There’s no doubt that the past few months have shaken us all to the core. With so much of the world in a delicate balance of quarantine, self-isolation, shelter-in-place, and by-choice hibernation, creativity feels more precious than ever. (Anyone else feel self-imposed pressure to create something meaningful during this pandemic? I can’t stop thinking about how Shakespeare wrote King Lear during lockdown.) But that inner critic aside, many loved ones (and total strangers) are finding inspiration and creative outlets in this newfound sense of quiet. It felt like the right time to introduce a new series highlighting the incredible work and passion projects of fellow storytellers, creators, and marketers.
As a videographer and visual storyteller, my good friend and colleague Clare Cheyne was determined to use this time at home (outside of work) in a positive way, to create and contribute something good to the narrative. “This moment in time felt like an important story to capture given all we’re facing at the moment,” she said. A few weekends ago, she ventured out for the first time in a number of days (keeping a safe 6 feet away from everyone), and shot this video.
Clare said it best in the caption of her Instagram post:
“I hope we never see anything like this again in our lifetime. I hope we can save as many as possible while we still can. And I hope that amidst all of the fear, what we remember after all of this is over is the humanity that so many people showed when it was easier to only look after ourselves. More than ever, we need to keep sharing the good stories—and to keep staying home, so we can beat the shit out of this virus. *Note that we stayed 6 feet away from all humans while shooting this.”
Clare is a New Zealand–raised, New York City–based videographer and storyteller. Happiest behind a lens (or in downward-facing dog at a Y7 class), she currently oversees social media video strategy at WeWork. You can check out more of Clare’s videography and photography here, and connect with her on LinkedIn.