Yeah, Rona’ Messed Things Up. What Are You Doing About It?
The day is Tuesday, June 30th. I’m sitting on a mattress I put on the floor and leaned against a punching bag with Spider-Man: Enter The Spider-Verse playing in the background. My Air Conditioner is cranked to its coolest setting, and I’ve just finished setting out dinner for my mom. This is more-or-less how my day has looked everyday for last 110 days—that’s how long it has been since COVID-19 changed everything.
Don’t worry, this isn’t a melodramatic memoir of a twenty-something year old creative. Well, not entirely anyway. Rather, this is what I hope to be a brief reflection and inspiring message to other creatives who can relate. Having said that, here’s the cliff notes of this public diary entry.
When life gets inevitably tough, and obstacles manifest, whether by nature or consequence, try doing these five things:
1. Allow yourself the space to assess the situation
2. Absorb and process the shock and emotions
3. Take a deep breath. And another. And another
4. Adapt to the new circumstances
5. Start executing a plan of action
Triple A
Way back in 2014, I packed my life into my temperamental 01’ Hyundai Santa Fe—there’s a story there for another time—and moved to Syracuse, New York. I moved for beauty school, which took too long and is also a story for a different time. Back to the shoddy Santa Fe, namely, Gold Stacks (echo: stacks, stacks, stacks). Within the first few months of moving, I started school full time and two jobs, and my baby Gold Stacks fired her pistons for the last time.
Absorb The Shock
When I moved to Syracuse, I was determined to start and finish, even if it meant living out of my car or losing my car altogether. Well, I was never without a roof over my head, but I definitely did my fair share of walking, bus-commuting, and couch surfing! When my car gave up the ghost, I was taken off-guard, and it sucked, but I absorbed the shock and calmly reevaluated. When plans inevitably meet resistance or fail, it’s important that we take time to breathe and plan accordingly.
Adapt
Now I’m a few months into a new city, pursuing a career in which I have no experience, with no means of transportation—Syracuse is not exactly a walking city! I sold my baby Gold Stacks for $200, which was honestly all it was worth to me at that point. I borrowed a bike that was surely older than I was, and I bicycled to my local job everyday. I took a bus to my other job, and as far as getting to school was concerned, I luckily had a classmate working next door. Trust me, it wasn’t as seamless as it sounds, but the point is that we have to always be willing to adapt. The more we hold to the past, the less present and conscious we become.
Act - Plan of Action
This is where my head knowledge of humility became a guiding force for me. I made my way over to a credit union where I all-but begged for a small car loan, for which I was miraculously approved! I used that loan to buy a shiny red sports car, and I didn’t have it long enough to name it. Yeah, that’s another story. Suffice it to say, you don’t know humility until you run full speed into a tree! Back to the credit union I go, and, somehow, I’m approved again! Burton Guster, aka, DJ Clap Yo Hands! (Any Psych fans out there?!) My Prius made up in fuel economy what it lacked in power! Bottom line: whatever your plan of action, leave room for error and embrace humility.
“The more we hold to the past, the less present and conscious we become.”
So, What Now?
It’s June, 2020, and I’m essentially back to square one. Something crazy happened that shook my world and changed my circumstances. Those first couple of months were a doozy and it’s still challenging; nevertheless, I’m choosing to respond the best way I know how. One career broke down, so I’m working on another! It’s humbling, sure, but there’s something exciting about learning a new system and reiterating! Now I’m going full throttle with Brand Strategy, and I don’t know where it’ll go, but I am determined to get there.
What about you? Did this pandemic rattle you? Did your world get shifted? What are you doing now?
Leave a comment, and lets talk about it! And, if you’re up to it, consider sharing this with someone if you feel encouraged or inspired.
Thank you for reading, and I’ll catch you later!