CREATIVES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Two questions;
What Is Your Perspective, And How Are You Adapting
Elvis Rios (@elvislikesphotos)
“ I think this is an important time to reflect and see what makes you happy. I truly believe this will go down in history as a turning point for humanity. No question this is a terrible time period for people, but with trauma, beauty can flourish. I think the most creative minds will innovate and create something amazing from this.
Although I am still working (essential worker), I still have more time to create. I am taking the time to document an ongoing series call “COVID FILMS” where I show my perspective on the everyday life and how it is progressively getting affected. I think documenting is an important part of life and should be done to show people how life was really like. I want to be able to refer back to this time period decades from now and see how much i’ve grown, and the world.
I am using this time to further create the bases for my vision for CREATOR’S BLOC. Story telling is the most important thing we have. It’s how we learn and improve and being part of something bigger is what we all strive for. CREATOR’S BLOC is meant unite those two concepts and build a collective where all grow together while creating our own history in the process. The most influential people of the world started somewhere, and the most impactful people of the next 30-40 years are starting today. CREATOR’S BLOC will be the start point for many great minds all collectively working together for the next generation. My vision is to create a collective and platform for creatives to tell their story. ”
Briana Sista (@brianasista)
“ Even though it’s out of our control, this hit at a pretty harsh time for me. I had a lot of projects and videos lined up the weeks following quarantine. Unfortunately, I had to cancel some big passion projects I worked so hard to put together. It was a little upsetting at first, but I just hope we all heal from this sooner than later and can get back up working. As someone who is constantly out and about, and meeting new people, this took a toll on me. The first few weeks were hard to adapt; not having anything to wake up to was very new to me. Mentally, this has been a bit of a struggle for me, but nothing I can’t get through. I decided this was the perfect time to really focus on myself and the things I love. Trying to keep the mind occupied with things I wouldn’t usually do in my everyday life. These can be very productive times for people, or very relaxing- and I think either is perfectly fine. These are really hard times, mentally, financially, in a lot of aspects. . I can only hope everybody is doing their best to stay home and lessen the curve. The more we practice social distancing now, the quicker we can get things back to normal! “
Aiyana (@
aiyanafig
)
“ Let’s just start off by saying wow. I hope everyone is staying as safe as possible and i hope everyone who is reading this is healthy.
We are all going through this collectively and i can only assume the toll it’s taking on us as individuals. Prior to this, a lot of us never had to really worry about ourselves and our family’s constant safety for leaving the house, traveling, worry about going into a hospital, worry about going into stores or being surrounded by people, but now.. this is a whole new way of life.
Prior to this, a lot of my month was taken up by all sort of things like photo shoots, music videos, designing clothes, meetings and events for my clothing brand @vinyana.global etc. I had a grand opening pop up into another store, huge shoots with lots of women in honor for women’s independence, and my first commercial for Vinyana Global etc etc, but it seems everything had to come to this huge pause.
We’ve all had to come to this huge halt. With society’s constant conditioning that we always have to be constantly and consistently doing something, all day every day scheduled in increments, has people now feeling as if they’re going stir crazy in their homes. It seems that this has made everyone have to prioritize a little differently and adjust their perspective on what it’s like to really just be. Sort of like a lot of our ancestors lived in the old days. My boyfriend and I have been learning and practicing survival skills, like bushcraft, gardening, and camping on our Youtube Channel: Yana & Josh TV because our mental state has shifted. Ive started making my own masks for people to protect themselves and to donate them to medical facilities because there’s such a demand for them. People are now learning how to make things for themselves, like homemade hand sanitizers, masks, immune system remedies etc. But with all of this going on it’s always important to see a positive side of things and whether we see the grass a little greener is our choice. Once we really have come to that state of acceptance, It really is kind of beautiful not having to have an alarm set, getting time to do new and exciting things for the sake of just doing so, learning how to give time to nourish yourself and your body. We’re adapting to this new way of life not only for the time being but this is always going to remain in our minds. We’ve all had to learn and accept that not everything is about work, and social media, and everything else we thought it was about. It’s about being healthy, being safe, making sure we’re all alive and breathing. For those of you that are home, we are not stuck at home we are safe at home, and because of that we are truly blessed. It’s so sad to see so much death throughout this global pandemic and so it’s so important to learn to value life more than anything. That’s legitimately is all that matters.
