Creation in the Time of Chaos: 3 Ways to Thrive in Quarantine

Do you have a lot of unexpected time on your hands?
Feeling the pressure to create art can add more stress than freedom.

In this episode of A Book and A Dream, Megan O'Russell discusses tips for creating in a stressful time.

Tune in for the Facebook live chat on 3/25 for insight on turning the draft you create in isolation into a book. https://www.facebook.com/ORussellauthor/

Find Ember and Stone here: https://books2read.com/EmberandStone

Transcript

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do one thing to push you. One thing that you wouldn't normally have trying to do that You want to grow out of this experience for me. That's guitar. Welcome to a book in a Dream with Megan. Oh, wrestle an author's adventure and writing, reading and being an epic sand girl Hello, My name is Megan. Oh, Russell. And welcome to Episode 17 Off A Book and a Dream. This is also Day seven of self isolation for me. Yea, honestly, The good thing about being a writer is that I am used to spending a lot of time by myself with my computer. So that's nice. That is a continuation for me with the whole isolation thing. I'm also very lucky that I am isolating with my husband, so I'm not really alone. We also have two housemates with us and a lovely back patio that is fence sins. We have a little bit of secluded outdoor space, but, um, yeah, it's been an interesting time, and I wanted to take a moment to talk to you all about creating in this chaotic time. So my entire adult life, I have been an actor. I've been onstage. Uh, And that has always sort of been how I have been a part of dealing with public chaos whenever something strange or tragic or whatever has happened to this country to the world in my whole life, basically by bit on stage consistently since I was 13. My part in dealing with the aftermath with even the problems as they're going on has been being on stage. So my part and it has always been allowing people to find an escape from whatever horrors are happening in the world. Unfortunately, pandemic is unique in the fact that we, uh, can't do that right now. We can't do shows. We can't be in theaters on the show that I have been working on, unfortunately, had to close early. We're still in a bit of a holding pattern as to what's coming up for the next contract that I'm due to start rehearsal on. Hopefully we will get to start even if we start a little bit late. But there's no way to know we this is fairly unprecedented. We don't know where we're going, so that has been very hard on a lot of the performing arts community. Basically, everything's canceled which means a lot of people out of work, which is awful. So if you know any performers, stagehands, anyone who works at a performance venue in any capacity, give them some extra long distance love because they are on the struggle bus right now. Um, the nice thing is that I am also a writer. So while I am not offering people and escape from the stage, I can give them a moment of peace through my books, which is great because it is at a safe distance, which is awesome. No crowds involved. But it's also weird because I'm not. They're for it. I don't know what the audience reaction is. I'm not a part of a group that is presenting something, so it is a very isolating way to do it. For my part of trying to help people find escape and escape, I have had Ember and Stone set for a 99 cent sale. It does end the day that this is airing March Me Third it is. The book is 99 cents at all able e book retailers. It is the first book in the NFL. Umbria, Siri's. It has nothing to do with this world. There were absolutely no pandemics. So if you need to escape into fantasy for a while, grab that book while I'm self isolating because I kind of have thio. I have asthma. I autoimmune among being was pressing. So this is gonna be a while for me. I have a lot of alone time going on. Even if I am lucky enough to get back to go back to work, I'm not gonna be able to really go see people. It's before I was even self isolating. Was just working home to try and avoid as many germs as possible. And that's gonna be my life for a while. And there are gonna be a lot of people who are at home for quite a bit. And I think we've all probably seen the means and the tweets and everything else at this point. That's all about how you know Shakespeare wrote King Lear while quarantined, and that's great. If you want to create an epic masterpiece during this time, I think that's a great idea. I am currently getting super far head on. I work for the fourth book in the NFL, Beria. Siri's further inflame that is due out in May, partially to keep myself saying partially so that in case I do get sick, for some reason, I'll be able to allow myself a couple weeks off without being too stressed about it. Also, I have the time because no shows. So for me, that is a continuation of my daily work life. Even when I'm in performances all the time, I'm still writing 3 to 5000 words a day. I know it's crazy. I just I don't sleep much. I don't do a lot of things. I just write into theater. So for me, that is part of continuing normality. However, if you have never in a play, if you have never painted a painting, if you have never done any of those things, don't push it too hard. Would be my main advice to you. Do not look at this isolation as your one and only chance to create some great masterpiece. If you do great, if that is what is centering you and keeping you saying, I think that's fantastic. But I've also seen a lot of especially actors, writers, artists who are beating themselves up right now because they are distracted from their art, whether it's their show got canceled and they're just not fine to get in their hearts to sing at home or their day job that canceled and they have all this extra time to write. But they're just not in it right now, and that's okay. I think we need to find compassion for other people right now. But we also need to hold on to a lot of compassion for ourselves. I long before when I was Ah young little thing. I was home schooled through all of junior high and high school. So I have Ah lot of experience with this