Creative. Social. Motivated.
Sheltering at home, we’re like go-getters in recovery. For years, we’ve kept ourselves on track with appointments to schedule and projects to plan. Suddenly our calendars came to a grinding halt, and now we feel a little lost.
Circumstance has created a clearing in the dense forest of our lives, as the poet Martha Postlethwaite describes. With so much room to explore, each of us is navigating uncharted territory—but with a blindfold on. Sometimes this new terrain feel exciting; sometimes it feels overwhelming. C’est la vie, right?
We get by with a little help from our friends.
Here’s the thought to which we keep circling back: We’re all in this together. On the days we can’t seem to find our way, we look to our peers to lead us.
In the spirit of togetherness, we’ve begun this special feature. Each week, we’ll ask some friends of CSM, How do you stay creative, social and motivated amidst so much uncertainty? Below, designer Jamie Toporovsky from JBT Designs offers us a guiding light.
“While I’ve pushed pause on some of my bigger pre-Corona projects, I have been working hard to keep my creative brain happy. I’m trying to stay in a routine—even if I do allow myself some late morning starts.One of my favorite beginning stages of the design process is planning the different elements: Fabrics, wallpapers, paint colors, art, tiles, hardware and more. There’s no time better than now to make selections, since reps and vendors are able to continue mailing out sample packages. Until I can resume installations and custom orders, I have been amateurishly hanging art and bulletin boards (I miss you, CSM and Mike!), reorganizing my linen closet, pantry and kitchen cabinets, and setting up work areas for my family.”
Social
“What’s App and texting groups with friends and family have been very therapeutic. They’ve replaced my “coffee talks” and lunch/dinner dates. Staying connected via Instagram, baking with my daughter, walks around the block with my family, Pilates, Bravo TV, Netflix and Amazon Prime have been instrumental in giving me much-needed breaks from the crazy reality surrounding us.”Motivated
“On the plus side, this forced downtime is allowing me to organize my systems and delve deeper into the behind-the-scenes at JBT Designs. I have learned so much from Zoom sessions with big industry names. They have so much knowledge to offer and are usually too busy to share it. I’m optimistic that when we’re able to press play again, we will come out even stronger. JBT Designs will be that much better for my clients.”
Send an email and let us know.
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