Covid-19 has impacted the world in ways we would never have imagined.
From loss of income, to all of the entertainment markets shutting down, or barely crawling along it has been a tough time for those of us in this industry.
I think about all of the companies and sponsors who have supported me in my music endeavors all of these years, and feel helpless at the fact I am barely able to book any gigs to keep their name circulating at this time. Here are some tips I have found to help me cope during this time.
1. Destress
If you can take some time off to just breath, mediate, phone a friend, play with your pet or do something that brings you some form of peace, it is imperative that you do it! You need to refocus and think with a clear mind when planning the next steps.
2. Financial Plan
Take a look at your financial situation, and make sure you have a new budget. If you have savings to calculate how long you can live on that, look also into reconfiguring your lifestyle to fit your new budget. Remember it can always change if you should be able to go back to work, but you may even want to evaluate other skill sets that you had prior to your music/entertainment career and attempt pursinging it for the meantime.
3. Get Support if you need it
If you are struggling financially, mentally, emotionally, or in any other way, there are plenty of resources available to help. You can start with your inner circle or approach local agencies such as the National Helpline. Remind yourself you are not in this alone .Samhsa and the Office of Community Services can help you.
4. Create a daily Schedule
At some point you will go back to your music performance schedule so try and keep the comfort of that going on , while also keeping up a practice routine. Make sure you stay up with your health, exercises, diet, and refining your skills. This is a time to look for new opportunities as well.
5. Capitalize on the opportunities you still have
With some venues beginning to open up (and many live streams still going) it is our job as musicians and entertainers to keep other people well informed. We need to do our job to support local businesses, and venues as well as also teach and inform the public the implications of this new world.
You may even consider using your gig to show while we should be considerate of the safety surrounding this horrible virus, it is also taxing many people in many other ways. Let’s get creative and figure out some solutions to these issues, and revamp the entertainment world.