Keep working on your crafts, keep inspiring yourself, but remember, take time to breathe, take time to be. Watch other podcasts and videos, not just the News. Take time resting and enjoying the present moment. And take this as an opportunity to work on yourself and your mental health during this time!
MUCH LOVE XOXO
@aiyanafig @vinyana.global “
Josh Espinal (@icapturethat)
“ Before the infamous covid-19 took the world by storm I was working on consistently shooting, I shot weddings every weekend and during the week I shot picture day photos for preschoolers which allowed me to be in different realms of photography and work with very different people on a daily basis on top of that my gf Aiyana and I shoot often to get published and we do YouTube videos as well, going through this time We’ve definitely gotten into prepping, seeing that everyday life could change at the snap of a finger and if it does we must be ready to face what’s to come not to look at it with fear but with confidence that no matter what we are okay, positivity and the ability to stay calm when everything else is crazy will be the difference in times of uncertainty.
I have been looking at different outlets of information instead of looking at the mainstream news I’ve come across talk shows like The London Real and the last episode with David Icke was mysteriously taken down off of YouTube and Brian Roses website he’s been uploading it again and again to make sure people can watch it and I must say it’s very interesting they bring up the question if 5G and Covid -19 are connected. Recommend watching it and make up you own mind, if you don’t have time for 2 hrs (we all do) watch the last 20 mins.
I have my doubts about something’s so please do your research and don’t just feed off the News on TV ”
Manny Rodriguez (@supermanny)
“ Hi! Nice to meet you all. I’m Super Manny, Creative Director at Disrupt and Host of the Super Creators Podcast.
Where I was: So before the pandemic hit I was mostly working on Photoshoots during the weekends and editing video during the week. That was my everyday. I actually had a lot of gigs booked for the next few months and I was really excited to travel and work on these projects…until the quarantine hit.
Where I am:So with future travel plans postponed and no more photoshoots, I was again at a standstill. At first I was a bit worried because well I have to work, bills have to be paid. Then I quickly realized that if I, as a creator, cannot survive during a pandemic than my business and systems need to change. I immediately started to brainstorm and write down ideas and build out my “perfect scenario” and it all came down to my original mission of Helping creatives find their Superpowers.
Where I am heading: My plan now is to shift all of my efforts to online and building my personal brand as well as the Super Creators community. All of my content will now be around helping creatives grow as a person not just with tech, gear, or skills. I believe amazing ability is hidden within everyone so I want to be there to encourage and inspire people to be their best.
best of luck to everyone during these trying times and remember “Each and everyone of you are Super Creators. You just have to go and find your Super power!”
Lets connect on
IG: https://www.instagram.com/supermanny54/
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdBMCEk8PF4rpRmxF-Jhwpg/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/supermanny54
Only fans: jk jk jk “
Felix Perez (@fe_94_)
“ If you bleed, isn’t the color red? We share the same oxygen that keeps our blood cells alive. You see in our body system, one can’t work without the other. So to say that how can I even think every individual can all just be in an agreement of the same thing at the same time, sounds astonishing. An unbalance within the structure of a civilization which competes with others. Don’t you think As a “civilized society”, shouldn’t we be on that plain sight of common sense of connecting the dots? How can we if we’re too busy with what’s happening in our lives to think such a way. The way I see it, it’s obvious everyone is distracted by life’s daily essentials. Goals, financial comfort, lifestyle, or simply anything we put our attention to that’ll just keep us busy. It’s all fine and whatnot but how can know what’s going on beyond of?
Of course so much can be overwhelming but how else can it if as a human being that is curious on how the limitations of a specie with intellect can go? I question on how much truth is filtered out through this life tho some of it is right in front of you with the littlest detail it provides to convince you otherwise. Saying that I truly believe that the impact of this unimaginable event could have been foreseen if only those can put away their differences in what they choose to believe in. I see it ironic for the fact that our technological advances hasn’t reach yet met that preparation to such an event that could take toll on more than half of humanity.
