Creativity in Quarantine

Due to the outburst of the pandemic, new artists have emerged and have taken their talent to social media platforms. Instagram feeds are flooded with artists showcasing their work - be it art, fashion, poetry, makeup, dance, lip-sync, acting etc, and since there are more artists than ever, there is more competition than ever. But the common mistake by most of the artists is following trends and favouring quantity of content over quality of work. I have seen countless number of fashion bloggers making content on how to pair one top in different ways. Not that great fashion advice isn’t appreciated, but if the essence and content of the videos are similar, it's of no use. All the lip sync videos are almost the same with no personal touch. Acting doesn’t just mean lip-syncing. Even when it comes to artworks, most of the artworks are recreated works of art (which is cool, until it’s the only thing on your page). Even if they aren’t recreated, that 'something different', which makes the audience fascinated by someone’s work or which gives the artist its own recognition, is still missing. Any form of art is ‘successful’ when it truly belongs to the creator and which makes people’s heads turn. So without criticising or offending any artists and creators, this article is a simple reminder that everyone has unique ideas that can make their work stand out from the others; that everyone can be creative in their own ways; and quality of work is always appreciated over quantity. There are a few artists that I personally know who are letting their creative juices flow from whom inspiration can be drawn to create something extraordinary.

Although in my opinion quarantine is majorly responsible for creativity being compromised. Since there is very little work to do, it has resulted in the creator to create an excessive number of content (maybe to keep themselves or their audience occupied). Where previously a thought process was put in for work, now in this weird hustle-bustle of social media and in order to, as some would say, stay in the game, creators tend to upload content too often which leads to less amount of time being put into the thought process and hence in some cases creators end up creating mainstream trending content. Not that social media trends weren’t followed before, upcoming artists have always made content inspired by the famous ones but due to recent times all artists seem to do, is go with the trend. Even apart from trends, in quarantine one has to be an allrounder. One at least needs to be a good photographer/videographer and editor in order to make the content presentable. Before pandemic, a whole team could have worked on the same, but it’s difficult to do that kind of collaborative work now, which just adds pressure on the creators to work individually. However, it not only brings a great opportunity to learn something new and be independent, it also makes sense why people don’t want to take new risks considering the anxiety and panic everyone is going through. But even after all of the difficulties, a big question still stands, whether or not the audience is interested in the content that is created and recreated so many times and unsurprisingly the answer is - NO. In fact, why won’t the audience prefer watching that content from the already existing creators with credibility, right?

Here are a few things you can keep in mind while creating content which might help you out to be more creative and your content to be more recognisable:

• Trust your instincts : Work on any concept that pops up in your head before searching for one on the internet or social media.

• Create a USP of your own : Everyone has different personalities and that personality should reflect in your work. It can be something as simple as your favourite colour, flower, or city which can represent your brand. Every influencer has a unique selling point, and that's what you should aim at establishing.

• Make your promotional stories interesting and attractive : Give consumers a reason to visit your page and see your work.

• Distinctive Content : This is what the audience longs for, so don’t worry about the number of posts. Rather, learn new skills, work on new ideas so that whatever you create is distinctive and unique.

• Use Semiotics : You can use semiotics as an ending with the same line, phrase, or symbol.

Finally, remember that it is a hard time for everyone. Everyone is going through similar difficulties. Focus on yourself and give your thoughts time to evolve. If you’ll learn, you’ll succeed.