Tomorrow it’ll be three weeks since I last saw a friend in the flesh (from a safe distance). It’s already been over three weeks since I was touched by someone for purposes other than taking my blood test (for non-covid-19 purposes). I’ve seen a variety of friends on various different screens, but it just isn’t the same. I’m not an extrovert and I crave to spend time alone, but this obviously isn’t the ideal situation for me either. In any way.
Sales have plummeted (a special thanks to that one person who turned my recent sales from 0 to 1!) and while I recognize this as a moment of shared financial uncertainty for most of us, it would mean the world to us makers if you could support us in any way, big or small. If you have the means to do so, please consider getting yourself a new journal or a piece of mixed media artwork from my shop. If you’re not a writer/doodler/planner, maybe you know someone who is and would love to spend some of these seemingly endless isolation hours putting their pen to paper. I always wrap my items beautifully (and safely) and can mail them to you ( or the recipient of your gift & personal note) without a trip to the post office (yay to lovely stamps!). Thank you so much everyone who has ever supported me either through their words or by placing an order - this supporting connection is ever more important to me as I spend these isolated days all by myself in a tiny city apartment (would love to have a garden or even a balcony right now…).
After a good long while of not quite knowing how to behave in this weird situation, I finished my March book for #areyoubookenough (more about that very soon - I’m writing another blog post about creative process and artists’ books!) and these three sweet journals. They’re a bit larger than A5 and have wonderful linen covers and printed end papers. Those gorgeous golden bees are my personal favorites. I’m so pleased with these color combinations as well as the end papers. After a long period of working with mostly vintage kimono silks these solid yet beautifully textured fabrics feel so fresh. That being said, my wonderful kimono silk supplier just surprised me with some new samples I can’t wait to cut into. The samples actually made me cry a bit, both because they were so beautiful and because I haven’t really had that many physical reminders of other people still actively existing in this world of mine and thinking about me - my wonderful friends drop off some groceries behind my door, but how personal is my connection to a carton of almond milk… You get it. Things get weirdly intense when you’re alone for a very long time. Still, complete self-isolation seems like the smartest option when you’ve got an out-of-whack asthma and a slightly neurotic personality. Thankfully I still have the internet to keep me connected to my loved ones, a wonderful e-book service and a bookshelf full of books I’ve yet to read or would re-read with pleasure. And hopefully, one day, I will also have finished writing my next poetry book, but that won’t be any time soon. Right now it feels like the things I’d most like to add to my daily routines are writing and bookbinding. Some days I succeed, some days I lose track of myself as well as the time. That’s life. And it’s alright.
How are you coping with this strange time? How do you trick yourself to get stuff done? How do you give yourself a break when you don’t succeed in it?