The Creative Now

So I am asking, with the purpose of sharing, and of supporting and caring for this creative community in its current, uncertain reality. I asked what people are doing, how they are feeling, how they are sparking creativity. It feels important to share what we do, when we can’t do all our doing.

Reaching out first to some of 200-ish the talented people I’ve had the good fortune to profile through the Capitol Communicator portrait series. It’s my version of a virtual dinner table of sorts. Grab a chair.

Tina Beaty, Vice President, SHRM

What, if anything, are you doing differently???

Everything! Last night I prepped a science experiment for my boys and wrote a lesson plan on the whiteboard (the one that used to track all the places we go/after-school activities) knowing I had calls all day.

Are you staying creatively active?

Yes. It feels weird to say it but this health crisis has had a major impact on the world of work so at SHRM we have been very busy working with business leaders, HR, policy makers and individual workers to understand the impact and how we can purposely chart what the new reality of work looks like after the health crisis is stable. It has pushed our boundaries on creative ways to engage our audiences. “Normal” marketing touch points and messaging would be tone deaf right now. We have to understand our audience – often by the day – to ensure our communications are helpful and engaging. So just the sheer hurdle of that is keeping me creatively motivated and thinking differently than ever before.

How are you sparking yourself creatively?

Looking at the world around me differently. And prepping a lot of crafts, games, obstacle courses for the next day. As I watch how my kids respond to projects during this quarantine it gives me ideas for work oddly enough!

View Tina’s original Capitol Communicator profile here.