Yet we all use it for momentarily needs. We use some of these to our own advantages believing it’ll can/will help us. To the point where we depend on it as it is another extension of our body. Now it seems that comfort is what everyone looks forward to. But what’s life without challenges to mold our perspective on it. Yet we all bicker on how we should consume our nutrition. Regardless that we just need to do anything to survive. Nothing will be the same “
Vohnverez (@
vohnverez
)
“ My plans before quarantine, shit thinking back i can remember a lot of it lol but i did have a few experiences in the plans, besides photography i organize events or experiences for the arts community in Las Vegas. being April was my vibe month for the last five years i’ve done something for birthday celebration, not too much of a turn up or party but more of a culture gathering for creatives, i’m sure this happened for the better though.
at first it was surreal seeing the strip and all our casinos slowly closing down, i was still creating capturing what was happening around m e and setting up shoots until maybe beginning of April when things started getting worse, it wasn’t til maybe a month into quarantine until i decided to just stay home for the safety of my son and elders but honestly spending a lot of time to self and family has been needed. it was a living day to day thing without making plans or shooting, i started to question what i would do after or how i can create but be safe. i came across a few photographers from different states even other countries creating through a new medium via FaceTime and video chats, it seemed like a crazy idea but it really inspired me to create and set a vibe from right at home. it’s still crazy, i would have never thought of having a shoot via FaceTime now i won’t ever have to leave home and can create with muses from other states or countries. the possibilities are endless now. this whole situation opened my eyes to appreciate the moment, time is just a perception and no matter the circumstances nothing should prevail you from doing what you love to do. ”
Antonio Castella (@toni__tonez)
“ Adapting to the isolation has been easy for me since I’ve always been a bit of an introvert. The transition was eased by knowing about the corona virus since January. I understand the lockdown is needed to minimize the deaths of people and that should be the main priority. Shout-out to the Doctors and nurses that have been putting in the work to save lives. The people who’ve made supplies and assisted in the whole process too. They have shown that the American people are ready to help and support each other when something goes down.
However I don’t like that politicians are gonna use this situation to take advantage of us and gain more power, like they usually do. Most politicians and mainstream media outlets push fear to affect your mentality and control you for their own benefit. They also like to use lies and distractions. Think about how they don’t bring up ways to keep your body healthy and how it’s important for fighting the virus, but will tell you to stay home all day and give up your freedoms. They won’t talk about how we’ve tested the most people but have way less daily deaths than other countries. They’ll talk about the death numbers all day but a lot of hospitals are being directed to label people who have died from other causes as probable/presumed COVID deaths, especially pneumonia. There are most likely way more cases than we’ve tested making the death percentage way less than the current number they’re saying. Notice what they choose to shove in our face compared to what they choose to not even mention.
Please try to stay healthy both physically and mentally. It’ll take some times but things will be ok again, how long this’ll last is up to us. Rest In Peace to those that have died from the corona virus. ”
Blas Reinoso (@flvrenuf)
“ What’s up CreatorsBloc, let’s start off with Monday March 9th I was scheduled to work from 8am/2pm and at 11am my 10th alarm went off. I decided to finally wake up. My sister woke up before me and tells me that I don’t work for the rest of the week. I looked at her and said, “Wow! I just got this Job!”
Before all this my goals were to pay student loans, fix my credit, & network more. I was like a horse on blinders. Not paying any attention to anything that would throw me off focus.
I was blind. I was just moving without seeing side to side. In my opinion life was moving pretty quickly. New things were being made to serve us as humans everyday. Everyday another “update”. I don’t mind because it’s made to serve us whatever that is. But take a look now. What goal can you have now. Theirs only 3 things you can make goals for and thats, Your health , your faith and your relationships.
Everything else is stripped away. Except music.
For the last 45/46 days in quarantine of been staying sane through music. Music is like a time machine. When ever i’m feeling sad i’ll listen to my favorite song to bring me back to a time when everything made sense. Some things i’ve done during this time was make music that you could find on my soundcloud & go live on my social media.
Once this all went down i immediately figured out how to adapt to the situation at hand. One of them was starting a DJ streaming program called, “DJs Stream It” a 24 hour Hub for DJs to showcase their talents from all over the world. Another one is doing Graphic design and Learning new ways to design logos and motion animation all things of that nature. You could find all my work on Behance.net/Flvrenuf
it’s wild, even when our government is trying to keep us safe a psychological thing happens. Just recently people have been protesting for freedom. People are going against staying inside. How hard of a request is that? People rather risk their own lives and even their loved ones just to make money.
