Recently, I have had a nightmare when a pandemic called coronavirus has attacked the world and the effect just like a zombie virus in World War Z movie. The city I have been living for over 20 years has been locked down and I get anxiety due to the damaging effect on my activities during the coronavirus outbreak.
When I wake up, I realize that it is not just a dream. It’s a reality.
It’s been more than 10 days since the last time I rode my motorbike on the road while contributing to harming the environment because of the pollution produced. The earth is currently healing the polluted atmosphere since people, including me, rarely go out these days. It is reported that pollution is significantly dropping. Good for you, dear earth!
However, adapting to this kind of situation, which I have never experienced, is quite challenging for me. It requires accepting the changes, arranging the already-scheduled plan, and getting used to the new form of productivity.
Thanks to the internet so that I can work and study from home while social distancing and I would not waste my internet data for YouTube or Instagram 24/7. So, what kind of activities I do during the coronavirus outbreak?
One of them is to deepen my understanding of blogging. It is not that I join a paid online learning on Masterclass or Skillshare. Instead, I optimize the resources I have in my hand to sharpen this skill. Are you curious about what they are? Let’s check this out!
Drawing digitally
I realize that I can’t find drawing skills in my blood. Yet, after looking at some cute posts from The Fabulous App on Instagram, I wanted to try it badly! So, using my tab and its stylus, and I started copying that post since I would not have such cool ideas to begin.
Well, it wasn’t so bad. That was when the excellent thought struck me, “Why don’t I use this kind of picture to be my personal touch?” In the Ultimate Guide to Blogging that my lecturer gave me, there is a suggestion that bloggers need to build the blog’s voice by having a personality. It also showed that readers are easily engaged with content if it contains images.
I know it is still not that aesthetically pleasing, but I believe things can be polished. Get ready with my not-so-bad drawings, folks!
Saying yes to an online job
Since I have a lot of time at home, I become so mindful of what I do each day and easily get bored. Until one day when the sun shines brightly, an e-mail came into my inbox stated that I got an online job! Hm, do you wonder why this news helps me absorb the insights of blogging?
I have to write about how to write! The topics for this project are strongly related to blogging such as social media, copywriting, and SEO. Aren’t they interesting? Because I need to write a lot, of course, I have to read a lot. Check one of my writings here (it doesn’t put my name, but believe me I wrote it!).
In this case, I have attained new blogging terms I absolutely know nothing about like search intent, topic cluster, and soft-sell approach on blogging. Doing the research is quite time-consuming, but it is worthy because I can improve my knowledge in this field.
Using a productivity tool
I usually jot down my ideas on notes app in my phone, but I notice that it is already so cluttered because I record everything in that app including my favorite quotes of books I’ve read, my packing checklist for KKN, my soon-to-be caption on Instagram, even the names of my group in one of the last semester courses.
Then, I surfed YouTube and looked for recommended productivity tools, I decided to download Trello and categorized my thoughts there. And, I fall head over heels for this app.
You can create your personal boards which will make you have a list consisting of cards. This is powerful since it has tons of useful features such as inviting members, dragging the cards to another list, choosing a due date for each card, and adding comments.
I use this app to classify my thoughts with different personal boards and type my ideas inside the cards. Long ago, I frequently missed one or two steps when writing a blog like choosing a featured image or publishing the post on my social media. But now, I shouldn’t worry about it because I have a checklist within the card in Trello.
Those are activities during the coronavirus outbreak I do to get a better understanding of blogging. What are yours? Whatever it is, please stay safe also healthy both physically and mentally.
With love,
