Four Initiatives to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

If you’re experiencing creator’s block during quarantine, here are four initiatives to get your juices flowing

Most creatives would agree that the best source of inspiration is to go out into the world and make observations, so what happens when you are stuck staring at the same four walls every day? If you’re experiencing creator’s block during lockdown, know that you are not alone.

It’s OK to not be at the top of your game right now. This is a challenging time. So, first things first: give yourself a break. Being housebound will affect everyone in different ways–perhaps you are dealing with increased anxiety, feeling lethargic, and/or struggling to concentrate on work. You don’t have to be productive right now. But if you are itching to create and are not sure where to start, look to the creative community for support and inspiration.

Right now, lots of brands and organizations are reaching out to their followers and the wider creative community to unite artists and inspire them to get started on different creative projects by setting fun tasks and launching competitions. So if you’re stuck for ideas, here are four initiatives that are sure to get your creative juices flowing.

McQueen Creators

The legendary British fashion house Alexander McQueen is setting a new creative challenge each week, inviting their Instagram followers to make art inspired by photographs of iconic designs. The initiative, named McQueen Creators, kicked off last week with its first brief calling on artists to sketch the brand’s Autumn/Winter 2019 rose dress.

Participants are asked to then take a photo and share their final piece on Instagram by tagging @AlexanderMcQueen #McQueenCreators. Selected works will be featured on their channel. Here is a week one entry by @ninalawlor.

Global Call Out to Creatives

The UN and WHO have launched an open competition, asking creatives to design powerful visuals that share life-saving information on Covid-19. These messages can take the format of graphics, videos, music, and more. The UN explains that it is looking for “a multitude of creative solutions to reach audiences across different cultures, age groups, affiliations, geographies and languages”.

There are six briefs that relate to six points of public activation, touching on personal hygiene, social distancing, knowing the symptoms of the virus and how to act, encouraging a “kindness contagion”, helping to bust myths on the virus and raise awareness for donations.

Out Of The Box

Don’t take out your recycling container just yet, some of its contents could be worth $20,000! Samsung and Dezeen have teamed up to launch the Samsung Out of the Box Competition, which challenges creatives to design household objects built from repurposed cardboard packaging at home.

The product needs to be built with typical household tools and not require any specialist skills or equipment. Entrants should also consider who their product is designed for and how it will fit in with and enhance their lifestyle. Open for entries until May 29, 2020, the contest is free to enter for anyone over the age of 18. Here are some examples:

Inside Voices

Inside Voices, a new campaign led by Kickstarter, is championing projects that are entirely made and delivered from home. “With Inside Voices, we’re inviting creators to continue to make their work from home with support from the Kickstarter community. Create with what you have at hand—and share your work online via a project with simple rewards,” the company writes on its website.

As long as it can be carried out at home, there are no restrictions on what your Inside Voices project can be. Some examples that Kickstarter has proposed include a digital album of bedroom demos, a short film produced in your apartment, a series of DIY cocktail recipe videos, and a storytelling podcast where you play every character.

If you’re looking for more creative inspiration, here are some posts you might enjoy reading:

Ji Lee Challenges You to Make Someone Happy in This Creative Challenge
20 Museums You Can Visit Online
Domestika Projects: Watercolor Portrait Notebook