whole working in a vacuum environment. It was not a superstructure home school. This is way before virtual school. The school district just gave us books and let us go. And one of the things that I learned from my years of doing that is that you have to allow yourself the ballots. Yes, I could have gone through school even faster than I did. I could have spent 12 hours a day with the textbooks that they sent me. I had time to do it, but I didn't do it. That way I did my set amount of school for the day. I would go to dance classes at night and I would be a human being in between. And as much as I'm really bad at letting myself be a human being, it is so important. In this time, I have been pushing really hard to get more words out on further inflame. It's going really well. I'm really excited about it. I've also been practicing guitar a lot, which I love playing instruments. Guitar is not my strongest instrument, so I'm taking this time to get more comfortable on it. I've played guitar and a couple of shows now, but I've never felt really comfortable just picking it up and playing for my sake, because it's not what feels best in my fingers. So I've been working on making that feel more natural. I've also been watching TV. I don't usually have time to do that, but, like finally finished watching the series Bones two or three years later, actually watching Witcher, it's good. You should try it if you need something to binge. First Episode's a little rough, but after that it gets great morning. There is nudity, violence and swearing. So if you're not into those things, don't check out with her. But it's been nice to give myself of those moments to be human. What I would recommend for you is don't necessarily. I know people are like you get up, put on your work clothes If you're working for home, If that's what makes you feel motivated. Fine. If you're like I'm not wearing real pants until this thing is over you do you, however you want to schedule it, just make yourself three check boxes every day. I thought all you can d'oh do one thing to push you. One thing that you wouldn't normally have time to do that. You want to grow out of this experience for me? That's guitar. I normally wouldn't have 45 minutes an hour every day to just sit down and work on chords. But I can do that. So pick one thing to push you pick one thing to ground you to make you realize that this is gonna end for me that is working on a feather in flame that is continuing to grow My Siri's as an author continuing to grow my platform as an author working on my business for when this calms down so that I will still be in a good place. Now, maybe you are not an author, so you can't do that. If you're a performer, learn a new song for your book. Actually learn two contrasting monologues. Start doing some research on theaters around the country. Whatever it is for you, for your field, do something that is investing in you still being on top of your game when you get out of this thing in your net and then do one thing that just brings you joy, This nonsense for me, that is watching, which are I've heard about it for months and finally gotten to watch it. And if you can do all those things, preferably likes matter and I don't know, face timing someone you love vegetables and exercise. You're gonna be okay. They don't have to be massive things. You do not need to write King Lear. You do not need to sew 20 quilts. You do not need to write a whole musical. Just get through those couple of things and keep yourself alive. That's that's really the goal. I wish that I could help you Maur with achieving those things that when you get out of this, you can look back onto it and there is more than just isolation. I'm waiting for it to be over. I think that the best way that I can do that is by helping anyone who is trying to write a project. During this time. I've written 24 books, 20 books, something like that. I've written a lot of books, so many books. I'm not actually sure about the number anymore. And I have been through the whole traditional publishing journey. I have moved my entire book catalog to Indy. I know a lot about getting books from concepts to something that you can present to the public. That is something that I am very good at, and I am very experienced. And even though it's weird for me to say that because Imposter syndrome is so strong, but I want to help you do that, if that is your goal, so Wednesday, let me make sure I'm getting my date right. Yes, Wednesday, March 25th at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard time On my Facebook page, there will be a link to that page with this video and podcast, I am going to do a live video to talk through my best advice for starting with an idea for getting words out every day for how to process random scenes into an actual manuscript. I am happy to do a Q and A. F. You're like I have an idea, but I've never flushed it out. Let's chat. Come on over to the live video. I will be there to talk about all of these things with you, from your ideas to edits to whatever point you're at. Let me help you. You don't have to write playing Lear. But if writing King Lear is what's making you sane and you need someone to help you figure out howto format that I am happy to help, So that is going to be a live video on my author. Facebook Page Megan Oh, Russell on Facebook. It's going to be at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard time on the 25th. Come on, bring your questions. For some reason you miss it. Leave a comment on my page. Leave a comment under this video. If you have something super specific that you already want to ask about. I am happy to help we only to spread a little love and compassion, and this is the best way that I can be a part of that. So in conclusion, take care of yourself. Stay sane. Spread a little love. Don't forget that you, as an artist, as a human as whatever, deserve compassion as much as you should give it to the outside world. Drinkwater. Get lots of sleep. Try and see the sunlight, even if it's just through a window. If you can't get outside wherever you are, at least acknowledge that there's a sky out there and I will see you next time.