Create in Times of Uncertainty

This article is a response to a tag by Helen Boss and Aurora Eliam, CMP and many others to answer questions about the lockdown. I am honored to answer them. Thank you guys, I appreciate this gesture. It makes me feel like I am a part of a writing community.

Here we go from Granada, Spain my answers to the questions …

What have you missed the most during this lockdown?

For myself I didn’t really miss anything. Only my husband but besides that nothing else. Actually, I felt content and at peace. I didn’t feel like I am in inconvenience or I changed my life drastically. Also, I enjoyed the time with my daughter.

What is the best thing about being in a lockdown?

The best thing was that I could focus only on my creation. I don’t remember since as a child that I had so much time on my hands to use solely for a creation.

What has been the worst thing about being in lockdown?

The worst thing is still that my husband can’t return home to Spain from California and the uncertainty of when he will be able to. I still don’t know. I hope, it will be in July of this year.

Who would you have liked to host in your home during the lockdown and why?

I started to read the post-war existentialist philosophers. I guess during the pandemic the question of existentialism comes up often. I would love to host philosophers like Sarte and many others from that era.

Why?

Because I started to ask the same questions as they did post WWII. For example, questions about the meaning of life, freedom, and authenticity.

What have you discovered about yourself in the lockdown?

I have discovered that if I ever end up in jail, I will do very well. I didn’t mind being in my own world of creativity.

What did you eat (or drink) the most during the lockdown?

I continued in my Mediterranean Diet as usual. I made delicious Elderflower syrup from the flowers picked up behind the Alhambra Palace.

Apart from sleeping and working, what activities did you undertake the most during the lockdown?

Besides spending time with my daughter, I wrote and published 18 articles on Medium and created 7 paintings. Also, I read a lot and talked for many hours on the phone with family and friends.

Will you come out of lockdown heavier or lighter?

I am lighter because of the Mediterranean Diet which is basically fish and veggies. Also, I didn’t feel hungry during the lockdown or have the need to snack.

What resource has helped you the most during the lockdown?

My phone, and the computer. I loved reading the Medium stories. I bought a little TV before the pandemic; we didn’t own one before. And it was good we did. My daughter and I enjoyed shows together.

What is your top tip for other people in lockdown right now?

Relax and enjoy the stillness and slowness. It may be your first and last chance when you got plenty of time to reflect and look back. Create. Enjoy.

How has lockdown changed you?

My old world is gone with all my plans. I planned to buy a B&B in Italy this year, but I decided to confront the future. Now, I am settling to go and live off-grid, here in beautiful Spain. I truly feel at home here, since I stepped into this magical city called Granada.

During the lockdown, I became more introverted. I lost my worldly desires; I am just content with what I have and what is important to me.

If you were to leave a ‘message in a bottle’ for the future, what would you say?

You need only two things in life: shelter, food, and good company (family and friends). All other stuff is just a luxury. You can live without it.

Helen Boss had acronym Faith and Tim Maudlin had Hope and my Acronym during this lockdown is CREATE:

C- Create

R- Rest and Reflect

E- Evaluate

A- Ask

T- Think

E- Explain

“There is no wealth but life.” John Ruskin

Sharing this with some of our common friends: Gurpreet Dhariwal, Henery X (long), Ksenia Sein, Paul Myers MBA, Kathryn A. LeRoy, Ph.D., Desiree Driesenaar, Trista Ainsworth, Salam Khan, René Junge, Rasheed Hooda, Peg Duchesne, MaryJo Wagner, Jessica Cote, Melody Campbell, Cynthia Charleen Alexander, Helen Boss, Aurora Eliam, CMP, Karen Madej 💛, Chris Hedges, PlainTalkBadManners, Lucy Milanova, Amy Marley, Ryan Frawley, Michele Thill, KeepingItRealWithAnnick.