BWW Blog: Staying Creative and On Task!

Transferring during such a different time can seem like a challenge but with some
quick adjustments you can be successful and stress free. In my journey from community college to university I've come across some obstacles with the current changes. With the help of my Professors and peers I've discovered some tricks to help navigate this tricky time.

Obstacle one: Staying motivated while isolated. Trying to stay creatively motivated while experiencing so much change is proving to be a worthy opponent . It seems as the days get harder to keep track of so does motivating yourself to do anything, well I've got a few tips and tricks to keep those creative juices flowing.

Start the day with something creative, that seems to be the biggest flaw with the online approach to schooling in the performing arts. Counteract the sometimes
stale nature of the online platform by starting your day with something creative and
maybe some coffee. This makes the day start on a positive note; either reading a new play or book, learning to play or sing a new song, adding new material to your book, learning a new dance or even taking a class or workshop. There have been a lot of online classes and workshops being offered for outside of school education. This is a great way to make sure you're staying at your peak while staying inside.

Breaking each task into smaller time frames each day will make them more
manageable and less exhausting throughout the day. Making each assignment manageable timeframes weekly will seem more like a regular class schedule except this time you get to make it! Factor in any lesson times or video calls and make sure not to over work yourself. Don't forget the non school responsibilities as well and factor those into each week. Give yourself the weekend off as you would have them off if you were in classes, this gives you time to binge your favorite show. I'm totally obsessed with the Masked Singer right now, listen to that new album or catch up on your tanning since the weather is getting nicer, don't forget your sunscreen.

The next biggest challenge is keeping on top of all of your transfer paper work
and forms. There are house applications, financial aid awards and roommate assignments, not to mention class selection. You want to keep on top of these things you can email your school's advisor to do so. What i would recommend is to also look at the website, take time to go on a virtual tour and to join some of the virtual events your school may be hosting or putting on. This is a good way to get familiar with your soon to be new surroundings and to come up with a plan of action on how to go about transferring successfully.

Keeping yourself busy but not overwhelmed, enter different social media contests or fundraisers. These are a fun relaxed way to find new ways to be creative in this time, to stay active in your imagination, and pass the time. Overall keeping yourself
creatively inspired will make any other obstacle that much easier to handle.

The transfer process can be stressful but it doesn't have to be extra stressful with
these recent changes. Starting each typical workday with a creatively stimulating task will get your creative brain flowing and start the day on a good note. Plan out each week for what you have to get done, put down all your school work, transfer deadlines, and outside of school commitments. Make sure to even everything out each day to avoid overwhelming yourself. Don't forget to leave time for stress free fun, join a social media fundraiser or contest, something that can pass the time and help to find new ways to adapt to the online platform. Don't be afraid to communicate now more than ever it's important to communicate with people in whatever way is most effective for you.

See you next time,
Ben