About a year ago, if you ask any person, not one of them would have probably predicted the unusual state we’re in today. If you posed the question, “what do you plan to do a year from now?” in September 2019, we’re certain you’d have gotten answers like go on a vacation, visit parents back home, attend the Venice Film Festival, or keep busy at work.
But, alas, the coronavirus happened and paralyzed the entire world. With industries shut down, people were sent to their homes to keep themselves from contracting — and transmitting — the virus.
The long time spent in lockdown would have driven any normal person crazy if not for the relief and therapy we found in arts and media. What was taken for granted before has now become a valuable commodity and tool in fighting off depression and anxiety.
When the world was brought to its knees, we all turned to artists for help.
Unconventional Entertainment as Expected from Brilliant Creative Minds
Since the lockdowns started, we have seen news all over social media about how different types of artists kept people’s hopes up with their art.
With the cancellation of concerts, events, and festivals, performing artists — whose work usually took place in public spaces — had no means of income, unlike white-collar workers who can still do remote work. Still, they wanted to do their share and help out in their own way. A good example is when American cellist, Yo Yo Ma, performed live on the internet in the confines of his living room, or the time rock legend Jon Bon Jovi wrote a song about the pandemic and encouraged us all to do what we can if we can’t do what we do.
Those who draw (traditional or digital), paint, and do product and brand design for a living have also started their own YouTube channels to help people who want to start picking up a hobby and learning something that would boost their career.
Instances like these make it easier for us to spend long days locked up inside our homes with not much to do. One can only bake or do home improvements so much. Inevitably, we picked up a book, turned on our TVs, and danced to songs on TikTok to keep us sane.
A Necessity Amid This Sanitary, Social, and Financial Crisis
As we all adjust to this new reality, more people find solace and comfort in things that are familiar to us when we were kids. We’re doing more reading, putting pen to paper to write poems or draw, splashing paint on canvases, getting silly with our kids dancing to upbeat songs, and other artistic and creative activities.
These things do more than just keep us entertained and help us pass the time. They provide some sort of release for us, especially when we’re about to fall apart at the seams not knowing how tomorrow will look like. It provides therapy that fosters our mental health and well-being. It allows us to express our emotions, thoughts, and frustrations and helps us deal with stress and depression healthily.
While we’re still getting used to enjoying the arts and creatives away from the public spaces we usually see them in, they have brought the world together and given us all a glimmer of hope that there is always something beautiful and pleasant in our day if we only choose to look for it.
Enjoy their creativity or work on improving yours. Either way, you will end up feeling optimistic and better about yourself and your circumstances.
More than just providing us with entertainment and encouragement, artists have inspired us to be more creative with our time and resources at home. They have also lifted our spirits up and brought hope in times of despair. So the next time you downplay the arts saying that it has no real contribution to society unlike science, think again. Remember that in one of modern history’s darkest moments, you turned to artists to help get you through.
