Finding the inspiration in staying at home

I’d had this idea for a painting, but the canvas stayed untouched for months on my easel.

My friend had even offered to commission me to paint something for her, but I kept prioritizing work and other things over my art.

Then the virus went viral, and my anxiety kicked in. The shelter in place hit, and my daily schedule changed. My partner became an essential worker, and we were stressed about exposure.

In spite of all that, I was faced with this gift of sorts – more time in my home studio to make art. I should have immediately embraced it; art has always been therapeutic for me in so many different ways. But like many people, I was frozen in a fog. I felt emotionally and physically drained, with zero motivation.

Everything in the world seemed so dark and chaotic. Creativity couldn’t possibly bloom in this climate.

Pushing through the fog

After week one, the guilt started to creep in about how I was (or wasn’t) using this extra time on my hands. I knew I would have to somehow push through the fog, so I started swiping and punching and scribbling on that big canvas over the course of a few days. I had no plan really, I was just trying to release pent-up frustration.

Little by little, the mayhem on the surface started looking more cohesive and the colors seemed happy and bright. My original idea for the piece was coming back to light, and I was inspired.

When I was done with all the mad mark-making, I enveloped it with a black silhouette of leaves on the vine reaching upward. I turned the canvas into a metaphor, and I felt better.

Growth and beauty can still come out of darkness and chaos.

Lisa Fulmer is a marketing consultant, published author and a community arts advocate.