have this much time to just be again so I am making myself take time to give my brain some change so that no day is the same.

I am challenging myself to
-Do a giveaway for a free mentoring session to help someone else during this time. (Maybe a few of these depending on interest?) Details to follow.
-Read at least one book in the next couple of weeks. I love reading but haven’t done much of it lately.
-Do a craft/art project that isn’t digital. Something that I have to use my hands for.
-Create more educational blog posts for clients .
-Bake bread of some sort.
-Edit some video that I have taken for fun over the years (mostly of my family) .
-Document this pandemic in my own home ( I have already started. Window shot pictured).
Make a challenge list for yourself and start crossing things off each day.

3. Apply for side-gigs in the mean time

Having multiple streams of income is always great or just any income right now really. If you are an extrovert like me and prefer to work with people, customer service jobs from home are a great place to start. Plus this will help you with tip #1, staying busy.

Here are a few jobs you can apply for now:
-Customer Service Jobs
-Transcribing or captioning from home
-Teach English online
-Copywriter
-Voiceover Artist
-Sell your skills on Fiverr

You can also just google search for jobs that match your skill set. Check Craigslist too! Many people forget about that but I have gotten some great gigs using it.

4. Apply for Grants if you need financial help

This is a very difficult time for many. Money isn’t coming in for many people which means some can’t pay rent, buy food or even think clearly. There are so many amazing organizations offering grants right now that don’t have to be paid back so you won’t add any debt. Many of them are inundated with requests but it can’t hurt to try.

This article has a great list of grants to start applying for if you are an artist. There are various grants depending on what you need. If you need help with rent, google a grant for that. If you need help with getting food, google a grant for that.

5. Facetime a friend at least once a day.

Talking to other people is vital for me to feel connected to the outside world. I call or Facetime my sister every single day (like in the photo where I flipped my hair up to look like I had bangs haha). I get to chat with my niece of nephews sometimes too. I joke with them and sing them songs. This helps me SO much. I also live with my boyfriend and we chat a lot and watch reality TV shows together.

6. Mix it up

My boyfriend suggested we do a date night where we transform the apartment to make it different. We live in a small one-bedroom apartment in Miami Beach so we don’t have a dining room table. He suggested we take our computers off a desk and use it as a table in the middle of the living room. We will put a table cloth on it, cook an amazing dinner, dim the lights, put out some candles and have a date night that is unlike anything we have done before.

You can also send cards or letters to loved ones and friends. If you have stamps at home, you can leave the letters in your mail box without having to go to the post office at all.

For me, change and stimulation is vital. These kinds of things are super helpful!

7. Reinvent the way you work

If what you do requires others (I am a portrait/wedding photographer), find ways to change it up. I am going to do some Facetime sessions to challenge myself. If you are a solo artist but still want human interaction think of ways to do that. Set up an art Facetime date with a friend and chat while you both work on art projects. If you do administrative work, maybe still chat a bit via Facetime while you work. If you absolutely cannot do you work from home maybe focus on coming up with a side hustle that you are passionate about. Now is a great time to research that.

8. Try art for stimulation and maybe even a new artistic medium

Everyone has a creative side. This is a great time to explore that. I am a photographer and I can’t really draw or paint very well so I thought I would give it a shot. A couple nights ago I was talking to my boyfriend about my childhood home. I didn’t have a photo of it so I just drew it. It was a terrible drawing (see below) but it kept my mind occupied and I was still creating. Then I sent the drawing to my family in a group chat and we all joked about it and the things I forgot to include. Because of that one drawing I spent a few hours connecting with my boyfriend and my family over it.

9. Share your knowledge/art

Giving to others is a great way to feel connected and to help out at the same time. Offer up help with art classes, mentoring or even a financial donation if you are fortunate enough. You can also do a giveaway for an art piece or a mentoring session. If you are a designer or know how to sew, making masks for those around you is a great way to help out.

10. Learn new skills

There are also tons of free resources to learn new skills or hone the skills you already have. Here is an article about how to find the best free online class for you. Youtube is also an amazing source of information for photography, business and just art in general.

Bonus! Start a journal during this time if you haven’t already

This is a moment in history. Children will be reading about this pandemic in history books years from now. Now is a great time to write out how you feel during this time and how you are dealing with it. Take photos on a camera or smart phone. Document everything. We are living through a historical event.

I really hope this helps someone out there. I have been struggling with this much more than I thought I would but doing some of the things above has helped me get through some of the tougher days. ❤️