The "art of creation" during COVID-19

The last year and a half of COVID-19 precautions and the resulting climbing fatalities have had a profound negative impact on the psyche of millions. Dealing with multiple lockdowns, virtual classes and two COVID-19 variants that have introduced themselves within the past year has been cited as a major stressor for many students.

Student artists at USC Aiken provided insight on how to deal with the struggle of creating art during a seemingly relentless pandemic.

For an artist, inspiration is a key aspect in creation and can be difficult to find, especially in instances like 2020, as most of the globe experienced lockdowns. Artists were forced to find new ways to get creative. 19 year old graphic design major Katherine Kruckow reported that watching more media, “such as TV shows or popular shows on streaming networks,” inspired her. She used her time for reflection, throwing herself into “old habits.”

Burnout, which is a concept that is no stranger to artists, was and still is heavily present as a result of the pandemic. Graphic design major Amber Schumacher spoke on her challenges when it comes to creating art in an era where burnout is ever present.

“I wouldn't say that I've faced any burnout or artblock, but the stress of some of the heightened points during the pandemic affected me. I struggle now more than ever with the responsibility of my job and classwork leaving little time to create any personal art.”

Many people were finding ways to improve their mental health as the stress of the world lurked outside. Studio and digital arts major Macee Johnson expressed that creating art had a positive influence on their mental health during the pandemic. “To me, making art during the pandemic improved my mental health. The stress of the virus, (the) state of the country and adjusting to a new form of school was a lot for me to go through and I always felt most at ease whenever I was drawing my silly little characters.”

While the pandemic has certainly put a halt on many things these past few years, and many things seem uncertain with new variants being discovered around the world, the creativity and motivation from art students at USCA shows that anything is possible. Sometimes, you just have to be willing to think outside the box.