I pray that we all make it out and we could all pass these stories down to the next generation. Thank CreatorsBloc 🤞🏾”
Isaiah Rodriguez (@haiasiii)
“ To start, I’d like to remind everyone that we are in this together. I’m sure that the world we now know is something we never imagined. But life is about adapting, right?
No living creature that still exists today would not be here if they didn’t learn to adapt to a world that’s constantly changing. Sure, it’s challenging. Maybe a little more for some too, but safety should be everyone’s priority right now.
I was in France the day Trump issued a travel ban from Europe back to the USA. Not even a full 24 hours into my trip and I was gathering my bags back to hop into an Uber and return to the airport to try and make it home. I can’t even say that in that moment, I was really upset. Sure, it was a bit of a downer. There was no warning. I had 11 full days ahead of me traveling to a few different countries, with hopes of discovering excitement and inspiration. This was my break to help me figure out what I wanted. I was working 60+ hours a week then doing something where I wasn’t truly happy, I was tired of not living for me. I thought I needed that trip. At first, I felt like that was snatched from me. But adapting isn’t just about how we adjust physically, but mentally as well. It’s broad.
I’ve been using this time to my advantage. I’ve had the time to think about how things could be different if I didn’t do what I did and did what I didn’t. I meditated. Read books. Took walks. Found peace within me through true solitude that I wouldn’t have found in any other country.
Prior to the pandemic, my employer was very demanding of me. My days were long, my time alone at the end of each day was short, and I had nothing to show for it but a paycheck. I had been searching for nearly 2 years to find a way out to embrace my true self and this time has given me that opportunity to execute ideas I’ve had back-burnered and I’m ready to continue going at it when the world is ready to allow me to move forward safely (being laid off makes that a little easier to get get started).
The reason I’m explaining this is because so many people are spending their days complaining that there’s nothing to do. No one to see. No where to go. What about that idea you had months ago that you loved? Bet you said you didn’t have the time to act upon it, right? But you probably did (a discussion you should have with yourself) and now that you may have more time now then, you and many others are more worried on having repetitive discussions on the theories and negativity that’s poisoning our media. Things are a little scary right now, yes. But fear is what holds us back from achieving anything in life. Embrace the change. Accept all for what is, work for what you want (that means stay home now when it is most important and that’s directed to all who think it’s still cool to get together and drink or smoke at all your friends houses).
I miss my friends, I miss the normal routine, but I’m excited for what life holds in store for us beyond COVID-19. I appreciate the world and myself more than ever before and I’m excited to share the little projects I’ve been working on. I pray everyday for the worlds health and safety. The more we practice and caution ourselves today, the quicker we get to move forward in a more free manner. “
Chris Reyes (@lostgenrecs)
“ Prior to the whole lockdown/quarantine I had plans to release an EP towards the end of April as well as to have another “Off The Grid” Artist Showcase. Things changed so fast. I entered self-quarantine on April 1st. I was told that there was a possibility I may have been exposed to the virus, so my employer pretty much forced me into quarantine. I was worried. Fearful of what can happen, instead of letting the fear consume me, I distracted myself with music. I finished my EP way earlier than expected. I originally had some ideas down but decided to scrap them and start new. Two tracks, “Sometimes” and “No Sleep” were completed in the span of three days. During this time, I also put together some virtual events, “Off The Grid Live” & Cribchella, it’s crazy seeing all these music events and festivals going virtual.
Another project I started during this quarantine was my label’s “Vibe” EP which will feature music from all our artists, all House Music. Going back to work was extremely stressful. I was supposed to act like everything was normal, it’s hard to do so. From the beginning people were told to go out only for essentials, I saw people coming into the store for a pack of gum, a wrench, and other small items, things that can wait. On a normal day the staff is roughly 100-150 members, it’s more of a skeleton crew now. I’m grateful to be here, and this false alarm experience made me want to work harder to make my goals/dreams a reality. My heart is heavy for all those we have lost, let’s continue to live for them. “