By Shane Hennessy
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone in the performing arts industry has been at home, not earning. Once it became clear that live shows would not return for a significant amount of time, I decided that I would use my time at home as best I could. Hopefully we will never have to face a time like this again, but personally, in a strange way, it has been nice (so far) to find myself in stretch of time where there is less pressure than normal.
Usually I spend a lot of time managing tour itineraries, figuring out logistics, trudging through visa processes, administrative duties, and many other non-creative tasks that come with being a touring independent solo artist. After the initial shock that came from having my tour schedule wiped clean for the most part until 2021, I realised that I may never have such a long gap in which to follow creative pursuits again, without choosing to.
I believe that limitations are the key to unlocking creativity, and so I’m applying that logic to the present time. I am lucky in that I can view this period as an opportunity to learn, to develop new skills, and to explore areas of interest, while still doing my best to make plans for the future. I hope that in this article I can share some ways of capitalising on this difficult period, and how to use it in preparing for the ‘new normal’.
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