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
GDUSA selects MIAD Students to Watch 2026
GDUSA selects MIAD Students to Watch 2026
Communication Design senior Olivia Nava ’26 and junior Nola Hennen ’27 were named 2026 Students to Watch by Graphic Design USA magazine (GDUSA).
MIAD student awarded 1st Place at NARI Student Design Competition
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design junior Paul Budnowski ’27 (Interior Architecture and Design) was awarded 1st Place and Crowd Favorite in the Interior Design Portfolio Contest at the 2026 NARI Spring Home Improvement Show. A select group of students from MIAD,...
MIAD Values Recognition Award: Leslie Fedorchuk
Leslie Fedorchuk, Professor of Writing & Humanities and Director of Service Learning, received the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) MIAD Values Recognition Award for February 2026. Leslie received nominations that highlighted her embodiment of MIAD’s Core Values, especially Integrity, Kindness and Community.
MIAD Innovation Center and MAM provide career experience
Through a partnership with the MIAD Lubar Innovation Center, stunning campaign artwork by a student at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) once again is helping to launch Art in Bloom – the Milwaukee Art Museum’s annual celebration of art and spring. Illustrations by senior Emily Porven ’26 are both vibrant and subtle, colorful and evocative, capturing the essence of the event.
Nohl Alumni Award propels lasting impact for MIAD professor
Receiving a Ruth Arts Mary L. Nohl Alumni Award has both immediate and longer-term impacts for Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design Professor Jon Horvath; for himself as an artist, for the arts community and for MIAD students. Horvath, who teaches in MIAD’s Fine Art + New Studio Practice major, was one of three artists and one collective recently given the award, which provides $25,000 in unrestricted funds to each.