Coping with Upheaval: A Reflection on Creativity

By: Kassandra McFarlane, Meds' 23

Like many others in the past few weeks I find myself in unfamiliar territory. The upheaval in my life in light of this global pandemic has been a creeping escalation. Naturally, as the severity of this new virus became more apparent and government-initiated social distancing came into effect, I felt less secure in the routines I had grown accustomed to because they were no longer available to me. I feel disjointed – half of my life in Kingston and half of it in Vancouver. I am living out of a suitcase; I left Kingston with the intent to be absent for one week. It has been nearly four. I haven’t seen my parents or my friends for months and I am uncertain of how the next months of my life will unfold. My future is anything but certain.

From this upheaval, though, has arisen a new motivation and inspiration for creativity. I have written more short stories than I ever have and have also started co-writing a novel. I feel more in tune with my penchant for expression and notice that I am more willing to engage my creative urges. Most recently, after exploring a local park nearby, I noticed a large cherry tree in bloom with full blossoms erupting from every branch. I was struck with inspiration for a photoshoot (the result of which is the adjoining image to this brief reflection).
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There is a stillness of thought in the flow of a creative endeavour; fully engaging allows us freedom to relegate the tough parts of life for a moment. Though the current global situation is tumultuous and at times frightening, I have found resilience by following my intuition and spontaneous drive to delve into creative projects. Art allows us to pause and reconnect with our inner worlds and find comfort in our own self-expression. My life is confusing right now, as is true for all of us, but we have control over the allocation of our attention and the things we choose to focus on. By returning to ourselves and finding ways to stay present-focused, we will weather this storm and emerge with deeper self-knowledge, both individually and collectively.

Photo credit: Tyler Skode