Why Creativity Is More Important Than Productivity During A Pandemic

By nsndm001 | May 15, 2020

So… we’re in the middle of a pandemic.

The Coronavirus has most of the free world under some form of quarantine or lockdown.

How are you holding up, business owners?

These are unprecedented times. And our businesses are being affected in unprecedented ways.

It feels like half the Internet experts are telling entrepreneurs that this is the time to level up: hustle harder, pivot, learn new skills, or train new staff.

Got extra time on your hands? Why not work on marketing, double down on strategy, and triple down on content creation? While you’re at it, start a few side-hustles.

The other half of the Internet wants us to make sourdough. Like… a lot of it.

Slow down, go inward, simplify, de-clutter, re-evaluate, re-align, learn a new language, learn to cook, do crafts and puzzles, play instruments, maybe refurbish some old furniture…

Seriously?

Both extremes are ridiculous.

Entrepreneurs are used to being driven and motivated. Telling us to work harder and be more focused is kind of a condescending sentiment. If it was that easy, all the solopreneurs would be doing it. In fact, working harder was probably their first instinct.

But many business owners discovered that the usual practices don’t apply in the age of COVID-19. Pushing harder wasn’t working. But going inward and becoming a student of meditation isn’t possible either. If a business owner stops working, the business dies. The end.

Taking advantage of this “break” and stopping for a while is not usually a viable option for an entrepreneur. It’s death.

If your business is slowing down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, I would love to tell you that this is the perfect time to create new content: write a ton of articles for your blog, craft a year’s worth of posts for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. You could be shooting new videos, editing memes… you’d be set for content for months.

And then, you’d be better positioned when this thing ends (and it will… we just don’t know exactly when or how) to hit he ground running and get back on track.

Some of you might be able to do this. Congratulations.

Others, not so much. Forgive yourselves.

Maybe your business is shorthanded right now and you have to make ends meet with fewer resources than you usually have on hand. Maybe you’re unable to operate at all, or maybe you’re scurrying around trying to re-invent, pivot, and re-brand your business so that it makes sense during quarantine.

Or, maybe you’re just not in a place mentally or creatively which allows you the space to be able to make new content right now. Uncertainty can do that to a person.

My advice for today is really basic.

If you are not in a place – mentally, creatively, or emotionally – to create new content for your business, shift your focus.

Instead of worrying about being productive, worry about being creative.

As business owners, we are creative by nature. We are artists. Yes, you read that correctly.

Think about it – one day, you (the entrepreneur) noticed that a need wasn’t being fulfilled and then *poof* you created a product or service that met that need. You made something out of nothing. Just like that. Because you are a natural born creator.

So, how do we re-ignite that creativity during a time that is – let’s face it – not conducive to creativity? We’ve got financial stress, kids that need to be homeschooled, suppliers and clients in quarantine, and everyone is afraid of catching germs. How is anyone supposed to feel creative in all this chaos?

You can start by just making something. If you can’t make something that will help your business, make something else. Something that will make you feel accomplished and energized.

This will be something different for each of you.

Personally, I like writing. I am a big fan of writing Morning Pages – a couple of pages of unstructured, stream of consciousness journaling every morning, as prescribed by Julia Cameron in her fantastic book, The Artist’s Way.

(It’s meant for artists, but business is art – trust me on this, just get the book and try it if you haven’t.)

But for you, it might be building something, or gardening, or painting, or fixing up some old furniture, or playing music. It might even be making sourdough!

It doesn’t matter what you do, just do it. And do it consistently. Every day. As if your business depended on it.

Because it does.

It is practically impossible to be in Creator Mode and Victim Mode at the same time.

And, once you feel creative energy starting up in you again, you will be ready to turn your attention on being productive again.