7 tips for staying creative – and productive – during COVID
“Adaptation is – at its core – creation”
When COVID-19 hit Dallas in March, it was of course devastating for a variety of reasons. The global health crisis and isolation we’re still experiencing now are the most important and direct impacts, but for many creative people, lockdown has also affected our communities, studios and creative practices.
I primarily work out of studio space at a community college which has many benefits, including continuous firings, low tuition, wonderful professors and a host of clay colleagues (and dear friends). I can still picture the night before Texas went on lockdown: my classmates and I had just finished up at school and we were having a night cap at the dive bar we visit every Friday, making bets on how many days we’d be away from the studio and contemplating if we should hug each other goodbye. I’m so glad we did. I’m grateful that they’re all still safe, but the hardest side effect of the pandemic has been the grief of losing those things and people, indefinitely.
I make ceramics not just because I like the outcome: my clay practice is a lifestyle and very closely tied to my mental health, so I quickly realized that I had to pivot to stay engaged. Luckily, even before COVID, I decided to focus mostly on making jewelry pieces and set up a small space in my apartment to be able to do more at home. Even so, I do a decent amount of throwing in the studio but have no wheel or kiln at home, so my set up didn’t prepare me to figure out how I’d work from home for months on end.
If your studio is still closed or you’re high risk and not able to go back just yet, here are a few things to think about to keep you inspired and productive in your clay practice from home.
1. Keep a journal for your ideas and goals
I use the Paper for Ipad to capture my ideas for jewelry and pots.
My humble home studio space.
Even when we’re not in a pandemic, journaling is always a good idea to keep track of random ideas, experiments and techniques that worked.
I keep a digital sketch book on the premium version of the Paper app and have for a few years now (the free version is just fine, but the paid version lets you pull up your sketches on any device for about $10 bucks annually). I document my ideas in two categories: things I can make now, and things I can create when (not if) I’m back in the studio. Having that parking lot helps me feel like I’m not losing any time. I already know what to execute on when I get my hands on a wheel.
2. Set up your workspace for success
Figure out what you want to make on your “now” list, then decide how you need to organize everything to get started. For me, a storage system is key to keep my raw mason stains, greenware and bisque pieces, completed beads and finished work (whew…) organized.
I actually have two main ways to hold all my junk: the Alex rolling drawer unit from Ikea serves both as my working space for wet clay and holds all of my clay supplies, and I have a few portable, modular storage boxes where I store completed work and brass parts. When I’m not making, everything has a place and is out of sight.
3. Try another way to create:
If you’re normally a wheel thrower, try hand building. If clay really isn’t a possibility for you, try drawing, painting or just capturing inspiration on a Pinterest board regularly to keep your creative juices flowing. This is the perfect time to experiment. For example, at my normal studio, I fire in a Cone 10 gas kiln because that’s what’s available to me, but because I’ve had to find lower-fire options during quarantine, I’ve actually realized that my colors – including the beautiful yellows I’ve been trying to get for years - are so much more vivid in mid-range (Cone 6). With that -
4. Find another place to fire:
If you’re kiln-less like me and your studio space is still closed, you’ll need to do a bit of hunting to find another place to fire. I was blessed and grateful that a friend offered to bisque and glaze fire some of my initial quarantine work, which helped me realize that continuing to work would be sustainable. If you’re lucky enough to have a kiln at home and a bit of space in your next load, consider sharing or selling that space to other local artists who may be in a hard spot.
Check with clay supply/hobby shops or other industrial ceramic manufacturers nearby to see if they are open to firing work for you. I’ve started to take my pieces to Trinity Ceramics, which is our local supply store here in Dallas. It’s a bit more expensive ($20-40 per firing so far) and slower than I’m used to, but I’m also not paying tuition so it’s worth it to stay working. It can be a hassle to transport greenware and bisque to and from home, but it’s less risky than you’d think. Just be careful and -
5. Hold on to those Amazon boxes.
I’ve had a bit of an online shopping problem during quarantine and I’m sure you have too – even if it’s just getting groceries delivered. Get some second life out of boxes by using them to hold pieces you’re working on or to transport them for firing.
The long, flat ones that come from ordering books are best for me because I need to lay each of my glazed beads flat and don’t need a ton of height on those boxes. Either way, it gives me a thrill getting a package because I know I’ll get an extra use out of the containers.
6. Save your drains – please
Unless you’ve installed one, your home drains won’t have a clay trap. Microparticles of clay in the water will still accumulate in your pipes, so putting slippy water in your sinks is a huge no-no, especially if you’re renting.
Luckily, clay separates from water pretty quickly – thanks gravity. I let my dirty water buckets sink for a day or two, then siphon off the cleaner water with a syringe or ladle, then throw the clay in the trash. I’m usually mixing colored slips so I don’t reclaim, but that’s totally an option too if you do.
7. Schedule your creative time like a meeting
I’ve heard this said about workouts, but just like yoga, clay is a practice for me. I don’t miss my evening or weekend clay dates with myself, and I try to touch clay in some way (mixing, forming, sanding or glazing) 5 days a week – if for no other reason than its in arms reach.
If like me clay is not your full-time gig, I’d highly recommend taking mini clay breaks throughout the day. Some days, I take 15 minutes between a block of meetings to make something small, like this hand full of “worry beads.” You’d be shocked how refreshing that brain break can be, and how much those little trinkets add up over the weeks.
Since March, I’ve learned that adaptation is – at its core – creation. My practice is flexible in ways I never imagined. Your new rhythm is exactly that – yours. Invest the time now to find it.