How to Be Creative Right Now With Jerry Saltz
Do you feel about physical distancing? This week, we’ll revive our creative instincts with the help of Jerry Saltz, New York Magazine Senior Art Critic and New York Times bestselling author, How to Become an Artist . Hear Jerry share his secrets of finding inspiration in this isolated time, as well as how he envisions the art world emerging from the global pandemic. Does he think this is a tough time to motivate? Yes. Does he think this means you should stop creating? Absolutely not, big kids!
Then listen to Lifehacker Health Magazine Editor Beth Skorecki talking to epidemiologist and infection prevention specialist Dr. Saskia Popescu about the right and wrong to wear a mask and what to really worry about at the grocery store.
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Highlights from this week’s series
From an interview with Jerry Salz
On the benefits of being forced to adapt:
Darwin said it was not an adaptation of the fittest or the fittest. He spent his entire second part of his life trying to clarify this. He said what I meant was survival of the fittest. And right now, we are all forced to adapt. Melissa, Alice, every day, every hour, every minute you come to terms with loneliness, with what you have done, what you have not done. Procrastination is now much more visible because there are fewer ways to do it. And you paint all this on them. For the past 50,000 years, your ancestors had to be creative for three idiots like us to end up talking and yelling at their computers that way.
On the importance of continuing to create, even when it’s hard:
I would say if you don’t want, don’t. But what they are doing is already happening inside your bones. They would not have gone that far into the future of your great ancestors in Africa. So I would say grow up, big child. Place your buttocks on a chair. Keep that damn thing there. Never tell the refrigerator your name, because then it will call you all day. Then work 22 fucking minutes and do something really bad. You know you were going to dance, just do it. Turn around six times, write it down on your phone, post it on your Instagram … What are you doing now in these 18 months that you are looking at … You will take the rest with you. days. You are sculpting something important for yourself, your children and friends. For everything about you. You will remember this as the first kiss, as the last goodbye. This period is not unimportant.
From an interview with Dr. Saskia Popescu
About the health and safety of grocery stores:
[That’s right] you know, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes this, is not something that really shows any transmission in terms of food packaging and stuff. So when I hear people worry about groceries, I’m more concerned about how you behave in the grocery store? Do you wear one pair of gloves, touch everything and then touch your phone? Do not do this. Wash your hands. I am less worried about grocery bags, packaging and groceries than about someone going to the grocery store and using really bad infection control measures. So if groceries are delivered to you or you are worried about when you bring them home, I think the most important thing is to wash your hands.
What is most important to remember when trying to protect yourself:
[A] If you are reading all of this on the Internet and you are inundated and overwhelmed with information and it makes you question what you are doing, just take a moment and really think about what you can control, which is wash your hands, keep surfaces clean, stay home when you’re sick, you know social distancing and getting back to basics is what I always say. The CDC website really helps answer many of these questions and gives you realistic information on how to protect yourself. So don’t be discouraged. Stay out of the rabbit holes and know that you already have all the skills to defend yourself. You just need to be really vigilant with him.
To learn more about how to keep your creativity flowing and the most effective ways to keep yourself and others safe, we recommend listening to the entire episode!
Any feedback or ideas for future episodes? Do you want to participate in the show? Leave us a voicemail at 347-687-8109 or send a voicemail to upgrade@lifehacker.com.