Hi guys! Bekah here! It’s been a quiet couple weeks at Lightbox! The COVID-19 pandemic was something we never expected and as a small business, we know it can feel like a rug has been ripped from right under your feet!
Photographers, business owners, makers, bloggers, parents and health care workers….EVERYBODY has been affected by this so we decided to send out a questionnaire to our followers and ask different questions on how they are handling quarantine, social distancing, and working from home!
First of all, on a scale of sweatpants to power suit, how are you handling quarantine today?
“Putting in the 9-5 work…but in sweatpants” - “3 cups of coffee so far :P” - “Scale is around leggings and a sweater lol” - “Power Suit! - “Jeans and a cardigan but i’ve been wearing the same t-shirt for 2 days” - “Scrubs!” - “Sweat pants FO SHO”
Photo courtesy of Sarah Storer - @Simplysarahbagarah
We found that most of our answers were from people who would fit into a “creative entrepreneur” category, but we did have a handful of health care workers, parents, service workers and more! We asked them:
How are you staying creative during this time?
“Hoping to do some self portraits and let my inspiration lead the way!”
“I’m having painting sessions every couple days & taking advantage of free resources!
"Daily meditation // gratitude journal // nature walks”
”Projects around my home and keeping up with clients and rescheduling”
”The No Way Jose 52 Challenge!”
“‘Shopping’ my decor stash and restyling my home instead of going out to shop”
“Piano, drawing!”
“Creating without boundaries! No set goals just fun!”
“Working on my business and investing into it!”
A couple local businesses also jumped in to answer some extra questions and give us some insight into how this has changed their work-flow!
Bree’s Little Closet
Brianna and Tina Barnett are good friends of Lightbox! They own and operate a mobile women’s boutique in Springfield and the surrounding areas! With everything going on, they told us they had to shut down their store completely, move every single item out of the truck and into their office, and transfer every item online. All of the events for the end of March and April were cancelled.
“How has the last week been for you, how has it affected your business?”
Bree’s Little Closet: “We have realized that we are not alone in this and every single person has been affected in one way or another. I’ve personally had to realize that it’s okay if customers don’t buy my products right now, because they have more important things to pay for. Some people have lost their jobs or have lost hours at work, so we don’t expect for people to purchase our products when they’ve lost their income. For us, we are okay! Our business is okay! We are financially okay! People have been incredibly supportive throughout this difficult time, which we are very blessed for!”
“What is bringing you hope and encouragement?”
Bree’s Little Closet: “The fact that I know we are not alone and that every single person has been effected by this in one way or another. I also love knowing that I have friends & family that are here for us if we needed anything! I love our support system!”
Bree and Tina also said they are spending this time enjoying the little things, listening to podcasts, dancing to music, binge watching Netflix and getting ahead of the things they had been putting off. Also just taking the time off to rest, take it easy and invest in themselves!
We love you Bree and Tina! You can support them by following them on Instagram: @breeslittlecloset. Sharing and liking their posts or ordering from their online shop! breeslittlecloset.com
Leigh is a good friend and has shot at the studio several times! We asked how she was staying creative and she talked about how she is working on drawing a little bit each day and revisiting old photo galleries to edit and breath some new life into them! Such a good idea!
“How has COVID-19 affected your business?”
Leigh: “Photography has always been a finicky business for me, but I've had to do a bit of rescheduling and work out a couple of cancellations which is a new territory for me. Bills tend to pile on at the first of the month, so, I'm bracing for April.”
“How has the last week affected you? Personally, spiritually, or in your business?”
Leigh: “This last week has been quite mentally and physically exhausting but, oddly needed. I've been outside a lot this last week which has refreshed my soul and overall well-being. I haven't felt connected to the outdoors in a long while. Slowing down and "staying in place" has been a blessing in disguise.”
I think we can all relate to being exhausted by this situation, Leigh! Can’t wait to have you back at the studio once this is all over! You can support Leigh by checking out her work and sharing your thoughts or viewing her website, leighsmithphotography.pixieset.com or Instagram at @leighsmithphoto.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Storer, @simplysarahbagarah
How are you handling social distancing?
“It’s hard!! I love traveling and I’m a sucker for talking to new people.”
“SEND HELP”
“My husband and I work from home so it’s not much change except we can’t go out together!
“OOF, it’s rough! Lots of tears. Lots of Netflix. Zoom and face time for hours.”
“I miss being around people… and I’m an introvert!”
“Horribly! I’m an extrovert! I get my energy from lots of hugs!
Right there with you friends! I love my home and Netflix, but i’m definitely getting stir crazy! Hang in there!
What is bringing you encouragement?
“Hill City House Church Playlist on Spotify” - “Friend, Family, God’s Word, & Nature” - “Making phone call connections with strangers and loved ones I’m in the same boat with” - “Music!” - “Through others! Family and close friends for sure!” - “Group texts with family, tuning into live IG and prayer!” - “Friends who check on me”
Local maker, Elle Steward runs an Etsy shop! She expressed her concern in these times with the slower traffic on her website and that her secondary job won’t be starting for another month. She also was very transparent in the fact that times like these have increased anxiety and are really hard on mental health.
”How are you finding encouragement through this time?”
Elle: “All the good people are creating in the world! I love seeing everyone band together & support each other. All the free resources & courses have been such a blessing. I’m staying connected by popping on live streams & zoom calls & contacting my friends all the time. I’ve spent more time studying the Bible & am leaning on my mom.”
“What is something you want to accomplish in this time of social distancing?”
Elle: “I want to grow in my relationships with my friends & family. It’s something that’s already started & I want to consciously cultivate it. I also want to do the inner work on my business so when this is over I can jump into boutique collaborations, craft fairs, & events with a solid foundation & quality products.”
“How are you handling the lack of social contact and interaction?”
Elle: “I’m actually more connected than ever! My friends finally have time to write me back & stay in touch, people are online doing calls & live streams & my social cup is full because of all of it.”
Thank you so much for sharing, Elle! You can support Elle by connecting with her on Instagram (@ellescottage) or shopping from her store! www.ellescottage.com
As for me, I wish I could say I’m the type of person that got up every morning and meditated, did my makeup and worked in my office. HA! I’d totally be lying to you guys! You won’t be seeing any selfies from me on this post! However, my cat Georgia is very photogenic and has been enjoying the extra snuggles while I work in sweatpants on my couch for the 10th day in a row! Though this is a stressful time, I’m very thankful to have a good support system and a comfortable place (with fast internet) to get through it!
The Lightbox team have also been working from home but we are so ready to be back at the studio and seeing all of your smiling faces! We love you all and our sending out all the love and virtual hugs to you!
It is our hope that through all of this, we are still able to provide a sense of community to our fellow Springfieldians! We strongly believe that hard times are a little easier when we go though them together, and I hope after reading this blog post you feel like you’re not alone! Thank you to everyone who reached out and shared their stories with us! While we couldn’t include every single response (this blog post would have been miles long) please know your answers were read and heard. You are all in our thoughts and prayers! Stay safe and healthy at home friends!
Written by Bekah Schooler
Creative Coordinator - Lightbox
lightboxbekah@gmail.com