5 tips for staying positive and creative in isolation
Matthew Lee, instructor at MIAD, spent 13 months at the Geographic South Pole for Antarctic winter to learn field medicine and teach watercolor classes. Last Friday during a virtual meetup hosted by the MIAD Innovation Center, he shared about his experience and advice for staying positive and creative in isolation.
1. Connect with people.
In Antarctica, Matthew taught others how to watercolor, watched movies and played trivia together. Technology allows you to be together with others without being in the same room. Take the time, and use technology to talk to friends and family.
2. Don’t count days.
Counting the days was not allowed at the South Pole. This causes a negative outlook and days to seem slow. “Time passes much better if you’re not documenting that way,” says Matthew. “Measure it in terms of projects.”
3. Control your media intake.
On social media, Matthew follows only content that he enjoys. Reducing the amount of negative media you consume and share will help you stay positive along with others around you.
4. Exercise.
“It makes a world of difference. It’s really helpful mentally and physically,” says Matthew. A quick walk around the block or at-home yoga are good examples.
5. Find a project and take time to be more creative.
Finding a project to do gives you a sense of purpose and enables creativity to continue flowing. At the South Pole, Matthew completed graphic design projects; right now, his focus is on MIAD and his students.
News
Pallas Textiles competition provides real-world experience
First-place winner Sophia Simonson ’28 created Refractions as part of her MIAD studies in Interior Architecture and Design. She is one of 20 students studying at MIAD through a cross-registration program with Concordia University. MIAD students Kaitlyn Powers ’26 (Illustration) and Natalie Spetell ’27 (Product Design), both of whom have minors in Communication Design, received Honorable Mentions.
2026 First-Year Exhibition showcases professional growth
An annual tradition at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design from late March through September, the juried First-Year Experience Exhibition celebrates students’ yearlong personal and professional growth.
Meet Carmen Briones and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Echo
Carmen Briones ‘26 (Product Design) is a President’s (Honor) List student from Cambria, Wis., president of the MIAD IDSA student chapter and an intern at SI Jacobson Manufacturing. Briones designed a device called “Echo” that removes ovarian cysts without surgery.
Meet Eeshaan Dutt and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Indra Supreme
Eeshan Dutt ‘26 (Illustration) is a President’s (Honor) List student from India and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. Dutt’s work centers on visual storytelling through sequential art, where he explores how narratives can engage and connect with audiences.
Poster designs boost professional skillsets, children’s nonprofit
Continuing an annual tradition begun in 2010 at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), Illustration juniors worked with Cramer-Krasselt and Penfield Children’s Center to design posters for the center’s Annual Croquet Ball fundraiser.