The World is a scary place right now, the UK and most of Europe are in lockdown, peoples are losing their jobs left right and centre, there are queues at the local supermarket just to get basic necessities, and even when you do get in there is no toilet roll! In these difficult times I know I am very lucky to be able to work from the comfort of my little studio, however that does not mean I am safe from the misery that is no income.
I have always worked a second job in order to fund my art and afford basic living costs, it's something I have done for the last 8 years. The first 4 year to pay my way through uni, and the next 4 years to be able to work on my art part time. I am very lucky I have been able to do this, but due to the current circumstances of the Coronavirus, my part time job has closed down until this whole thing passes. I am therefore in a similarly tricky situation like a lot of the UK population. It doesn't help that I cannot get the MOT for my car booked in and therefore unable to tax my car - all because I miss the deadline for the 6 month delay by 2 days!!
But we have to keep ourselves sane at home as best we can. I have been working to a schedule pretty well between monday to friday, although it mostly revolves around the new animal crossing game. But as long as I have 5 consecutive full hours in the studio working that is a success. In the time I have managed to develop my drawing skills to a much higher level than they were a year ago, I have been trying to learn new mediums and skills for my creative process, and have been yet again trying to get back into filming youtube videos. My next one that should be up for Friday the 27th of March is all about drawing trees and leaves, as I cannot get out my house to see them. My studio is slowly turning into a forest with all these drawings!
This isn't a very long post today, I feel like I have a lot of thoughts and feelings bubbling around in my head but it isn't anything new that you haven't heard elsewhere by someone more educated on the topics at hand. These are very stressful times and we should all be looking out for one another - social distancing applied of course - and our own mental and emotional sanity. Take the time in your day to check in with yourself, keep away from the media frenzy and mass social media hysteria if you think it will help (it does for me anyway), find a way to speak to friends and loved ones that doesn't require anyone to be put in danger, and most importantly, BE KIND!
Our health services are stretched thin, our supermarket staff are rushed off their feet, all our daily lives have changed. Be kind to one another, thank your NHS and other essential workers for all their hard work, smile and thank the supermarket staff rather than shout at them because the shelves are bare, and be kind to the people you are in lockdown with.
Protect yourself, protect the vulnerable and protect our society.
Much love to you all ♥
- Morven
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