BWW Blog: How to Stay Creative and Motivated this Summer!

During this virtual time, I understand that it may be easy to lose sight of your creative process. The industry is currently not as we knew it. This has been a huge adjustment for all of us but we must do our best to remain positive. We cannot allow this setback to tarnish all of our hard work. Nor should we forget why we chose to pursue a career in the arts. I have been fortunate enough to have found many ways to continue being creative. I want to share some of the things I've been doing to stay theatrically productive, when I'm not writing for BroadwayWorld! I hope this post inspires you to stay creative and motivated during this time.

Attend Online Workshops:

As a performer, your training never ends. There is always so much more to learn. That is why I highly recommend that you invest in yourself with some virtual workshops. Many companies and private instructors have been offering free, and/or pay what you can, sessions for all ages. I had the pleasure of attending American Theatre Wing's free Master Class series with Cynthia Erivo. I suggest looking up some of your favorite performers and see if they're offering private coaching during this time. Virtual training opportunities are available and will present themselves. It's up to you to take advantage of it.

Make a YouTube Channel:

I recently became a content creator on YouTube where I make advice, lifestyle and beauty videos. By starting my channel, I now have my own platform. A place where I can showcase absolutely anything that I want! This means that I can promote my acting and post videos performing various material. Before this, I did not know much about the process of filming and editing. Now, I have taught myself a new skill that can be added to my resume, which will ultimately be great for my career!

Produce or Join a Virtual Play Festival:

What's awesome about this is that you get to collaborate with all different kinds of people. Maybe you've always wanted to write or direct but never had the opportunity. Well, when you make your own work, you are giving yourself these experiences to grow in another field. This virtual time is the chance to try new things; learn a new skill, step out of your comfort zone! If you wrote a play that you've always wanted to have produced this is a great way to showcase your original work. Currently, I am an actor in a play festival via Zoom. I have never worked on a show virtually before but I knew it would be such a rewarding experience. When like-minded individuals come together to create something special, there's no better feeling.

I hope this post motivates you to not give up during these virtual times. I understand that this has been a huge transition in our creative community and that everyone handles things differently. Luckily we aren't alone and have each other to lean on for support. Thank you for reading. We WILL get through this but until then, let's get to work!