Creativity and constraints
Photo of a page from Lynda Barry’s Making Comics.
In Lynda Barry’s delightful book Making Comics, she shares an exercise she leads her students through at the start of each class: draw a portrait of yourself in 2 minutes flat. You can draw yourself dancing, snoring, turning into a butternut squash, whatever. It doesn’t matter. Don’t plan, don’t censor. Just draw.
I tried this exercise last week to distract myself from, well, everything. It was hard at first, but by the end it felt like my pen was moving on its own. There was no time to stop or second guess myself.
In Barry’s classes, time is used as a creative constraint. It keeps your hand moving and your ego at bay. It stretches the imagination and leads to surprising discoveries.
I was reminded of the value of creative constraints recently while watching a video about the lockdown in Milan. In order to safely capture their story, two Italian filmmakers flew a drone through their city’s shuttered neighborhoods. As the camera floats past residents going about their daily routines, WhatsApp audio messages convey their hopes and fears. I was wowed by the video’s resourcefulness and creativity.
Since then, not a day goes by where I’m not inspired by something that was created in response to our new reality. It’s as if the constraints of being in quarantine have made people more, not less, creative. For Lynda Barry, I’m sure this would come as no surprise.
So many incredible videos have been produced during this lockdown. I thought I’d share just a few of my favorites. I hope they bring you as much joy as they did me.
—Steph
PS - Let us know in the comments what’s inspired you and where you’re channeling your creativity these days!
“Phenom” Music Video, by Thao & The Get Down Stay Down
If only all Zoom meetings could be like this! This wildly creative music video is an astonishing feat of choreography. It had me dancing in my seat.
The Follow-Up, by Benjamin Berman
This absurdly hilarious story unfolds entirely across a desktop screen. Come for the concept, stay for the cameos.
What Social Distancing Looks Like Across the World, by Ivan Cash and Jacob Jonas
People from more than 30 countries come together to share what their lives look like. We did a similar video, interviewing our friends abroad about life during lockdown, but the sheer breadth of stories and perspectives in Cash and Jonas’s video is what really makes it special.
Earth Odyssey, by Adi Halfin
It’s easy to forget you have a body when you’re stuck inside all day. This video, made from footage submitted by dancers around the world, reminded me to get up, stretch, and move.
Visit, by Jia Zhangke
This film, by one of China’s most renowned filmmakers, was created for the Thessaloniki Film Festival, which commissioned directors from around the world to produce 3-minute shorts, filmed entirely in lockdown.
2 Lizards, by Meriem Bennani and Orian Barki
Hypnotic and poignant, this strange series is the only thing I’ve seen that captures what it feels like to be alive right now -- helpness, anxious, and sometimes hopeful. You can watch the full series on Bennani’s Instagram.
Our Show, by Erica Heilman
OK, so it technically isn’t a video, but I couldn’t resist including this vox pop of recordings from around the world. Be warned: you may want a box of tissues.