If You Can't Get Out, Get in

By Jenna Pastuszek

My colleagues keep posting articles about public and/or group singing being a super spreader of the virus and the unlikelihood of its return anytime soon.

My peers keep posting articles about Broadway’s return timeline which keeps getting pushed back further and further.

I can’t bring myself to read any of them.

The information in those articles, while correct, tempts me to sit and wallow in misery. Articles like that give too much fuel to my feeling hopeless fire.

What I know is this: many of us have spent some portion of the last 75+ days wondering how we can possibly get out of this situation, wondering how we can get back to normal.

We can’t.

And if we waste another 75+ days trying to, we’ll turn into the couch blob people from Wall-E.

What we can do is acknowledge that the backlash from this virus isn’t going away anytime soon. Instead of waiting and wallowing, we can spend our energy trying to get IN the situation.

My friend Will says, “We’ve all been trying to get out. Let's get into it instead!”

What does getting into it mean?

First, it’s accepting reality. Life has been interrupted, altered, disrupted. Plans have been destroyed, delayed, diminished. We can acknowledge that it sucks, and move on.

Then, it becomes about building momentum. How can you still move forward?

Think about the things that you’ve enjoyed over the past two and a half months.

Is it going to bed and waking up earlier? Is it a new home gym routine? A daily walk in nature? Making dinner every night? More time spent communicating with family, friends, groups of intelligent colleagues? What are you grateful to have experienced over the past few weeks that you wouldn’t have dedicated the time, space, or energy to before?

How can you amplify these positive life builders?

Get into the situation and take awesome care of your personhood.

Next, think about the things that you’ve enjoyed creating since March.

Is it a collaborative video project with friends? Is it a new writing habit in the form of morning pages, a journal, a blog, a reach out practice, a short film, a screenplay, a play, poetry, lyrics, music? Is it a bunch of song clips to add to your “material on tape” collection? Is it a daily vocal warm up routine? Is it a 30-day yoga challenge? A new dance reel or website or other graphic design project? Is it drawing or painting? Performing in virtual readings of plays or concerts? Conducting interviews and crafting an oral history? Taking dance classes that spark joy and connect you with incredible choreographers? Choreographing a piece yourself? Is it learning new songs or dusting off old gems? Is it playing an instrument? What have you made that was inspiring and fun to create?

How can you amplify these creative outlets?

How can you add more of what makes you feel happy, focused, energized to your life? Get into the situation and take awesome care of your artistry.

Now is not the time for beating yourself up over the things you “should” be doing.

Now is the time to celebrate the things that you ARE doing and the ways in which you are showing up for yourself and others that make you feel proud and accomplished. Now is the time to ask yourself how you can do more of that.

When you feel proud, accomplished, and inspired, chances are those around you will start to feel that way as well.

Your energy is contagious.

Just like this virus.

So let’s fight this thing with expressions of joy and generous contributions to the things and people that make us feel alive.

Let’s give it all we’ve got.

I'm getting into it. Care to join me?