Student’s top tips for beating a Covid creativity block

A student who conquered a recent bout of Covid creative block has used her videography skills to give some top tips for others suffering a creativity slip.

Lockdown may have officially ceased across most of the country, but restrictions continue in certain areas of England, including Northamptonshire*.

On the surface, such measures should not have effected a self-confessed home bird and “partial recluse”. But for Podiatry student Ektaa Vadgama it has meant an onset of writer’s block.

Ektaa spoke recently about how creating “positive PR” videos helped her cope with self-isolation and this was keeping her creativity flowing.

Fast forward a few extra weeks and the age-old enemy of writers and other creative types had sunk in, but she offers some top tips to keep her fellow students and Northamptonians stay focused.

Ektaa said: “Being totally honest, lockdown or living in an Area of Enhanced Support shouldn’t be too much of an issue for me. I’m no hermit, but ‘semi-reclusiveness’ is something that’s part of my general, daily life.

“But even recluses can be impacted by looking at the same four walls and exhausting Netflix! I went through a bit of a mental block recently and struggled when thinking of and creating new content.

“It’s not something I’ve had a particular issue with before but this was difficult, especially when you are trying to be funny and informative and on a fairly regular basis.

“I took part in some online therapy and spoke to family and friends helping me come up with my own ‘writer’s block busters’ that helped clear and re-set my mind – and yours – and get back on with the videos and blogging.”

Her top tips are:

• Go on holiday! Or, just a country walk. Going for a walk is great to clear the mind, but make sure to observe social distancing rules by staying at least two metres apart from other walkers. People in Northamptonshire may have to wait a little while longer to go on holiday, but why not reminisce about a past holiday you loved? Or make plans for a future holiday, when restrictions have been lifted?
• Do something so mind numbing it reboots the brain! For me, this is anything that gives me routine and structure, such as taking care of my indoor plants and other basic responsibilities
• Engage in positive self-talk…as well as talking with people who you know can give you a boost!
• Ask friends, family, colleagues for ideas or suggestions to give you a ‘creative nudge’. Jot these down into a list. You don’t have to explore them in any detail – that will come later – but just get some of their words down. Make a note of why they have suggested them though, why they think this will help you and keep that for clarity later on
• Read a good book or listen to your favourite music. I recently read The Storyteller’s Secret by Carmine Gallo. I like it because it talks about personal stories as an education tool, real life examples of people overcoming their own fears and negative self-talk and doubts that drastically changed their trajectory.

You can view this video and others Ektaa has made on her Instagram profile.

Find out more about Podiatry at the University of Northampton.

*Keep up to date with the latest about coronavirus in Northampton.