What projects have you done during the COVID-19 pandemic? Here’s some of what I did—and what I wish I’d done!

I’m someone who always has more around-the-house projects in mind than I can ever finish. At the moment I’m engaged in a few, such as:

Getting the backyard swing out of the garage and re-assembled
Making sound-blocking inserts for the windows in my office (now that our otherwise delightful neighbors have a new dog who barks when I’m giving classes via Zoom).

I feel more urgency about finishing the above projects (and a few others, too) now that the governor of Massachusetts has announced a schedule for “re-opening” our state. Will I get the most important things done, before things “get busy again”?

But what about…

And then there are the really important projects for me: finishing the video course of “How to Grow a Story,” writing a book proposal for “How to Become a Natural-Born Storyteller,” and more.

It’s funny how the around-the-house projects tend to push aside the “really important” projects. And how, in the less-busy times during the pandemic, I’ve spent most of my new-found time on the less important projects.

How About You?

What are your “really important” projects? A story that feels important to you? A full program of stories? A book or series of videos?

Once you’ve reminded yourself of them, what will it take to prioritize them?

Finally, what help do you need, to make them happen?

Not Doing It Alone?

By “help to make them happen,” I don’t mean that you’re incapable of doing them by yourself. I mean that things go better when you don't try to do them alone.

Howard Gardner, in his study of Creating Minds, discovered that all the creative individuals he studied—from Einstein and Gandhi to Picasso and Martha Graham—required specifically supportive relationships:

“The creator required both affective support from someone with whom he or she felt comfortable and cognitive support from someone who could understand the nature of the breakthrough.” (page 41)

So much for the “lone genius” idea!

Your Supporters?

Do you have people in your life who regularly support your work emotionally? Cognitively?

In our society, it’s rare for people to have any such supporters at all. But humans are built to need that kind of support.

As we begin to glimpse a possible ending of the COVID19 pandemic, let’s take stock of our needs as creators!