I started the lockdown with indomitable determination. My hunger for productivity had compelled me to stick a page on my cupboard saying ‘Amazing things happen from the inside’ which is a famous quote from the movie 21.
Since 21 days is coincidentally also the exact amount of time required to develop a new habit, I looked at the 21 day lockdown as a golden opportunity which would never come my way again once my life went back to normal after the lockdown.
I made conscious efforts in order to come out of this lockdown with a fatter portfolio and an enhanced skill set. Being in love with advertising, I thought what better way to enjoy myself and learn than to write and shoot topical content. I started working on a public service announcement on coronavirus.
I’m not a very humble person, I was really proud of what I could pull off in my small room with just my camera, a phone and a plant. I began learning 3D designing on Blender which is quite sought after in the industry. Simultaneously, I also wrote scripts for small ad-films, movie scripts, trick video ideas, all of which I planned to execute once the pandemic ended.
I was quite optimistic about the lockdown ending and everything going back to normal. When the reality finally hit me, I was quite confused. The world didn’t seem to be coming back to normal anytime soon and lifting the lockdown seemed suicidal. I realized what keeps people running through a tunnel is the light at the end of it. I don’t know where the light is, when I will see it or what kind of light it will be. The world I once knew has gone, perhaps forever and I didn’t see the point of running in any direction till I at least saw a ray of light, because it was common sense that the ray was not going to appear just because you and I were running.
Productivity no longer meant what it did at the beginning of the lockdown. There was no point in draining myself out every day trying to be productive for this seemed like the new normal. Looking at how the world is restarting in a few countries it seems highly unlikely that once the lockdown is lifted I can just run out with my camera and give life to my scripts, unless I possess a super-telephoto lens, because we’ll all be expected to maintain our distances.
This lockdown has given me a lot to introspect. I came to terms with the fact that one doesn’t need a lot to lead a life. I am sure people around the world living in lockdown for months by now might have realized this too. Organizations might have noticed how they might not even need a rented office to carry out their daily operations. Having affected the economy as well with hundreds of jobs lost, people are going to focus on coming out of this crisis. Companies are going to work with little budgets and limited employees. The skills that were relevant before the coronavirus breakout might not be relevant later.
It has been a month since the lockdown began. Contrary to the initial days of the lockdown, considering the uncertainty about almost everything, I have decided to take a pause, sit at home, consume content and learn about the few things that wouldn’t change no matter what.
I understood, for amazing things to happen from the inside, we also need to know what the outside looks like.
Shashank B
(Batch 2021)
