The words “coronavirus” and “social distancing” are on the lips of everyone these days. Indeed, the global coronavirus pandemic is all you see in the news and the only thing that anyone seems to talk about anymore. And while I certainly don’t want to add to the current flood of pandemic-related content, it also feels odd to just ignore it altogether. So to offer my two cents, and in the spirit of all those “What to binge on Netflix while you’re stuck at home social distancing” articles, I thought I’d put together a list of what to make while stuck at home social distancing. Here you’ll find some ideas on art, craft, and design inspired resources and activities that will help pass the time and hopefully get you inspired to create.
But first, a PSA. In case you’ve missed the various articles floating around on Google Arts & Culture, I am here to spread the good word that you can now have a museum day from the comfort of your own home. The Arts & Culture platform houses images and content from over 2,000 museums and archives worldwide that you can browse while putting off your real work. You can view individual museum collections as well as search by themes, artists, mediums, art movements, geography, and more. If you’re looking for some color inspiration for your own art project (or just for fun), the explore by color collection is a great source. Beyond Google’s platform, there are many other art collections and exhibitions as well as museums, zoos, and theme parks offering virtual tours that you can take right from your couch. Aside from spending hours exploring in street view – way more fun than it should be – these tours allow you the opportunity to revisit a favorite museum, explore someplace new, or gain inspiration for your own art project.
As I’ve been spending much of my time these days engaged in the latter, I wanted to share some of the resources that I’ve been using in my creative endeavors. I’ve broken the list into two broad groupings: online classes and activities that you can do at home to get artsy crafty and secondly, a few home decorating/DIY projects for livening up your space.
Learn, Craft, Create
Creativebug
After months of keeping the Creativebug homepage open and idle in my browser (I have a tab problem), I finally decided to cough up the monthly $7.95 subscription fee and unleash my inner artist. With over 1,000 instructional videos of arts and crafts workshops and techniques on everything from painting, illustration, and ceramics to sewing, quilting, and jewelry making, I’m sure to stay busy and get my money’s worth. Whether it will awaken my dormant artistic genius is yet to be determined… But I’ve worked my way through my first class – a ten-day challenge designed to find your artistic style – and am eyeing this watercolor class and this urban sketching 101 next.
Bluprint
Bluprint (formerly Crafty) is another online learning platform for artists and crafters of all levels. While the site skews more heavily to craft, with featured sewing, knitting, and quilting classes, it also has numerous art class options alongside more niche offerings like woodworking and eclectic ones like fitness and composting. The prospect of “Designing Elegant Edible Gardens” while simultaneously working on my ten-pack abs with “Washboard By Keoni” is strangely intriguing. For now though, I’m looking forward to trying my hand at “The Essentials of Sketching Architecture” and “Sketching the City in Pen, Ink & Watercolor.” I’m detecting an urban theme in my watch list…
Bluprint rounds out its all-in-one offerings with an online shop where you can purchase crafting supplies and kits. You can search by category – embroidery, cooking – and project type – sweaters, cupcakes – and also filter by price and skill level (beginner, please!). While shipping is temporarily unavailable *cough* coronavirus… Bluprint is offering free access to all classes until April 9th.
CreativeLive
CreativeLive also offers online art and design classes, but its subscription model differs a bit from the previous two platforms. Classes can be viewed live for free “on air” or streaming “on demand” for a set price. You can either pay for on demand classes individually or purchase the Creator Pass, which gives you access to the full library of 1,500+ classes for a monthly subscription fee of $39 (or $13/month when billed annually at $149). CreativeLive offers all the usual suspects – art, design, craft – in addition to classes on music and audio, photo, and video, plus the skills and entrepreneurship classes that will take your art from hobby to business. So you could watch an art class on color theory essentials on Monday before boning up on graphic design fundamentals on Wednesday and graduating to an Adobe Illustrator tutorial by the end of the week.
If you want to start taking online art classes but don’t know where to start or aren’t sure which platform is right for you, check out this Craftwhack guide that provides a more detailed comparison. Of course your options aren’t limited to these, as there are numerous other sites like ed2go and New Masters Academy that offer creative classes for all interests, skill levels, and budgets.
Masterclass
My introduction to Masterclass came in the way of a Christmas present from my boyfriend. He got it for me with the idea that I would dive immediately into Annie Leibovitz’s photography class, but I ended up watching Dr. Jane Goodall’s class on conservation instead (don’t worry Annie – you’re still on my watchlist). Most recently though, I’ve taken to Kelly Wearstler’s interior design class. While I can’t pretend that the content is particularly intellectually edifying, it is fun to get an inside look at Wearstler’s glamorous residential and commercial projects and to hear her speak about her sources of inspiration.
Other creative-minded classes include Frank Gehry’s design and architecture, Marc Jacob’s fashion design, David Lynch on creativity and film, and Aaron Sorkin on screenwriting, the latter of which my boyfriend has been studiously watching as he endeavors to write a screenplay (more on that later). While the classes are short and often really only skim the surface – courses average 20 classes at about 10 minutes each – they do provide an accessible introduction to the topic at hand, delivered by a veritable master of that trade. You might come away wanting more, but at the very least, you’ll have fun watching your favorite guru discuss their passion.
