Might As Well Jump

Create. Feed. Share. We need you right now.

I get up, and nothin’ gets me down

You got it tough, I’ve seen the toughest around

And I know, baby, just how you feel

You got to roll with the punches and get to what’s real

– Jump, Van Halen

If the current Unpleasantness® has accomplished anything, it’s that it has put the whole world on a level playing field. No one is immune to the virus. No one is immune to the financial issues that COVID-19 has brought on. Of course some can weather it better than others (looking at you, David Geffen), but even yachts have to be restocked with toilet paper and it’s possible those people are tearing up perfumed copies of Cosmo like the rest of us.

We’re into week… something-or-other of Safer At Home, or as I like to call it, I Was Already At Home Anyway But I Used To Have More Peanut Butter.

My own businesses have been, let’s say paused for the moment. While I still have a stack of hoodies to print from a previous order, new orders are on hold for the moment. We do have clients who need stuff, but they are being cautious with their budget.

It’s okay. I’m cleaning up the shop, printing existing stuff and I’m building a new water filtration system, which I have wanted to do for a long time. Our used water is going to keep our rose garden blooming through summer. We’ll come out of this even more sustainable than before. Smelling like roses, even.

In early March, I was getting ready to launch a new book. Hmm. Well, I could go ahead with my launch (no one is stopping me) but I have a feeling that most people are not paying attention to that kind of thing right now. Even if I launched, I’m pretty sure my results would be skewed because of the COVID-19 chaos. I wouldn’t really know if sales (high or low) were a result of the fun times we’re experiencing.

So I’ll wait. It’s okay. It’s ready and I can move on it when the time is right.

One thing I refuse to do is stop creating and sharing.

This is a unique time, for sure. It also offers opportunities for all of us. Whether we are self-employed, newly working from home, or just got laid off, we have opportunities.

If you are self-employed, I feel ya on the slowdown. I’m in the foxhole right next to you. Maybe we can share our resources and come out of this even stronger.

If you are new to working at home, with kids constantly texting you pizza emojis from the other room, I get it. I’ve been working from home for over 12 years (as a homeschooling parent, no less). It’s not you, it’s just the way it works sometimes. Cut yourself some slack.

If you have suddenly found yourself unemployed, I’m sorry. I really am. If I could hug you, I would. I know that’s likely your number one priority right now, finding work – a full time job in itself. And I know it can be hard to get creative when you’re scared about the future.

In case you might think that I don’t understand how unemployment works, I’ve been down that road more than once. I know what it’s like to avoid the phone, dread checking the mail or even looking your apartment manager in the eye. I’ve written about it before.

But I know in my heart and from my own experience that we always have opportunities. Right now we have the opportunity to be generous with each other. We have the opportunity to take stock in what we have. We even have the opportunity to be optimistic about our future, even if it doesn’t feel pragmatic at the moment.

I urge you to do something to feed your soul, in spite of the drama swirling around us. Be creative in whatever way is right for you. Make something good, even if it’s just for you.

Feed the world with good things, fun things, weird things. Drown out the gloomy voices in your head with loud singing. Make something yummy and share it. If you’re reading this, you’re alive. You have something to offer. Someone needs your light right now.

Ow oh, hey you

Who said that?

Baby, how you been?

You say you don’t know

You won’t know until you begin

Might as well jump.