Here where I am, in the San Francisco Bay Area, things have started opening up after the intense shelter-in-place.
Last weekend was a long weekend with Monday off for Memorial Day, a national holiday to remember the men and women who gave their lives while serving in the military. Because it was a holiday, this weekend saw lots of people heading to beaches and parks here in the Bay Area and in California in general.
Not all of them seemed to follow social distancing guidelines.
In the past few weeks, I have had my share of overwhelming moments. And now as we start to open up, I have definitely had some anxious thoughts.
But in this post, I want to talk about something else. The past few months have also had a silver lining for me. When the quarantine started, I had already been in “hermit mode” for a while, and I knew that if I kept that up during this time, I would just end up feeling low and dispirited.
So, I consciously decided that I wanted to connect more and looked for online events, classes and meetups that I wanted to participate in. I thought about what felt right and which people I might feel good with.
So, in the past few months, I have ended up connecting with several new people. I have deepened some relationships. And I have also learned new things about creativity and my own creative process that has felt like growth.
Recently, it’s been SO REWARDING to do the free listening sessions I have been doing in the past month and a half. I wanted to make a creative offering of my own during this pandemic, so I decided I would do free sessions with creatives who might get something out of my journey.
These sessions helped me share some things I have discovered. They also expanded my world. Now, I want to watch Studio Ghibli movies, delve deeper into Japanese folktales and comedy writing, and create work that answers some of the questions I was asked.
These sessions also gave me a chance to talk to people I wouldn’t have connected with otherwise. I have talked to multi-passionate writers who live throughout North America and some writers who live around the world. It’s good to live in a time where physical distance doesn’t stop us from connecting and learning!
I feel inspired after connecting with these kindred spirits. For a little while, I got to dip my brush in the inkwell of their creative lives.
Now, I have some more sessions already booked for June. With these and my regular coaching practice and the book I am working on, the next month is going to be a pretty hectic time. So, I am going to start slowing down again. I feel a need to focus on my writing and for me, that often means “hermit mode.”
But I have also realized that I love interacting one-on-one with people. I thrive on connection, so I am going to make space for that in some other ways.
I wanted to share this in case you might be feeling isolated right now.
As an immigrant and a very private person, I have had many lonely times in the past. I know that when disconnection happens, it can leave us feeling stranded. So, I wanted to share this and say that right now is actually a GREAT time to meet like-minded people.
Lots of creatives are offering free or discounted sessions and offering ways to connect in community. So, if there is anyone you like or admire that has an online presence — writers, painters, photographers, quilters, bakers, any person of any stripe — pick 10-15 of them and sign up for their newsletters.
I can almost guarantee that you will find something interesting — a class or a live Q&A — that gives you a chance to connect and reach out to kindred spirits.
Remember, we are ALL feeling the need to connect right now. We ALL need positive energy. We ALL need good things to focus on.
So, while this is a very chaotic and uncertain time, there are also seeds of new connections sprouting everywhere. So, go find your tribe. Go find your people. Go learn something you have always wanted to learn.
These connections will make you more resilient. They will give you a creative space to focus on, and they will shift your attention from the negativity that can overwhelm us as sensitives.
I hope, if you are struggling, that you see that this time is about physical distancing, not actual social distancing. It might even become a time that shows you that you can dig deep, a time that helps you pause and rest, and maybe, even a time in which you create.
Create small. Take baby steps. Be a turtle.
Remember, turtles get where they want to go. And the journey matters as much as where we are all heading.
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