{"id":7894,"date":"2020-05-18T14:12:24","date_gmt":"2020-05-18T18:12:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/?p=7894"},"modified":"2021-04-21T11:15:04","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T15:15:04","slug":"designers-how-to-stay-productive-quarantine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/designers-how-to-stay-productive-quarantine\/","title":{"rendered":"Creativity in Captivity: How These Quarantined Creatives Are Staying Inspired and Productive"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 6<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

When America began sheltering in place<\/a> in March, there was an anticipatory buzz across the more optimistic corners of the Internet\u2014this was going to be a time of immense productivity. Forbes<\/em> touted the benefits of becoming a \u201ccoronapreneur<\/a>,\u201d and DIY home improvement<\/a> supplies were selling out. For creatives, in particular, there was a sense that this could be a long-sought rainy day\u2014an ideal time for both lofty ambitions like home remodeling and for more attainable ones like organizing files in Illustrator. We’d know how to be productive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the stress of the pandemic<\/a> has had a more significant effect on workers than originally anticipated, especially those who are left to supervise their children\u2019s education, and the economic fallout has left a lot of freelancers worried about their next paycheck. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But designers still have work to do, and we wanted to find out how they were getting it done. We spoke to a few artists and designers to hear some of their creative solutions for dealing with the pandemic blues and harnessing their productive power\u2014for their day jobs or side hustles\u2014during quarantine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Picking up new skills, shedding old habits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While nonessential businesses are shuttered and the streets are quiet, there\u2019s no better time to learn a new creative skill. \u201cIt\u2019s a good opportunity to teach yourself a new software or computer skill if that\u2019s something that interests you,\u201d said Vincent Fileccia<\/a>, an NYC-based brand designer at online bank Current<\/a>. When he\u2019s not on deadline for Current, he\u2019s doing just that\u2014teaching himself how to use the web building tool Webflow<\/a>. \u201cLearning how to use Webflow has been exciting,\u201d he said, \u201cbecause I can take this going forward and use this tool with other clients.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LA-based artist and designer Faye Orlove<\/a> has also been spending time in self-quarantine working on her software skills, and recommends the digital illustration tool Procreate<\/a>, for those with an iPad. She also redid her website<\/a> and organized her files: \u201cmy desktop has never been so tidy!\u201d she wrote in an email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designer and illustrator Naomi Otsu<\/a> has also been turning to illustration while sheltering-in-place\u2014and she\u2019s found a funny trend in the work that she\u2019s been producing. While she\u2019s always been drawn to anthropomorphizing in her work\u2014she said it\u2019s \u201ckind of my thing\u201d\u2014she\u2019s found that self-quarantine has left her seeing faces everywhere: \u201cMaybe it’s a weird imagining of my friends, the people around me, living things around me, because everything is so quiet,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Naomi Otsu (@naomiotsu)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>