With fewer distractions and increased downtime on account of the lockdown to contain the pandemic, more people are unleashing their creative sides. In fact, social media is packed with posts of people discovering their inner artiste, as they shape earrings from yarn, fashion outfits from paper and more.

YouTube tutorials, masterclasses, online sessions and webinars are helping users hone their innate talents or polish skills they had learnt during their student days. Right from quilting, gardening, macramé, knitting and crochet to decoupage, embroidery and art, there is something to suit everyone’s interest.

Wall art by Archana Kurup   | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

So those recycling bottles, icing cakes, baking breads, block painting and so on are finding the time to showcase their artistry. There are also some who create trends with their works.

For instance, when Lincy LG, a teacher at Good Shepherd School, Malayinkeezhu, in Thiruvananthapuram district, posted photographs of her daughter, Aaliya, decked in a dress she had designed, little did she expect it to go viral. Lincy, who has studied fashion designing, created a box-pleated frock with rosettes entirely out of newspaper. Aaliya’s flowery hat with tassels, handbag and necklace too are made out of paper. On the day the photographs were taken, Lincy attached the various parts of the outfit with glue and cellophane tape.

Merin Mariam Mathews draped in a paper sari   | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Merin Mariam Mathews too has experimented with paper. A management consultant, Merin was scrolling through new modelling concepts on social media when she decided to do a photoshoot in a paper sari. She worked on creating the sari over one weekend.

For the shoot, she covered the cupboards of her room with newspaper to form a backdrop. She had her mom help her in draping the sari. “It was challenging as there were hardly any reference material available. We attached the paper pallu and pleats separately,” says Merin, whose video on the process of making the home-made sari went viral.

Shantala Keni doing wall art   | Photo Credit: Special arangement

Paper is not necessary when the artist is in the mood to paint. Dr Shantala Keni has turned the walls of her apartment into her canvas. A meditating Buddha, a peacock resting on a tree, flowers in a vase... don Shantala’s walls.

So far, Shantala, better known as Nikkie, has covered six of the walls of her apartment with her works. “The switch boards too. Many seem to have liked the Warli-inspired painting I did around one of my switch boards,” grins the dentist. Nikkie says that she began painting on canvases during the lockdown and soon realised that she would run out of space to hang them. “And so, I decided to paint my art on my walls,” says Nikkie, who uses acrylic paint.

Archana Kurup   | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Archana Kurup too has tried her hand at wall art. Archana, using sketch pens and white board markers, has created a colourful doodle of a flower that surrounds one of her switchboards. Archana, who runs Rani’s Kitsch on Facebook laughs as she says: “The art work is actually an attempt to camouflage the dirty switchboard. It seems to have worked.”

Fond of donning chunky earrings, Archana had to find lighter danglers as the heavy earrings were causing her earlobes to become distended. “I have learnt the basics of crocheting and so with the help of various video tutorials, I began designing my own,” says Archana. She has designed hoop earrings, spiral earrings and even beaded earrings out of yarn.

Pretty Sony Rebello’s lamp shade   | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Kochi-based Pretty Sony Rebello says she often picks up a paintbrush and a canvas when she gets “this spurts of creativity.” Pretty, who runs an online boutique with her friends, showcased her eye for fashion when she revamped an old dress shirt of hers.

As she was in “one of her moods”, she took out her stencil and began sketching outlines of roses and leaves. “The bright pink for the flowers and green for the leaves has given the dress a new look,” says Pretty who has upgraded an old lamp shade as well. Using predominately shades of yellow in acrylic, she gave the lamp shade a summery feel.

Pretty Sony Rebello   | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

With more and more people coming up with cool projects, art works and craft, it sure looks like creativity has continued to flourish in quarantine.