Photo shoot
Here’s an easy one. Take your phone – it’s attached to your hand anyway – move around your house, and just start snapping pictures. You can make it as staged or organic as you’d like, but the idea is to get creative with it. Organize a “photo shoot” with begrudging family members and pets or put your stylist hat on and attempt to compose a magazine-worthy shot of last night’s leftovers. Take close up pictures of everyday items – sun rays through an open window, a textured surface or veined countertop, your favorite piece of jewelry or knick-knack, your morning coffee – and note how varying light, angles, aspects, and textures can completely transform objects.
Journal
This is one people have probably been telling you to do for ages. I know it’s one I’ve been scolding myself about for virtually my entire adult life. I’m always trying to get into the habit of keeping a daily journal and have had periods of sustained writing that eventually trail off until the next round of good intentions. Recently though, I’ve been following a (near) daily journal prompt utilizing the GAGA structure. The method is less to do with creative writing and more with structuring my day, as the second “G” and “A” stand for goals and actions, respectively. For the former, I list three goals – a small one to accomplish that day, one for that week, and one to achieve over the year. The actions are really just to-dos for the day, of which I list at least three to accompany the other daily to-do list that I keep in my planner. One can never have too many lists.
The first “G” and “A” in GAGA – gratitude and affirmations – are a bit harder for me. The first entails listing three things that I am grateful for, and the second, writing out a positive affirmation – I am a beautiful being humming with creative energy or I will write this affirmation with a straight face. While these are daily rituals for some – better people than I – I struggle to think of three new things to be grateful for each day and especially with finding an affirmation that I can actually tell myself convincingly. I’m not sure if this is because I am not generally in the habit of thinking about/practicing such mantras, because forced affirmations can feel silly and strained to me, or more likely, because of some fundamental character flaw.
Whatever the case, the simple act of forcing myself to consider gratitude and affirming statements on a daily basis has brought me out of my comfort zone. And importantly, even though it’s just a simple little writing exercise, not terribly creative, it gets me into the habit of writing everyday. And, as they say, habits are the key to success… I will believe it when I tell myself that my work matters and that I have something to contribute to society.
Write a screenplay
I’m including this one as a shout out to my boyfriend, who has been pouring much of his spare time and energy over the past weeks into writing a screenplay. I won’t give away any of the details here, so suffice it to say that it’s a drama that plays with themes of justice and free will, and it’s going to sweep the Oscars. (I never said I had a problem with affirmations when they don’t involve me). As his chief sounding board, editor, and cheerleader, I’ve also gotten to be involved in the creative process behind writing a script for the big screen. As it turns out, it’s rather formulaic (see below photo). It’s also given us the excuse to watch a lot of movies because, you know… research.
If you’ve been meaning to start your own screenplay, novel, short story, tell-all memoir, or blog, well, there’s no time like the present. And if you need a little inspiration or help getting started, there are plenty of free resources online (and off), as well as virtual classes for all types of writing and experience levels from organizations like Gotham Writers, Stanford, and LitReactor, as well as the major MOOC platforms like Coursera, Skillshare, and Udemy, to name a few.
Design, Decorate, DIY
The Old-House Journal Guide to Restoration (Or your preferred title)
For anyone over the age of 40 who has toyed with the idea of or actually carried to fruition the restoration of an old house (circa pre-1939, per the Guide‘s authors), the Old-House Journal magazine and ensuing 1992 Guide to Restoration was your bible. While I only meet one of the above criterion (though I have the soul and back pain of a 60-year old), this was the first book I purchased after several months of tinkering with the idea of getting into real estate investing. I’ve always had a love for old houses and have recently, alongside my boyfriend, been scheming to turn that love into a profitable side income stream. But finding a suitable fixer-upper and getting the funding to lovingly restore it before turning around and selling/renting it for a profit is no easy feat (who knew). So while we count our pennies and wait for just the right house to come along, I’ve been reading up on how to repair an old roof, fix a leaky faucet, check for termites, and strip woodwork.
I’ve included this book here because it is specific to my interests, but if old house restoration is not your thing (let’s be honest, you’re in the majority), by all means pick up a book on a topic that you are into. It can be a new book or something that you haven’t cracked open in a while, but it should be one that inspires or teaches you a craft or hobby and motivates you to start a creative project. And while you’re at it, consider picking up a copy of The Old-House Journal after all, to have on hand just in case a leaky faucet calls for some quick do-it-yourself handy work. At the very least, it’s a surprisingly humorous, if not a bit catty, read:
“If there are cracks anywhere around a bathroom, immediately suspect the plumber. The average plumber has absolutely no respect for the structure of a house. He will drill down and through, saw notches, and leave beams hanging in midair. Brick walls will be bashed out to make the largest possible hole for the smallest pipe. Anything in the way of his pipes will be removed, no matter what the consequences for house or owner.”
