What do you do during your ‘downtime’? What’s your favorite way to tune out from the world? Do you ever exercise your creative juices for the sake of creativity alone?

If your schedule and daily activities are the same as they were a few months ago, count yourself among a tiny minority. Most folks around the world are deep into the new rituals of ‘sheltering-in-place’ as we’re calling it here in California.

Whether you refer to it as the ‘lockdown’ or ‘quarantine’ or even the somewhat vague idea of ’social distancing’ the result is the same – we’re all spending a LOT more time at home. Hopefully, you’re making the best of it and terms like ‘nesting’ or ‘domestic bliss’ apply.

Back in the Colorado mountains during the deepest months of winter we kids would sometimes be snowed in and miss school for days at a time. After an extended spell of being cooped up in the house, we would start to go bonkers and the grownups would say we had ‘cabin fever’ and were going ’stir crazy’.

But this coronavirus pandemic is going to last a lot longer than any snowstorm so you’ve got to take the long view and find ways to cope without going totally off your rocker. No two situations are exactly alike, you might be living on the upper floor of an urban apartment building or in a house at the end of a remote country road but either way, it’s certain that your routines have shifted and you’re making adjustments.

From what I’m witnessing there’s a wide range of reactions to this not-quite-new normal. Some of my acquaintances are busier than ever, scheduling several Zoom meetings and virtual dance classes a day, with home-schooling, bread baking, and Instagram posting shoehorned in between.

Others have lapsed into total lassitude, barely rising before mid-afternoon with their most strenuous activity being the walk from the sofa to the fridge. I’m not sure if the desire to binge-watch every episode of The Crown or Breaking Bad on Netflix counts as motivation.

Regardless of whether one is a couch potato or a busy bee, one thing is clear. A lot of those things we all said we would “do someday when we had the time” just ain’t gonna happen. Because if they’re not getting done now, lack of time was never the problem.

The thing to remember is that this is a marathon, not a sprint. You may as well prepare emotionally for 12 to 18 months followed by a slow recovery and hope that we are pleasantly surprised if it turns out to be less. And yes, the uncertainty is maddening.

As Aisha Ahmad says “Now more than ever, we must abandon the performative and embrace the authentic. ” In her article “Why You Should Ignore All That Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressure” she offers sage advice to academics that’s valuable to all of us.

Focus first on physical and psychological security. Build a real-world team and “devise a strategy for social connectedness with a small group of family, friends, and/or neighbors… Identify the vulnerable and make sure they are included and protected.”

You can then move on to making the mental shifts that require humility and patience. Don’t get mired down in denial and delusion, it will only delay the essential process of acceptance. That’s the key to establishing the new routines that will allow your real work to flourish. It takes time to reimagine yourself in this new reality so sometimes you’ve got to step back from the pressure and take a break.

Which brings me to one of my favorite ways of ‘pressing pause’ on the outside world and exercising some Zen-like creativity. Good old-fashioned jigsaw puzzles are uniquely suited to shifting your creative consciousness during these domestically-oriented times.

You might think that there’s nothing inherently creative about the process of assembling a jigsaw puzzle. But just because the artwork is predetermined in advance doesn’t mean you’re not being creative. You can even go one step further and have your own artwork made into a custom puzzle! (That’s my partner Isabelle’s painting in the one above.)

Jigsaws juxtapose the art of creation with the act of non-attachment. Once you place that last piece, there’s nothing left to do but break it all up, put the pieces back in the box, and start another one. (Unless you’re gluing it down, but there’s only so many framed puzzles a person can accumulate)

It’s fascinating to observe your mind and mental state when you’re working on a puzzle. Jigsaws preclude multitasking, pushing all attention to screens or written material out of the way. Background music or audiobooks can be a nice accompaniment to the visually-oriented task. Witnessing the dance of attention between your ears as you quietly search for a missing piece is an amazing form of meditation.

What’s really remarkable however is the aesthetic effect on the atmosphere of your home. While jigsaws are a satisfying solitary experience, they are also non-competitive and inherently collaborative. They’re a calming way to lower the volume and slow the pace of home life when done with a partner or members of your family. If you have little kids, the pro tip is to set up a work surface on the floor so you can enjoy having the little tykes crawl all over you as you pore over the pieces.

This pandemic has brought out my inner puzzle aficionado. I started to pay a lot more attention to the upper echelons of the jigsaw world during my visit to France in December where puzzles are a national passion. The hand-cut wooden works of Michèle Wilson are truly the state of the art (and worth a peek at these videos about their creation). Laser-cut wood editions by Artifact in California are nearly as delightful and far more affordable.

There’s no lack of material to focus on beyond the four walls of your home and the environs of your local neighborhood. Finding ways to dance in the balance between your internal and external worlds is one of the keys to maintaining your equilibrium during these historic times. If the simple pleasure of a jigsaw can help you drop in and stay grounded, welcome the pastime into your life and practice peace one piece at a time.

Much love till next Monday, stay safe and take care!

M+

Mark Metz
Director of the Dance First Association
Publisher of Conscious Dancer Magazine

This week’s Dance First Member Insight is brought to you by Sarah Sadie , founder of Studio Sadie in Madison, Wisconsin. Dance First members are sharing their insights and inspirations during this troubled time, as well as how they are coping. Plus links to live streams and online offerings for you.

Dear Conscious Dancers & Beloved Community,

What a remarkable event we are currently experiencing as a global community. As I am sure many of you do, I need to remind myself several times a day to take a pause and ground myself. I use this time simply to breathe, to allow the present moment to expand in my awareness, to feel my body and observe how it is reacting—and interacting—at this moment.

Those of us who regularly dance, move, and connect with our bodies already have a variety of tools and techniques to share. We’re invited to step into leadership in whatever ways call to us, in whatever circles we are part of, to guide others into building similar connections. The openness of this invitation within this transformational moment in time allows us to work towards building whatever new world we envision. More than anything, it is a call to create!

Even as I write this, I’m aware that, for some of us, such a radical invitation feels like too much to handle. I feel it myself, also. Recently, a participant in one of my small groups shared that she shifts between feeling “like a thin-skinned balloon” and the embodiment of “warrior mode.” That resonated with me in a very tangible way. We aren’t always warriors. But, we aren’t always balloons, either.

Please be gentle with yourselves during this ongoing experience. Whatever you are feeling, know that it is okay. Experience your emotions. Simply…be.

At my Studio, we hold a space for both of these extremes (and everything in between) in our weekly Qoya classes. Dancing together gives us each an opportunity to experience and explore the wisdom and truth of our bodies on any given day. We take time in our classes to share with each other. Witnessing each other’s truth is a sacred act, opening us to the possibility that something new will emerge, some deeper understanding, from between any two voices.

Starting at the end of the month, we’ll also be running New Orientations. New Orientations is a distinct offering designed to give participants a way to gently move from reaction to response, transitioning from fear, anxiety and alarm to the quiet curiosity of what might come next. It gives participants the space to examine what small next step they might take next.

What calls to you in this moment?

The answer can be as big as a dream, or as small as five minutes by the window with a cup of tea. I believe the answers (and the questions) we collaborate to create will always be more precious than those we find alone.

If you feel called to explore these ideas, you can find more at the Studio’s website: https://studiosadie.world/new-orientations.

Sign up for our mailing list!

And join in for Qoya during Covid, virtual classes online.

Be well. Stay well.

xo

Sarah Sadie

Founder, Studio Sadie