Finding Creative Inspiration in a Lockdown Environment: 7 Must-Dos to Bring in Artful Thoughts

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The pandemic took away our freedom of traveling. With restrictions on even stepping out of our house. In times like these, architects faced a tough time getting their source of inspiration due to less outdoor and more screen time.

A design can be inspired by even the tiniest element present around us. Be it a crumpled leaf or a bird building her nest, there’s no limit to the inspirational ideas around us. Even for those with brilliant ideas in their heads all the time, lockdown imposed a creativity block. With so much going around the world and mental complexity, there was no trace of inspiration during the early lockdown stages. Architecture and design faced a major challenge during this time.

Moreover, being a socially responsible profession, there surged a demand to offer a new definition to architecture with the current lifestyle and safety needs. “Floor plans will look different, be more flexible and space allocation will be adjusted. Companies will want the ability to quickly modify and scale their workplaces in the case that something like this were to happen again in the future,” mentioned Framery, a pods manufacturer company.

Though initial stages were the state of disconnect with people and ideas, architects turned the situation in their favor. Remote working proved to be a boon for creative fields in numerous ways.

Are you bearing a torchlight to search for creative inspiration? We know exactly where to start to keep you going and creating. Let’s explore!
7 Must-Dos to Bring in Creative Thoughts in your Creative Mind
The COVID outbreak brought with it a wave of anxiety and stress. Having taken a toll on the mental health of most people, designers have been most affected by the situation. Since we have no control over the natural situations that come, we can pave our path to keep the creative juices flowing.

Find your creative inspiration with these 7 tips and take a dose of optimism no matter what comes your way!

Keep Learning, Keep Growing!

Learning never stops! While the motivation seems lost somewhere, stay updated and indulge in virtual learning to expand your horizon. Whether it’s a skill you’ve been aiming to attain, a subject you’ve always wished to learn, this is the time to ace it.

With slow working and more free time, make productive use of it and participate in webinars, listen to podcasts, or enroll in an online course. Various firms have stepped ahead to offer online learning. The UK Green Building Council released a virtual learning portfolio to educate people on the norms. Webinars, masterclasses, and podcasts are the new-age books!

Explore via the Digital Realm

Owing to the advanced technology, lockdown didn’t feel much locked up as there was a connection established through the digital world. People from all over the world connected through online meeting platforms to share their thoughts and to keep the ideas flowing.

Explore the creative communities online and add to your plate a diet of discussions. The 100 Day studio by Architecture foundation offers insightful talks via their YouTube channel. Other than getting indulged in lectures, you can also explore museums virtually. There are hundreds of ways to stay inspired once you get a hold of online platforms.

Create a barrier between Work and Life

Working from home doesn’t mean a mix-up of personal life with professional life. Dedicate a nook for your home office to boost productivity and place it in a manner that makes you creative. Work on the ergonomics to make your seating highly comfortable, as the more the comfort, the more productive you will be.

The key is to mark a barrier between your work and personal life. A healthy balance will prevent burnouts and offer you the pleasure to enjoy family time along with managing work. Don’t forget to take breaks to stay fresh.

Daily Catch-ups and Design Discussions

“The scale of this shift is just unprecedented and will surely lead to new ways of working. We are learning new styles of management that depend on the ability to disperse assignments efficiently across team members and rely on their deliverables without as much supervision or guidance as normal,” mentioned Sheela Søgaard from BIG.

Remote working is something new that has been introduced in every organization. No one ever anticipated the work from home to be a part of the normal routine. While the physical connection cannot be there at all times, hold daily catch-up meetings to keep a track of the work status.

Virtual design discussions can be more fun than conventional ones. Present your ideas on the screen through means of 3D models, make use of all the tools presented to you, and enjoy an interactive design discussion with active participation for all the team members. Use your daily catch-up sessions for informal discussions as well to keep spreading the positive vibes in this need of the hour.

Stay Calm with Mindful Exercises

One of the most important things to keep you going is practicing mindfulness. Don’t overwhelm yourself with work and follow mindful exercises to cope with the stress and anxiety. There’s a mental wellbeing toolkit being offered by The Architect’s Mental Wellbeing Forum curated to keep you sane and productive.

Set the new ‘Working hours’

Assess the hours of the day you’re most productive at and take the flexibility as an opportunity to set your working hours. Based on which time of the day gets work done faster by you, accomplish your tasks, and use the rest of the hours for learning or relaxing. The best part of the work from home culture is the flexible working hours with leftover time to invest in doing what helps you grow.

Embrace the Ordinary Little Things

Although you might witness a lot of negative news from what’s happening around you, there are still little things to embrace. Enjoy your favorite music, take a stroll on your lawn, and appreciate the beauty nature has to offer. This one-time chance of spending so much time with your family is enough to keep us all going with a smile on our faces.

The Positive Takeaways from the Pandemic

Every negative situation comes with a little ray of hope and optimism. And the same has been the case in this history that has been made. The daily hustle-bustle had become too overwhelming and lockdown offered us that much-needed break to connect with ourselves and our families.

Apart from the personal advantages, there has been a shift in the design ideology as well. Architects and designers are more centered on spaces that heal. An architecture that soothes you, calms your mind, and makes you productive is the core concept in the new-age structures.

“We will eventually devote more resources to help us congregate and to strengthen our frayed community bonds, be it through parks, plazas, promenades, community centers or streets turned over to pedestrians,” stated Sam Lubell from Los Angeles Times. https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/industry/covid19-city-design/

Space planning is all about welcoming nature inside our homes or workplaces. The pandemic was a big challenge to the architectural community to serve the society and with brilliant ideas like Social Distancing Park by Studio Precht, Day Mode layout by AD-APT, the designers have outdone themselves. Rather than just catering to the needs of society, they’ve taken care of nature as well, which takes us a step ahead towards greener structures.

Find your Zen, Keep Building!


References:
https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/rtf-fresh-perspectives/a1025-10-things-lockdown-taught-architects-about-designing-homes/

https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/industry/covid19-city-design/
https://www.provokemedia.com/long-reads/article/how-to-find-creative-inspiration-through-covid-19
https://www.conceptculture.co/insights-blog/five-tips-for-creatives-to-stay-inspired-during-lockdown

https://www.archdaily.com/936082/tips-for-architects-working-at-home-during-covid-19