All around us, people are using their creativity to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical staff are finding new ways to treat patients. Grocers, farmers, restaurants, non-profits, and neighborhood groups are finding new ways to supply and deliver food and partnering to help vulnerable and struggling residents and businesses. Teachers and parents are finding new ways to educate children. We’re all in this together, but not equally; the reality looks very different even within the same city. I could go on and on, but I know you're all discovering new partnerships being created every week in your area.
Everyone is coping in their own way depending on their circumstances. Some of my author friends are writing up a storm, while others are literally and figuratively stuck in place. But creativity takes many forms, and I’m appreciating the various ways people are giving back when they've been gifted with safety and time at home - from quilting clubs making masks to chefs filming free virtual cooking lessons from their home kitchens. For those of you who attended my "Salted Book Launch Party" a few years ago and sampled my friend Laura's cooking, she's been sharing recipes and hosting daily Live at Five real-life cooking demos with limited ingredients, hungry teenagers, and the family dog barking in the background.
For some of us, being busy is a healthy coping mechanism; for others, our pace needs to slow. Here are a few of the ways our SCBWI-MI members are coping with the quarantine.
 |
| https://www.neallevin.com/ |
* Author and SCBWI-MI Indie Coordinator/Shop Talk Administrator Dave Stricklen has been working on his 2020 ArtPrize non-partisan entry, The Spirit of America (come together and overcome together) about how we as Americans work together to overcome difficult times.
What to look for: The first view is how the painting appears to move as you walk by. The final stills show the detail when standing in place.
Did you notice? The doors open and close, the striped hallways stretch, and the spirit’s face follows you. Also, the shadows from the doors move as the doors open and the planes near the end move through the sky. If you ever get a chance to see it in person, be sure to move up and down (the face will also smile at you).
* Here’s one from author/illustrator, Amy Nielander.
CREATE A CHARACTER
Ages: Kindergartner to Adult
Families/kids can download a CREATE A CHARACTER activity sheet every Monday on my blog. Four BLOBS (inspired by real objects) are on each sheet. Kids can turn the BLOBS into any character they like using a medium of their choice. Amy will share her character designs on Friday (and encourages others to post their designs via social media using #theblobblog). Families can check the Blog Archive to see previous designs and Guest Artist’s artwork.This activity encourages creativity, imagination, design and problem-solving skills.
Jeff Jantz:
"The organization that I work for is currently running interactive after-school activities through several different themed channels Monday through Thursday including an Arts and Craft channel, a Travel channel, a Health and Fitness channel and more. Also, homework help with certified teachers. I am working a lot with the MAKER channel, where we will be facilitating interactive engineering and design activities. Here's a link to our virtual page so you can see all the great things we have going on:
https://c2pipeline.wayne.edu/virtual
I'm very proud to work for an organization that is so willing to make changes quickly to find ways to serve our students even in these uncertain times."
This Virtual class will be taught by author/illustrator Jeff Jantz and is sponsored by WSU C2 Pipeline in response to school closers across the country due to COVID 19. To join simply click on the Zoom Meeting link below during the scheduled time.
What is TinkerCAD? It's a 3D modeling program for kids. It can be used for 3D printing, lego builds or simply designing a project.
Who can participate? Kids and Teens age 6 and up. Kids who play Minecraft tend to catch on to TinkerCAD very quickly.
What's needed? An internet connection and a computer (preferably with a mouse). You can join Zoom from a computer or a phone. It would be best to set up a TinkerCAD account beforehand and explore it on your own before the class. To set up a free account go to https://www.tinkercad.com/
When? Every Monday, 3:30 to 5:00 PM eastern time, till May 25, 2020
How do I get on? Just follow this link during the scheduled time:
Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYoce6srT8vprs6LnCE7o4kLrApEJfwrA
Or use the Meeting ID: 825-674-345
Find more educational resources from SCBWI members in Michigan and around the world:
 |
| https://ruthexpress.com/ |
Thank you everyone for sharing your creative gifts in myriad ways. We'd love to hear more about what you're doing; please let us know in the comments. Whether it's working on the front-lines of healthcare or staying home and hugging your family members, we appreciate you. Here’s a gentle, encouraging post from Vicky Lorencen which sums it up beautifully: https://vickylorencen.com/2020/04/15/give-your-words/.
Stay safe and take care,
Kristin Lenz
Awesome how Michigan authors and illustrators are sharing with us and parents and kids during these challenging times. Doing our little bit to help is so important right now. I'm trying to do what I can on my blog. I hope everyone stays safe and healthy.
ReplyDeleteKristin, you've helped, too with this post! After just speaking with my father (8 hours away) who meets all the criteria for a very poor Covid-19 outcome and is getting close to quitting self-imposed quarantine, you and our community have brightened my outlook! Thank you all.
ReplyDelete