Only Time Will Tell

First; I hope this blog finds you well, and if not; I wish you a speedy recovery.

Our Prime Minister speaks of us living in an unprecedented time.  That’s a statement that could be exciting or terrifying. What we do as a species right now will forever be examined by future generations.

I’ve been trying my best to remain non-judgemental as things unfold. We are human. We will make mistakes. Everyone experiences stress and cataclysmic events in different ways. This often depends on our past life experiences and how we process strong emotions. Some will lash out, some will hide in fear, some will reach out to help others, and some will pretend nothing has changed.

I was struggling with my creative process prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Now I feel all creative energy drained from me. The damn weather has been cloudy and moody for the past week now too; which really doesn’t help.

Being stuck inside isn’t a huge big deal for me. I prefer my own company on most days; being mostly introverted, I enjoy thinking and expressing myself in pictures, writing and movement (yoga). So now my brain is in overdrive; thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking…..

I picked up my brushes today for the first time in 17 days. I needed to finish off the bottom edges of the last few pieces I had completed. I have no more canvases. I do have some oil paper I can paint on. And some wood boxes. I’ve been considering reworking a couple old paintings from two years ago.

The thing is; while I might feel defeated somewhat; it will pass. Nothing is forever. The important thing to work on is to be kind to myself while I feel this way.

I have work in 3 galleries right now; of course none of it is being seen because everything has been required to close. I have only applied to two shows this year. One has been delayed indefinitely. The other was cancelled outright and was supposed to run the week of March break.

My painting classes were doing well. Interest was growing. I am thinking about how best to provide similar instruction online to anyone who is interested. I want to be sure what I provide is valuable.

I was feeling really good, things were slowly falling into place, interest in my work was increasing and I have a bunch of new projects and ideas I was going to work on this year.

I’m not complaining; just stating facts that reflect where my art business is at right now. And I fully realize all artists are experiencing similar setbacks. Again; this is not forever. It will pass. 

I share my thoughts and feelings here with the hope that maybe someone reading will relate and feel better knowing they are not alone. Because we aren’t really alone. We are all interconnected.

It’s hard. For everyone. No one is untouched by the Covid outbreak. That makes this worldwide event quite unique and an opportunity for humanity to reconsider what is important. But will we do it? Will this change us and improve how we treat each other and our planet?

Only time will tell.