This pandemic has required us to stay at home for the unforeseeable future. In the first couple of months, non-essential businesses were forced to close, prompting workers to stay home with nothing to do. Schools closed as well, leaving parents to guide their kids on distance learning. We were suddenly left with a lot of time on our hands, with anything we wanted to do already in our grasp – start a hobby, get that much-needed house and spring cleaning done, and make good of all the unexpected time on our hands. One way that many people got productive was dabbling in art.
Pandemics of centuries past
This surreal time in our lives – the coronavirus pandemic – is not the first one in the history of the world. Think of the 1918 flu pandemic. There also have been other times when quarantines for various reasons were implemented, and artists during those times used their time at home to create beautiful art, including Frida Kahlo and Shakespeare. Imagine the old times when people had to stay at home without the Internet, phones, and TV. We are still somehow lucky that when we had to shelter in place, we have recreational activities at our disposal.
Corona-virus inspired art abound during quarantine
Artists and amateurs alike took this time to create art inspired by the current situation. They depicted medical and non-medical front-liners as the real heroes of the generation—some created street art covering walls that show how we are struggling with the card dealt with us. There is no shortage of pandemic-inspired art these days. Even though there were strict stay-at-home protocols, artists went out onto uncrowded streets to create murals and graffiti that show their tribute and gratefulness to everyone on the front lines battling this virus.
Disruptions in everyday life made way for creative juices to flow
Because we had time at home to declutter, clean, and organize, our creative juices to create art and other things began to flow freely. The sudden lockdown orders may have disrupted our daily routine – no longer waking up early to go to work and school and getting home late super tired, running from one sports practice to take your kids to another – but there was good in the disruptions besides letting our creativity and imagination run wild. We were also able to spend unhampered time with family and getting to know each other again without the cloud of work and school hanging over our heads. Everyday situations during the quarantine were used as inspirations to create fantastic art.
It is not just artworks that people are busy with these days. They are able to complete tasks at home that they have been putting off because of their busy work schedules. They also now have time to start new hobbies that they have been wanting. Some turned to business they offer online. There were so many things that we could have started when the world went on lockdown in mid-March.
Photo Attribution:
1st and featured image from https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1588851841178-a845bdb3ba70?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=crop&w=2000&q=80
2nd image from https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1584127050037-746c151b9284?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=crop&w=600&q=60
