Craig David really got into flower arranging and watching Aladdin to ‘catch a vibe’ during lockdown

He may well be best known for his hectic 7 Days schedule, but it seems Craig David has still been keeping himself busy through the pandemic — not least thanks to a new-found obsession with flower arranging.

Craig is also taking part in esports series Velo Eseries, an ongoing global partnership with McLaren Racing, which sees celebrities go head-to-head against internet sensations, and features the likes of Rory Reid and Supercar Blondie.

All content is being streamed across Velo’s YouTube and social media channels until the end of April.

How has your routine changed this lockdown?

I get up quite early, maybe 5am, and will do a short meditation for around 30 minutes. I sit straight down to do the meditation still half-asleep, and then get straight back to bed again for a few more hours after — it is the nicest feeling.

Then I’ll go downstairs and I always like to have a movie on in the background. Then I will get some breakfast, usually fruit. Then I’ll go back downstairs and water some of the plants around the house, because you realise they aren’t going to water themselves.

I’ll then usually go into the studio and start to write a song into the early evening — sometimes late into the night.

You have a studio at home?

I do. I head up to the studio and mess around on my decks, play a couple of tunes, pretend I’m doing a DJ set and that will help me get inspired.

I’ll listen to some new music that might have just come out on Spotify, or I’ll go to DJ city and pull up a few tunes from there — that’s been a life saver for getting some nice instrumentals.

Have you taken up any lockdown hobbies?

I’ve enjoyed being a bit of a flower arranger and gardener. I’m loving finding places in my house where I could make a nice little area out of some plants.

I’ve got palm trees going on, we’ve got orchids here and there, and I’m just having fun with it. I also dug out my printer, which has been sitting in my studio room forever not getting used, and started printing out pictures and filling some frames.

When you start making your own little things, you can fill the extra hours.

What do you miss most during lockdown?

I can’t wait to get back on stage and to be able to give people that feeling of excitement. I think it’s going to be a beautiful time and I miss it, but we will get back to it very, very soon.

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What have you been doing to stay in shape?

In the afternoon I usually spend some time in the area that I’ve made into a home gym. I’ll do a lot of different stretches, moves to get the legs and the glutes and back strong, to make sure I’m keeping flexible.

I’ve been doing a lot of planking and a lot of squats, mainly leg work. I fit my whole routine around it.

Have you picked up any strange lockdown habits?

In the first lockdown I thought, ‘What could I just survive on if I can’t get anything fresh?’ So I ended up getting a load of nice Bircher muesli from a small shop called Ella.

I just stocked up on muesli, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But I soon realised that once you’ve had it for breakfast, you don’t really want that for lunch and dinner! I still have a few bags to go through.

What do you do to cheer yourself up?

I’ll throw on Aladdin or Charlie And The Chocolate Factory as standard, just to catch a vibe.

What positives have you learnt from lockdown?

I would say that it’s given me the chance to see the things that really matter and focus on what is important to me. I’ve worked out where to really spend my time and energy, especially for work, which has been great.

It means that I’m super-inspired when I do make music, because I’m getting the right amount of rest. It’s also made me understand how much we need to connect, how much connection we need from each other.

Since that has been taken away from us, it’s made me realise how much more important it is for me to make music that makes people feel good. As soon as we can get back out and play live music, I’ll give people that feeling, the feeling they need.

What’s the first thing you’ll do when we are free again?

Getting back out there and being on stage. Although I feel like it actually comes under an essential activity that we need now more than ever.

I think some people have realised that social activity, being together, hearing music or going to a show or a theatre performance — all those things are so important for our physical and mental health.

Craig’s lockdown essentials

Favourite song playlist

Just being able to play music that takes me to different times and places in my life that were uplifting and positive has been such a good vibe lifter.

Buying plants

Buying plants that I knew would grow and blossom with beautiful flowers — or even better buying seeds and starting from scratch — has been so good for my mental health.

I found the discipline to keep the plants alive and healthy was a great way of reminding myself that, just like the plants need to be taken care of, I need the same amount of care and love.

Collection of my favourite photos

Making a folder on my phone of the best holiday pics and vids that make me smile and take me back to the feeling of being with those people has allowed me to go on my own personal, rent-free holiday in my mind.

Even better if you have a printer and can print the pics out and frame them.

Watching movies

Throwing on some of my favourite movies has been great food for my soul, especially when looking for the hidden messages and signs in them which we tend to miss when we are always on the go. Some of my faves have been Soul and The Truman Show.

Candles

Finding a candle I love the smell of has been great for setting the tone to relax. My personal favourites are from a brand called Diptyque. Mimosa and Tubereuse are also lovely.

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