GUAP Interviews: Multi-Hyphenate Student Creative, Torrin Joshua Andrews, For The Isolation Edition [@TorrinJoshua]

Over the last few months, the Covid:19 lockdown has affected the lives of millions of people all over the country. However, in the midst of the fear and confusion, came an army of young creatives who came to entertain, inspire, and motivate the masses. This cover is called the ‘Isolation Issue’ because it was created in the thick of the Covid:19 lockdown. We worked with talented photographers like Torrin Josuha Andrews to shoot individuals via face-time and had the opportunity, to speak to them about the impacts of Covid:19 on their creativity. 

Tell us a little about yourself?

Hey! So my name is Torrin Joshua, I’m 20 years old and I am a digital content creator from Coventry; however, I’m currently based in Manchester because of the university. I do all types of production, from videography to photography, podcasting and even blogging from time to time.

What inspired you to do what you do?

A couple years ago I spontaneously decided to take Film studies as a subject for my A levels. It ended up being my favourite subject out of them all. Learning the science of how to story tell was amazing to me. So, I went and invested in a camera and the rest is history.

How has covid:19 affected your work?

Surprisingly, a lot of my workload has increased since COVID. I have ended up doing a lot of editing jobs as well as networking with a lot of great people. It’s allowed me to sit down and plan my next steps as well as take a needed break to get to know myself and my own goals. 

What was the biggest challenge of working from home whilst in self-isolation?

Motivation. Sometimes being around your bed all day/ everyday makes it so easy to just lay in it for an extra hour or two. It took a lot of discipline to learn to stick to a sleep schedule and stay productive.

On a day to day, how do you balance a personal and professional life, especially now that you’re working in quarantine?

A lot of my work ends up mixing the two, to be honest. For example, I create YouTube videos when I can build a personal brand and that showcases my professional skills as well as my personal life. It’s best to try to keep them as separate as possible though, otherwise, it may feel like you are just constantly working. 

What are some of the highlights/successes you’ve had most recently?

Well, to be honest, being a part of this Guap project! Being able to shoot on FaceTime for the Cover was an amazing opportunity and I’m so blessed to have been a part of it! 

What’s next for you on your journey?

Just continuing to explore and work on finding myself as a creative. I’m about to go into my second year of university, also I’ve just started a position as a producer and video editor for The Common Sense Network. So, just little things here and there that will help me continue to grow. 

What would be your advice to other creatives, struggling to maintain creativity and motivation in isolation?

Just force yourself to make! Even if it’s terrible. The creative muscle needs working out just like any other muscle and if you don’t allow it to be used during this time, then it can really be negative to the future when you come back to being able to create like normal. Done is better than perfect. This is the time to really see what you’re capable of.

What have you learnt about yourself and the world whilst in isolation?

I think I’ve been able to become so much more self-aware of my skills and weaknesses and how I can strategically use them to improve and grow. It’s also shown me how much humans crave for other human connection. Life was so dull and upsetting when the lockdown was at its strictest, purely because we all NEED human interaction to make the most out of life.

How do you hope our society will change for the better after COVID -19?

I hope people appreciate other people more. I hope that families, friends, and other loved ones learn to really value each other’s presence so that we can all live in a connected, loving society. 

Check out the GUAP Arts & Culture section, to discover new art, film, and creative individuals.