Just Because You’re In Lockdown, Doesn’t Mean Your Ideas Have To Be

Lockdown sucks.

There’s no other way to describe it.

I have four unfinished blogs, one unfinished digital course and a whole lot of abandoned emails.

And the reason?

The absolute fuckery of this world.

It’s so hard to be motivated, inspired, driven and creative when the rug is constantly pulled out from under you.

Right this second I’m sitting here staring at my screen.

At this moment, I’m a writer, who can’t write.

Maybe you feel the same too.

You find yourself staring blankly into your phone screen, or your fridge, or at your TV. Feeling like everything is on hold, or moving in slow motion.

You may have begun to wonder if you can even remember what it felt like to live a ‘normal’ life.

You ache for the simple things.

To see loved ones. To travel. To dance at a concert.

And for some of you… you just want to send your kids to fucking school.

Right now, life seems bleak.

Like we’re only halfway up a mountain, we’re out of water and we’ve lost a shoe.

So in other words… it feels like we’re fucked.

And that feeling makes our thoughts foggy.

Our brains have switched to survival mode.

But there’s this weird paradox, because at the same time, you can see things clearly.

What really matters.

Who really matters.

And does any of this actually matter?

Deep.

At first, the arrival of the pandemic scared me.

I thought it would signal the end of my creative comms agency – I rationalised that irrational thought by thinking that my clients wouldn’t stick around. But as time went on, I realised they needed me as much as I needed them.

Once I realised that my livelihood was indeed going to survive (colour me extremely grateful), a freaky thing happened…

While everyone was wondering how to adapt to isolation, to work from home, and stay indoors… I found that I didn’t find it that difficult.

I wondered if that was because I didn’t have to expel energy on the mundane things that I found exhausting.

Like grabbing coffee with someone who wanted to ‘pick my brain’. Or attending mundane networking events at the expense of time with my family.

Or even simply showing up even when I didn’t feel too well.

But this time around, I’ve found lockdown more challenging.

And I’ve been struggling to work out why. Because I thought nothing had changed.

But tonight I finally figured out why this time around felt different.

Last year, when this shit show began, I created this very website.

It fed me creatively, and was something that I could control.

It was new, it was exciting, it felt right.

This time around, I haven’t created anything.

And that lack of creation has made me feel bland. Mediocre.

Worthless.

And so right now, I need to dig deep.

Because, damn, writing makes me feel good.

It helps me to keep going.

And I hope you do too.

Use this time to keep going.

Keep moving. Keep dreaming. Keep creating.

Whatever it is, just keep going.

• Start that project.

• Build upon that idea.

• Read. Write. Play.

Whatever the fuck it is, recognise that you’re in charge of this life.

Take ownership of it, and make it your bitch.

Right now, the way you apply yourself, your time, your skills, your expertise, is crucial.

Just keep going.

You need recognise that even the smallest of steps in the right direction, can lead to the biggest step of your life.

I know things are heavy right now, but remember it’s not the load that breaks you, it’s the way you carry it.

So while you’re physically stuck in lockdown, it doesn’t mean your ideas have to be.

Keep going. I will too.