Painter and Army spouse Krista Carlberg Litz of KCLStudio teaches us that including art in our daily lives not only maintains creativity, but also boosts the spirit.

Although these last nearly two years have provided little inspiration or motivation to create new poems, the not-writing has given me ample time for editing and organizing what I’d written before.

When life throws you a pandemic, a stage actor finds other ways to be creative. When Air Force spouse Nancy Stange found herself forced into a hiatus, she retained her humor and made sure she didn't lose that creative edge.

When the pandemic struck, my entire world turned upside down. At first, it was difficult to adjust to the "new normal.” I had to learn how to make the best of my current situation at home with my entire family—and master the challenge of homeschooling three children with very different needs.

Air Force Spouse Amra Graff goes with the flow in her military life and with her artwork. Amra creates organic, emotive art pieces that reflect the fluidity of the transformations we go through with each PCS and each new experience.

This past year brought with it both challenges and opportunities. Finding the creative thought to infuse my art with the faces of those around me has been more of a challenge. The isolation of COVID brought with it a lack of seeing the beautiful faces of the people in this world. I miss doing portraits, especially those portraying women of my culture given the recent unfolding of tragedy in Afghanistan. Women’s rights are under direct threat there now more than ever.

With dancer and Air Force spouse Julie Mulvihill's love of process, she resiliently 'choreographs' ways to work and create from anywhere in the world and during the pandemic. Plus, her love story is so adorable that I think it could be made into a movie.

Since my last interview, a lot of things have changed. COVID-19 completely shut the business down and my attempts to pivot our services via an online community was not widely accepted as anticipated. However, that time spent at home gave me the momentum needed to spring forward into a space I did not foresee for myself or my studio.

Writer and military spouse Kimberlee Bethany Bonura, Ph.D., MFA, E-RYT, CYT, knew at a young age that she was meant to write. She also learned from her mother that achieving goals in adulthood often requires going against the odds. We, too, can create and thrive in "the shadows of military service," with a whole heck of a lot of determination.

Did you find yourself creatively inspired or creatively stunted during lockdown? Since it was such a heavy time, I tried to funnel that energy into keeping my creative muscle flexed and toned!

Artist and Army spouse Victoria Page Miller finds adventure and inspiration in the unknown. Like the comic book characters she currently paints, Victoria bravely says, Unpredictable Future, show me what you got, and I'll meet you with a new creation.

I'm still the Events and Marketing Photographer at The Mariners' Museum and Park. They've kept me around for a year and a half now, so I guess I have successfully fooled them all! MWAHAHAHAHA! (That's supposed to be my sinister laugh) I've learned and grown so much. It's been wonderful to work in an organization that continues to serve and grow throughout hardships.

Artist/Coast Guard spouse Erica Hunter's take-your-dreams-by-the-reins-and-enjoy-the-ride attitude is exactly what we all need right now as we go into the summer. If there's an art genre you've been anxious to try, toss aside those hesitations and go for it.

"When COVID-19 abruptly upended our lives last year, it separated us from the routine and events that usually root our lives in time — work, school, dates, social outings, sports events, ceremonies, travel, the things we plan for and look forward to. Life tends to be a blur without those anchors," Ruth Ogden concluded after studying people's perceptions of time during lockdown. I can totally relate to those findings, yet despite all of the blurred lines, I've had a few tangible successes in my art career this year.

How many of us have said, "I wish I could _________" or "It would be totally awesome to ___________" (fill in the blank with your artsy goal)? Well, Air Force spouse MJ Willis is living the dream as a real life rock star. She inspires others to act upon goals that seem too wild to ever come true. Faith, courage, and communication can help make those dreams materialize.

I mentioned that I started my career as an artist just as Covid-19 shut everything down. I was pretty optimistic despite the uncertainty, but shortly after the article was published, it was like someone hit the pause button. I found out a museum exhibition I’d been accepted into was put on hold. Opportunities were slim and I felt like I was sort of coasting along in limbo. For a short time, I did consider setting aside my work. I’m not even sure what triggered it, but one day, I made the conscious decision to go all in and made a plan.

This month, painter/textile artist/sewist/milspouse Amy Jolley inspires us to try something new. Change is inevitable, so why not welcome it...or even boldly step out of our comfort zones and seek it?

I don’t know about you all, but as we wait our turn for vaccinations, the boredom and wall-climbing in our house has reached a new level. To shake off some of that boredom, you are all invited to come and view my latest virtual theatre project – Wonder Tales: Fairies, Talking Animals & Magic. It’s an evening of six short plays (I am directing three) presented by Planet Connections Theatre Festivity.

A year ago in my interview here on MilSpoFan, I talked about my philosophy of “bloom where you’re planted”, meaning make the most of your location, stage of life or circumstances. This past year has put that philosophy to the test in more ways than one! But even with all the uncertainty, disappointments and changes of this past year, I feel like I’ve been able to bloom. I learned an important lesson about applying something I’ve always known as an artist to my everyday life. In reflecting on this past year, I find hope in these lessons and I pray you do too. 

Love is in the air at MilspoFAN. Mil-spouse and romance writer Siera London offers a peek at the allure and escape of a nom de plume, provides intimate craft details for writing romantic literature, and shares secrets to a successful writing process.