Trying to keep the creative spirit in tough times and lousy weather

In some ways I feel like the spring weather could be a bit of a metaphor for the state of the world lately - pretty lousy, but when we get the occasional chink of sunshine, you've got to make the most of it. Likewise, it's better not to focus on what's lousy and negative and try and find those positives where you can. I also think this type of thinking gives you a small sense of control and empowerment in a world where so many events are out of our control and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless.

For me, it's been crucial to stay active for my physical health and creative for my mental health. Lately my mission has been to get better at using my small drone so I can use to enhance my "visual storytelling", a possibly wanky way of saying I want to make better videos ! In a previous post, I talked a bit about my new-found interest in creating panoramic photos from merging multiple shots from the drone, but lately, despite limited opportunities, I've finally managed to get a bit better with operating the drone and getting some reasonable footage.

There are a surprisingly large number of obstacles to getting decent footage - wind, rain, dogs, legal restrictions, people, light and then at this time of year there are a lot more birds flying around and other hazards. That's on top of the various technical issues and forgetting to put the memory card in the drone or finding the controller is low on battery ( though these can be put under the "user error" category ! ). Then of course there's the challenge of editing what you've got together into something pleasing. Here are a couple of my attempts so far....

These may be small things and some of what I've talked about may seem a little mundane to some, but having these sort of little projects to do has really helped me have a focus and something to stimulate my creative brain, which is crucial in these really challenging times for mental wellbeing, and in which the creative industries have suffered more than most.

Incidentally, if you like what you've seen on my website and need some video or photography for a project or to promote a business or cause, I am very definitely available !