If there is one thing that physical distancing has made common, it’s video conferencing. Zoom, FaceTime, or Hangout: video conferencing has become the premiere way for us to connect with one another when physical connection is on hold. As with many other seemingly mundane things, this presents an opportunity for us to get creative and really explore ways that we can use our surroundings as a means of expression. By cultivating your conferencing background, or your “home stage,” you can tell your audience about yourself as a student, colleague, or artist before you utter a single word. With this guide, we hope to help you figure out some ways to use common household items to make your space truly your own. For starters, take a look at your space. This is a good time to think about what kind of mood or vibe you would like your space to exhibit. Much like your wardrobe, you want this space to be an accurate depiction of who you are. This is also a good time to think of what your space might need to achieve your ideal stage design. Luckily, you will probably have most of what you need somewhere in your home, and these items might also find a better use in your home stage environment than where they currently are. So while you are welcome to order any cool items online to enhance your space, we suggest that you first check your closets and holiday storage for ideas and inspiration. Once you’ve got an idea of how you’d like your stage to look, we can get into how to design it. The easiest way to upgrade your home stage is by updating your lighting set-up. Proper lighting alone will dramatically improve the quality of your video feed, as a properly-lit space not only makes it easier to see your face but also encourages a welcoming atmosphere for those tuning in. If you have options, see if your stage works better with warmer or cooler light. You might also want to repurpose holiday lights to create the ambient lighting that goes perfectly with a cozier kind of home stage. For those who really want to play around with using light to set the atmosphere, colored bulbs might be the way to go. As many performing artists are already aware, colored lighting can help add emotional weight and energy to a performance. Now that your space is properly lit, we can get into some fun ways to decorate your space! Something that you might want to consider is adding some kind of structure that your decorations can be placed upon or against: a side table, shelving unit, or bookshelf. This will help make your stage look clean while allowing you to keep all your decorations within frame. Remember not to place any important decorations in areas where your body will block them out! Onto decorations! We’re going to list a few different things you can place in your background that will really bring your stage to life: Plants are a great way of bringing some complexity into your home stage, as they can very easily compliment different moods within your space. For example, large lush plants like monstera or fiddle leaf figs can help make your space look clean and modern, whereas short and leafless plants like aloe vera and barrel cactus can give your space an edge. Art is a no-brainer for your home stage, although it can come in many different forms. Many people automatically think of paintings (especially if you painted them yourself), which are a great option for your home stage environment: art can be as colorful or as muted as you like! However, don’t be afraid to look into other art forms like origami, poetry, and photography. If you play an instrument, don’t be afraid to use it as a piece of decor when you are not actively using it. If music occupies a large part of your life, it's a perfect item to occupy your stage even when you aren’t playing it. It also keeps the instrument within reach for any virtual performances you may have. (While they are not musical instruments, you can also display professional cameras or paint brushes in much the same way.) Finally, feel free to add some more personal touches like candles, seashells, crystals, sports memorabilia, or anything that would enrich your home stage. Really flesh out your stage — or keep it minimalist if that’s your style! The main thing that you want to make sure your home stage exudes is personal comfort. While this is a stage, don’t forget that it is your home stage. Don’t add anything that makes it hard to get comfortable just for the sake of being aesthetically pleasing to your audience. The great thing about your home stage is that it is made only for you: be sure to make it somewhere you want to be! What does your home stage look like? Send pictures to us at [email protected] for a chance to be featured on our social media! - written by Jasmine Green, Center for Creativity Assistant. Find Jasmine's work here or follow her on Instagram. - illustrations by Shannon Fink, Center for Creativity Operations Manager.
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