How are you finding this pandemic, creatively speaking? I must say, it has more or less ground me to a halt.

We’ve been spared anything too serious, thank relevant deities, but my older kid and I have had what we assume were mild cases of Covid-19, and for the first several weeks of lockdown, through those illnesses and beyond, there was very little art-making going on around here.

Yes, I kept my tiny promises (even the day I was in hospital), but I’ve struggled to get much further than that. My novel languishes in the mineral darkness of my hard drive, my textile projects gather dust, all my singing gigs are cancelled. (I did make a fistful of cotton face masks early on, but that feels like a very long time ago now.)

Granted, I’ve never been the sort who works best in beautifully modulated chunks, with daily art appointments written into my schedule, inspiration striking every morning at 9 a.m., and so forth. Sometimes, I’d like to be that person, but (at least in my current life configuration) I am emphatically not. Between my erratic health issues and my domestic responsibilities, with the best will in the world, all plans I make are necessarily provisional. I can’t commit to regularity, day upon working day stretching off into the middle distance like a well-built fence.

All the more so now

(unsurprisingly)

But!

(We knew there’d be a “but”.)

Recently – I’d guess over the past fortnight or so, if our puny human measurement of time retained any meaning – I’ve begun to feel a stirring. A creative rumbling, kilometres beneath, if you will (or if you won’t), the barren quotidian crust.

And the thing is, this stirring is familiar. Looking back, I’ve always had creative spikes and more fallow times, artwise. Sometimes, the frenzy is upon me and I can’t stop producing. (This was easier to handle before I had kids and chronic illness!) Sometimes, I go for long stretches doing the bare minimum on my projects, just barely keeping things ticking over.

OK, so this particular lull is the fault of a global emergency, but it is, nonetheless, a recognisable part of a known cycle.

What I’m saying is, it always swings back around

Always.

Even now.

So there’s a distinctive feeling that creeps over me when the fallow time is drawing to a natural close, when things are beginning to align again, when it’s time to roll up my sleeves and prepare for a creative spike.

I’m feeling it now. And if you’ve been finding your creative fires dampened by the awful situation we’re in, you might – now or in the future – feel it too.

It’s like being on an aeroplane…

(…remember those? You know we mustn’t go back, right? We have to come out of this grounded period with greener priorities. But look, for the sake of my metaphor and my conscience, let’s say this is a solar-powered aeroplane that furthermore has a nifty little feature whereby it actually sequesters carbon as it flies…)

OK, let’s try that again. It’s like being on an aeroplane, when the captain comes on the intercom to say, “prepare for landing”. She’s actually speaking to the cabin crew, but you hear her, and it spurs you into action. You gather all your bits and pieces, you give your rubbish to the steward, you stow everything and clip everything and tuck everything away, because once you’re on the ground it’ll be GO GO GO.

So I’m thinking, what are some of the ways I can get ready for what I know is coming?

8 Ways to Prepare for Landing a Creative Spike

I wrote this list for myself, of course, but I hope you find it useful too.

1. Tidy your workspace
   I am the worst at this. My desk is a disaster; my sewing table is an explosion in progress. My supplies, equipment, and unfinished projects are all over the house. I know from years of bitter experience that there’s nothing more frustrating than being art-blocked by my own mess. And I also know, from the few times I’ve managed it, how blissful it is to arrive at a relatively orderly space when I want to work (and don’t mistake me here: we’re talking feasible, not pristine). So I will try harder.
2. Check stocks
   You do not want to get stuck into your work only to find that you’re missing something crucial. Do you have everything you need? Supplies, equipment, the right sort of chocolate? In a lockdown it’s harder to stock up on these things, but you at least want to identify what might be needed.
3. Get vaguely up to date on email
   Yeah … I know. I just mean clear out the most glaring open loops – reply to the messages that are hanging over you, if only to say, “I’ll deal with this in 2022.”
4. Make a meal plan
   You’ll want to give all your creative energy to your work once the spike hits, and having the dreaded “what’s for dinner?” question answered in advance is a huge advantage. It also makes delegation easier, if that’s a thing that can happen in your life. Plan to get takeout now and then (budget and local logistics permitting), at least while the creative frenzy persists.
5. Look at your upcoming commitments
   Mine shrank away to nothing when everything closed, but I know that’s not the way it is for a lot of people. And of course I’m not saying cancel everything (oh, so tempting…), but just get a picture of what’s coming up, if only so that you don’t accidentally miss things because you’re in the thick of creating.
6. Find notes or sketches for your current projects
   There’s a fragile quality to this stirring feeling, I find: it can tip over quite quickly from vague creative motivation into sour frustration. The key for me is to focus my attention onto the projects I want to make progress on. Even just to look at them and imagine what it will be like to be creating freely again is helpful.
7. Go for a thoughtful walk
   Here in Dublin, we’re about to have our 2km exercise limit raised to 5km, which a lot of people are very pleased about. I’m very indoorsy, in general, but walking outside is never a bad idea! To align your creative ducks it can be just the ticket. For bonus points, put your phone on Airplane Mode (with a tight-lipped nod to the whole Prepare for Landing metaphor, there) and engage mindfully with your surroundings. (Keep your distance, wear a mask if you have one, and wash your hands as soon as you get home.)
8. Journal or doodle about what you might want to make
   Once you put pen to paper, you’re nearly there. Brace yourself, take a deep breath, and then relax into the flow. This is going to be good.