The World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, the quarantine was issued immediately. Last month, March 2021, marks 1 year that we have been in this pandemic. 

Provided that everyone was going to be confined to their homes for a long time, most people sought out hobbies and activities to keep them busy. The pandemic opens up a lot of time to try new things and to turn the slightly rusted creative wheels of our minds, but can anyone really be creatively motivated during these times, or has the stressful conditions of the pandemic snuffed the creative flames of many? 

Some of the creative young minds at North Hollywood High School were facing some trouble exercising their creative side at the start of the pandemic, although the surplus of free time has allowed many of them to further pursue a subject that they are passionate about.

Case Avron, a senior here at North Hollywood, says “the pandemic hasn’t at all helped me be more creative.” He adds, “staying at home has been the worst for me creatively, I think, but luckily, I’ve been working more on sets and music videos.” Avron has a youtube channel where he posts many short films and videos, he is very passionate and talented at what he does, leaving many people excited for his new uploads. 

Another student, Yotam Barr, states “This seemingly endless quarantine has undoubtedly influenced my behavior, but I would be hesitant to say that it has made me more creative.” He continues, “I have embarked on a number of ventures to accompany me through quarantine. But the fact that I entertain my creative endeavors now is more merit of the ample free time provided by my isolation than a shift in my creativity.”

Barr is talented at 3D modeling and engineering, he is the Mechanical Lead of the Noho Robo team at NHHS, he says that “in the long hours of the day, I lose myself in engineering. I’ve jumped at the opportunity to 3D model solutions to any problem that presents itself no matter how trivial. I’ve designed transmissions ranging from interesting to ridiculous. I’ve made prototypes for all sorts of nugatory creations. Anything to distract me from my isolation.” 

Tatiana Lucero, shares a similar experience when it comes to creativity, she says, “I’ve always been a creative person, interested in theatre, singing, and dancing since I was a kid so I don’t think that the pandemic has made me at my core “more creative” but what the isolation due to quarantine offered me was a chance to expand my horizons.” 

She continues, “Initially, there was a wave of depression that hit me when I realized I’d never get to see the sophomores, that I had basically grown up with, graduate as seniors last year, or when I realized I had no Botball competition to look forward to. After all, that though, to pass the time, I looked into embroidery and sewing. I was able to pick up these new methods of expressing myself especially since my room isn’t a habitable environment to practice dancing and singing.” 

She says that she also picked up on her Ukelele skills during the pandemic as a stress relief activity. Lucero concludes that: “in many ways, I’ve expressed my creativity more than before the isolation quarantine was enforced on us all, but it just helped me find and demonstrate what was already there,” which is a beautiful sentiment to look at back on.