THe Old-House Journal GUide to restoration – offending plumbers everywhere since 1992
DIY furniture update
So I have this problem that not many people know about – I have an addiction to online furniture browsing. I can – and have – spent literally hours at a time perusing gorgeous bone inlay tables and barley twist four poster beds on sites like Chairish and 1stdibs. Fortunately, the addiction stops at mere browsing, as my tastes preclude me from ever actually being able to afford any of the pieces I spend hours ogling. That does not, however, help in the instances when I am actually in need of a piece of furniture to perform an essential function. As a recent example, my boyfriend and I recently moved into a new apartment with much less storage space than our last place and quickly realized that a nightstand and a desk are looking more and more like required pieces of furniture.
Because the nightstands that I actually want are hopelessly out of my price range, I’ve started brainstorming ideas for a DIY project. This would involve taking an inexpensive piece of furniture with “good bones” and dressing it up a bit. Now, I’m not talking chalk paint or anything even remotely suggestive of “shabby-chic”, but am instead looking at using materials like stains, stencils, inlay, and tiles. I’m a sucker for anything with mother of pearl or bone inlay, parquetry, and marquetry, as well as carved wood and tiles and mosaics. I love the interplay of the varying materials, colors, and textures and the resulting contrast and dimension that comes with the use of these techniques.
As you can then imagine, I became very excited when I learned that you can buy decorative inlay banding strips and marquetry medallions and panels online. These can then be easily applied to furniture, picture frames, boxes, or other wooden objects of your choosing using wood glue. I also found this site that offers a treasure trove of wall, floor, tile, and furniture stencils, including Moroccan and Indian inspired collections. They also handily provide stenciling ideas and how-to videos, including one on how to use stain to create a faux wood inlay design on furniture. Now all that remains for me to do is to find a suitable nightstand, decide which decorative elements to add, purchase the supplies, and do all the work!
In other nightstand related news…
I know, enough with the nightstands already. But I’m too excited about this not to share it here. Check it out:
Now, I’m not usually one for pink, but I purchased this piece for our second bedroom with a particular guest in mind – my boyfriend’s five-year old daughter who frequently stays with us and whose favorite color happens to be pink. I happen to love Art Deco but don’t really have an opportunity to use it in the rest of the house, so I count it as a win for both of us. I’ve now designed the rest of the guestroom around this one piece and am eyeing this Art Deco inspired scalloped bed next. Don’t even get me started on all the potential options for throw pillows.
While this is not a piece of furniture that I would normally pick up for my own space, I saw it and thought it was so fun and different and then decided that I just had to have it for the now-Art-Deco-dedicated guestroom. So, why not buy that sofa or piece of artwork or vintage bar cart that’s been sitting in your shopping basket for months? Chances are you’ll be home to enjoy it a lot more often now… But if space and/or budget won’t allow it right now, it never hurts just to browse, right? Start a Pinterest board – or go crazy and create a mood board – for that room you want to eventually redesign. Start saving ideas for pieces of furniture that you’re looking to replace or add to your space at some point in the near or distant future. You’ll get a better understanding of what types of furnishings are out there at varying price points and, more importantly, a sense of the styles, materials, colors, and designers that you like and those that you don’t like.
I have sew many pillows
Here’s another as of yet not started project of mine. I had originally bought this fabric from Spoonflower with the intention to cover a large lampshade that had gotten damaged two moves ago. But having done zero measuring beforehand, the single yard that I ordered was nowhere near enough fabric for the size shade I was working with. While the lampshade is no longer with us (it didn’t make the last move), I still have the unused fabric and have determined that it’s new purpose will be to cover a pillow. Having rather unsuccessfully sewn a dress hem or two in my life, I knew I would need a Home Ec drop-out level project and found this list of easy and no sew techniques for making pillow cases.
If, unlike myself, you’re already a master crafter, you likely have fabric scraps here and odds and ends there just waiting to be transformed into fun mini-projects. Whatever your level, sites like Spoonflower offer thousands of fabric designs that can be ordered in a variety of materials like chiffon, linen, velvet, and of course various types of cotton. Found a design that you can’t live without but aren’t crazy about the whole DIY thing? Not to worry, as you can choose from ready-made products like pillows, throws blankets, curtains, bedding, and tea towels. The designs are also available in traditional and removable wallpaper, of which the latter is great if you’re renting your space or if you’re experimenting with pattern/color and just want to try things out.
Spoonflower’s blog is full of DIY ideas and video how-tos, as well as themed design challenges where members of the community can submit their designs and vote for their favorites. In the event that all those art and crafting classes pay off and you want to sell your creations, you can do that here too. And to bring it all back to what has us crafting from home in the first place, Spoonflower is mobilizing sewing machines across America to combat the spread of coronavirus. They are converting their cut-and-sew facility into a mask-making production team and have developed templates that anyone can use to make non-medical grade masks. If you’d like to put some of your newfound creative energy into supporting healthcare workers on the front lines, you can fill out the inquiry form and find more information and links to the templates here. Otherwise, there are always more throw pillows to be had.
Happy crafting/painting/drawing/writing/photographing/decorating/learning!