Now that we’re all feeling the effects of a larger pandemic crisis, we are having to rethink how we live our lives; both in the present as well as long term. I personally am lucky to have work for now, but as we move through this, I’m wondering if the economic crisis will have a delayed impact on my business.

As this quarantine begins to hit home, I’m reminded of how my community of artists as well as my fellow local businesses and friends pulled together during the flood of 2016 when my studio and business was affected in order to support each other.

I would also like to preface this is list with this…it is absolutely, 100%, perfectly acceptable to JUST DO NOTHING. This is not easy and sometimes all you need to do is rest and recharge. Spend some time with your pets or literally just stare at a wall. Whatever your mind and body need at the moment, take the time to give that to yourself. With that in mind, here are some tips and ideas to occupy your mind when you’re ready and to keep your sanity while staying safe at home.

Clean & reorganize your workspace (your whole home really) - I cleaned out my home office/craft room, and am going to tackle my studio next. It helps to be able to control your environment when you can’t control much else.
Work on some new samples
Renew my CEU for interior designers
Make and list notecards on my website
Promote and sell my artwork that I already have created- Use code CORONA right now to get 20% off of all of my art prints.
Make some new patterns for LS Home- fabric can be made and shipped safely!
Get home projects checked off your list - I have a “quarantine list” that includes the following:

Finish a pie safe that I’m going to use for linen storage. I need to create new tin panels. I got replacement tin from this store and patterns are easy to find on Pinterest & Google.
Try out a few art ideas I’ve been percolating on
Get my lawnmower up and running
Start my garden
Spring is also a good time to go through clothes and donate what you no longer like or need, when donation centers reopen. For extra income, you can sell on FB marketplace or Craigslist and make sure you launder your clothing. Or you could do a clothing swap virtually with neighbors or friends.

8. Focus on some virtual marketing to get through the *now*

Set your website up for e-commerce: My mural e-book is a great resource for folks who have work but don’t want to be in clients’ homes or businesses.
Look out for partnering opportunities with other businesses - think outside of the box.
Try making some videos of my classes to enable folks to work from home

9. Support local business by ordering food, buying gift certificates to be used later. Postmates, Orderup, etc. are offering free local delivery with a no-contact delivery option at drop off. For my fellow business owners- Squarespace is now offering gift card options which normally are an add-on on their subscriptions.

10. Start a new podcast -

Business related:

11. LISTEN TO MUSIC! LOVING the Wood Brothers, Trampled by Turtles, Cicada Rhythm. Also, lots of musicians are out of work, tune in to Facebook Live concerts and consider supporting them via their Patreon account or making a donation through Venmo or PayPal. A friend who normally hosts open mic at a local bar is hosting a virtual open mic and offering spots for air time. She has set up a Venmo account for the bartender to be able to receive tips. This may be a good idea for other performance related artists or even visual artists.

12. Catch up on TV & Movies - What the heck is up with this Tiger series on Netflix?! I’ve been bingeing on “Call The Midwife” because its simple and feel-good.

13. Read a book - Anything Barbara Kingsolver, also “Better Off; Flipping the Switch on Technology” by Eric Brende, and definitely Brene Brown.

**Homemade chili (secret ingredient is the chili powder bought in Hatch NM)**

14. Cook - Lol I don’t cook, but I do LOVE some Freshly! I know cooking can bring others a lot of comfort and offers the opportunity to work with your hands, so why not try a new recipe?

15. Enjoy a cocktail or three - I’ve been sipping on my own personal “Quarantini” with Gin, Seltzer, Cranberry Kombucha, and a squeeze of lime. Light, refreshing, and low sugar!

16. Take a virtual tour of a museum - You can tour the Guggenheim here or find a bunch of other resources on Google.

17. Foster a pet during quarantine - Small Miracles is doing fostering as well as other shelters in the area.

18. Schedule a virtual happy hour with friends - Skype & Facebook happy hours do SO MUCH for your sanity. Reach out to people you haven’t seen or spoken to in a while. It’s a great time to catch up.

19. Virtual trivia night - Charm City Trivia and Walsh Trivia are doing virtual team trivia. It’s cheap to sign up and your team members can be anywhere in the country.

20. Go for a walk - Maryland just instituted shelter in place, but you’re still allowed quick walks around the neighborhood by yourself or with members of your household.

21. Work out virtually - Our yoga teacher is doing FB live yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

22. Volunteer to get supplies for the more vulnerable members of your community (if you are lower risk) - Check places liked Nextdoor or local Facebook groups to see if high-risk members of your community need help picking up supplies. You can do a no-contact dropoff and help reduce the risk of spreading.

23. Check out books from your library online - You can virtually check out books, magazines & movies with apps for most library systems if you already have a library card. Here’s a link to Baltimore County’s apps.

24. Learn a new skill by watching YouTube or joining a service such as MasterClass - It could be related to your profession or something you’ve been meaning to learn forever- like how to create a repeat pattern! Or how to fix my lawnmower.

25. Craft it up - Take a look at your Pinterest board and FINALLY do some of those awesome crafts you’ve been saving for years.

Stay safe, everyone. xo, Dee