Peter Cameron has said of his writers’ residencies that, “One of the greatest luxuries an artist can have is a day in which nothing has to be done. No one to see, nowhere to go, just the gorgeousness of all those unsubscribed minutes and hours, occurring to be used as one most passionately wants. In real life such days are rare,” but when working as an artist-in-residence that is precisely the gift you receive.
This time we have right now, is a gift. Sure, there’s a global pandemic and people are dying, and everything is falling apart, and the economy is crashing…you’re free to panic about that and spend your energy there. OR you can do literally the best thing for everyone — stay home and take care of yourself. And by take care I mean really take care.
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve had my fair share of anxious days over the past few weeks, but I’ve been trying to reframe this shelter-in-place order and think of myself as an Artist-in-Residence. Here I am, at home, what to do with my time? Even essential workers still on a more or less “regular” daily schedule will have freed up time somewhere, perhaps reframe this as an “evening artists’ residency” or something that works best for you. Sure, drinking wine and binging Netflix while freaking out is definitely an option…but what if there’s a better way?
What makes an artists’ residency successful? This Working Wednesday, I’ve decided to recommit myself to my time in isolation by outlining some “rules” for my artists’ residency, however long it may be.
So, how can this work for you? Have you been putting off building your VO business, letting it get swept to the side of your day job? Maybe you’ve wanted to add copywriting to your bag of tricks but haven’t known where to start? Or perhaps this is just all too much and you’re looking for a little peace and calm these days now that you’re spending more time alone?
Luckily, my last artist’s residency gave me the time to create some amazing, affordable, accessible courses for busy bosses just like you. If you’ve got more time on your hands than regular these days – use it well. Invest in yourself. Create something without pressure of an end product. Reach out to your community to stay connected – and establish a routine that will keep you grounded through this crisis and into the future.
