Pandemic Projects
By: Maya Jones
With the world in complete shambles, it is easy for anyone, especially students, to feel melancholy or despondent. The mindset that our society has formed over the years is intended to keep us constantly stimulated. When that stimulation is suddenly taken away and self-isolation stands in its place, many feel lost and unable to control their lives. Despite all of the negative thoughts that accompany our worldwide pandemic situation, the down time in our lives can be used to explore our creative sides which are sometimes lost in our day-to-day. Quarantine, and the reoccurring boredom that follows, has given me the opportunity to explore my more creative side and discover new hobbies that interest me.
As a Design major, unlike many others, I have the opportunity for a bit more creativity in my curriculum. Yet, due to our unfortunate circumstance, even my design classes have been limited with what we can create. In the beginning of the Corona wave, I began working on some graphic designs and selling them to family and friends. I would take pictures sent to me, and use Adobe Illustrator to simplify the figures based on their basic geometric shapes. Then, I would isolate the main components, decorate the background with little self-designed graphics, frame and sell the new images. I found it to be a great self-teaching experience, and it provided me with the chance to explore more features of Adobe Illustrator that are not covered in school.
Once Summer Session I began, my time for creative learning was limited. On weekends, I would work on using Adobe Fresco to draw doodles on my iPad. Another Design student from UC Davis and I were very intrigued at the idea of making a clothing company with our own designs printed and embroidered on various clothing. With our summer job money, we started a savings fund to start us off until we could eventually make enough profits to sustain the company. Due to my summer school schedule, the company hasn’t been built as quickly as we expected, yet every weekend we work on designs for our fledgling company. Our goal is that by the time the school year starts, we will have clothing items ready for sale.
Throughout these strange times, I have also dabbled in the art of cutting and dying hair. My friend, who I had been quarantining with, had started, quite literally, dying of boredom. He went through the phases of cutting, dyeing, and styling his hair with various colors and forms. He entrusted me to make all of his crazy, extravagant ideas come to life on his head, knowing that I had absolutely no experience in this area. We used this time away from people to experiment with different styles and colors and eventually graduated to different designs and patterns. This was a super fun way to let my creative side out, while getting the chance to see it displayed on a unique canvas.
As the pandemic continues into the school year, I plan on keeping myself busy with multiple projects, beginning with making a coffee table from scratch. Once I gather the right type of wood and other materials to execute my vision, I hope to display my work in the living room for all of my housemates to gather around!
