Abstract
As a self-employed designer, cartoonist, and musician, I developed a structure and routine from my home studio that enabled my creativity for the past 30 years. Communication, whether by email, telephone, text messages, social media, and video conferencing, has been key in connecting with creative minds over the years. This has never been more true than it has been in a pandemic world. During the global shut down, I started with an idea to connect with others and used my artistic skills to sketch out these thoughts. The result was a “human union” with 1,100 members who value kindness, diversity, music, art, and most importantly, supporting others impacted by pandemic. In 8 months, these united humans have collectively raised over $50k for various charities and developed new friendships along the way. I will share how my creative skills inspire others to use their personal skills for a greater good. I will talk about how by simply asking yourself the question, “What if…?”, you can push yourself to look beyond the obvious and creatively solve problems in every aspect of life. I will also discuss how I have managed to balance working from home, raising a family and more, while maintaining a career that has creatively thrived.