When creating my constraint map, I began to realize how much this virus affects the world. It is very easy to look at this narrow minded as I am very young and just had my life turned upside down. Over the past few weeks, I had been focusing on the User category of COVID-19’s constraints. I thought about how this would affect me: I couldn’t go to school or to the gym, my season was cancelled, and I wouldn’t see my friends for a while. I am naturally a very social person so the thing that killed me was the social distancing. I couldn’t even see my friends at home, I just was supposed to sit around all day in my house and attempt to find some joy in these confusing and boring times.
However, through this assignment, I began to see the big picture. Local businesses were struggling to make ends meet. Production was halted in many countries which affected the whole world through trade. Designers had to be extremely creative as new products would have to be adapted and marketed towards our current hectic lifestyle. As I was drawing and making connections between categories and explained how one thing lead to another, I felt an imaginary rock rolling down a hill faster and faster. This rock represents restrictions either put forth by the government or the CDC. While our restrictions aren’t exactly extreme right now, writing them all out gave me a bit of anxiety, which leads to widespread panic.
You told us to stay positive during these times and try and find the good in this whole situation, so I attempted to think of good things to calm my anxiety. Everyday, I see more people walking outside and spending time with their families, something we don’t really make time for in our crazy normal lives. I see more people enjoying nature and getting fresh air. After two weeks, people are becoming bored of social media and Netflix, so Ive noticed many have turned to learning something new, reading, or giving back to their community through donation, picking up groceries for elderly neighbors, or making medical supplies to donate.
As we begin to settle with all these new constraints, we as individuals become creative as we learn new ways to pass our time. This is a time to self reflect and grow, an opportunity we may not get again in our lifetimes. I am beginning to see the good in people again as we give back to our community and get through these confusing times together.
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