April 2020 – Creativity Tonic

My Photos

Posted on April 25, 2020April 30, 2020 by Sophia Ryder

Since you’re probably tired of reading, I thought I would share a couple of my photos.

I take photos for yearbook, ZACH Theatre in Austin, and a couple of non profit organizations that I work with. I also take photos of my friends for free (because I’m the best).

I keep a camera in my car just in case I see something or someone worth photographing for history or my own personal fun. It’s also a great way to document my memories through visuals and tell stories.

Here’s a couple of my photos!

It’s hard resisting the urge to use filters in my editing. Especially since I still don’t completely understand the uses and tools of photoshop yet. I use the features on VSCO as well as some of the apple features on my iphone (they’re surprisingly handy).

Share your photos with me! They don’t have to be taken with a camera or professional GoPro; share a photo of something that you’re proud of!

Advice, Thoughts

Activities to Keep Me Out of Boredom

Posted on April 25, 2020May 2, 2020 by Sophia Ryder

Yep, boredom has taken over my body and I am not loving it. I HATE being bored because again, I’m a busy person so it feels wrong to not be “accomplishing” anything. However, I’ve found new stay-at-home activities to make myself feel somewhat productive. These contain no specific area of expertise nor skillset; these are simply “random” hobbies that I’ve taken up during a time of crisis, maybe you can try them too!

My New Hobbies:

Painting: I’m not very good at it, but hey at least I’m carrying out some type of creative outlet. However, I recommend putting some towels down BEFORE you start painting (never getting that stain out of couch… oops).

Here are some of my paintings below:

Running: I DO NOT EXERCISE. I am not an athlete, I’m an artist. No matter the case, I’ve enjoyed running and seeing new sights in my Westlake neighborhood.
Stretching: This is one of my favorite things to do when I’m feeling bored or lazy. It’s also a great way to exercise without straining yourself. I used to be a contortionist/circus freak (never thought that would come in handy) so I have a fairly good idea of my limits and an advanced use of stretch skills. I’ll send out a couple of my exercises for stretching at some point, just in case you feel the need to become America’s next pretzel.
Online Shopping: Okay, I know this isn’t necessarily categorized as a hobby, but the female race would beg to differ! I could spend hours on one website only to purchase 4 pieces of clothing, and some of them were not even close to what I was initially looking for. If you’re looking to try some new styles during quarantine, this is a great time to find your look and maybe try out something new.
Cooking/Baking: I know I’m not the first to suggest this, but cooking is actually so much fun when you’re doing it with your family. It may not be in the moment when you drop your chicken on the floor and spill your sauce all over the floor, but in the end, it makes a pretty good story.
Letters!! This is a fantastic way to boost your spirit during social distancing! I wrote about five letters to my closest friends and dropped them at their door along with flowers and chocolates for their families. This really increased my endurance and patience with the world right now. It also helped me feel close to the people I love even when I can’t be physically around them.

Hope you try out some of these new activities! They may be hard to start at first, but once you start, it becomes a lot easier to finish.

Enjoy!

Inspiration

How I Got Started

Posted on April 25, 2020April 30, 2020 by Sophia Ryder

I know that coronavirus has had us all glued to our devices and hindered our ability to be productive these days. The weird thing is, I’m not having as much an issue with my devices as I am with feelings of boredom and lack of accomplishment. I’m a busy person and I like it that way because busy people get things done!

However, since I can’t even converse with my friends nor go outside anymore, I’ve been feeling less fulfilled lately. IT SUCKS!! I know this sounds weird, but I miss getting to school at 7:45 in the morning to get a head start on my school day, I miss my SAT sessions and piano lessons being back to back, I miss volunteering at the Church on Sundays and then planning a prom the very next day, I miss my two and half hour acting conservatory lessons at Zach Theatre. There are many more activities that I manage to fit into my schedule but I don’t want to bore you with those right now. My point is, no one expected quarantine to affect us in the way that it has. Everything in our lives was basically cancelled until further notice. I’m a people person! I thrive around people and what’s the one thing that I can’t go near? People.

Now that there are many free hours in the day, there is more time for thoughts to make their way into our anxieties. This has been very common ever since social distancing measures were required, and teenagers especially, are being affected. Well, I decided that I was done letting my boredom and lackadaisical attitudes get the best of me, so I created this blog to let my creativity lead the way.

I know, I know, it sounds corny, but is it really? Getting thoughts down in a productive and positive way can only spark motivation in the creative process, especially if there’s an audience. I have numerous interests that I want to explore as I grow up but I know that I can only truly pursue one thing. I’m hoping that writing about each one of them can shed some light on my true calling. I’m also hoping to share some of my experiences in quarantine, as well as maybe advice to my fellow generation, and share a few stories. I mean, I have all the time in the world to get creative so I might as well just get to work!

However, this isn’t just for me, I invite you guys to send me your stories as well! Who knows, you may find your passion in writing or cure your boredom through creativity. After all, this is creativity TONIC!! I created this website to cure boredom/stress/lack of productivity attitudes you may feel. I want to help spread positivity and spirit through any stories and thoughts that you or I may have. I want to help people see the good in the world right now, which is what art is truly about.

To be honest, let your pen fly free here! This is a virtual, safe space where you can truly write anything, it can be a question that you have or a simple thought. I challenge you to see the more in the world. I know that sounds a little grammatically funky but it is true. Think outside the box and see what your exotic mind comes up with.

After all, Einstein never accomplished anything by believing that THIS was all the world had to offer!

Thanks so much for joining me on this journey, let’s get started!