Thanks for Resilience

 

Two months on and a fresh perspective on my world.

Well actually it is three months on. Wow that went fast.

With ups and downs, cans and cant’s, sudden restrictions on again and off again our lives have been in a state of questions.

Do we make plans, buy tickets to a show, arrange dinner with friends, book the restaurant etc. for if we do will it be postponed, cancelled or become a non-event?

Here I am three months since the last blog, festive season come and gone, Walter in treatment for six weeks, come and gone and moved into 2021.

We are living within a freedom of movement that can be restricted at any time.

As always flexibility is the key. Yes, we make the plans, buy the flight tickets to South Australia, organise a night with friends and book a restaurant to celebrate the end of Walter’s radiotherapy treatment.

Somethings we can do, somethings we cannot do. With a sudden five-day lockdown recently, we cancelled five different activities, movie ticket purchase reimbursed, just sneaked in the new studio shelving, new worktable delivery postponed, Church service back to Zoom, Gallery visits cancelled and postponed meet up with friends.

I was due to start an artist-in-residence with Manningham Arts on February 22. Would it happen, would it not happen?  Fortunately, restrictions lifted and life continued.

In the past three months I have managed to attend some exhibition openings, covid safe environments are a bit spasmodic and I do set my own criteria.

I have managed to start an exercise class, just skimming either side of a five-day lockdown.

I have entered Art Shows and actually taken artwork to the framers.

I have rearranged my studio, had new shelving installed and had a new worktable delivered.

I do not know what is normal anymore and continue my mantra of flexibility. Activities and events that pre 2020 were part of everyday life take on a different significance.

Strange experience today to walk around the supermarket and choose products, so different to online ordering and having groceries delivered to my car boot.

I went to Bunnings, physically walked into the store and asked where I could find certain products. I enjoyed the time sifting through the storage bin shelves. Just a little exciting.

As we hover at the edge of March and look at a twelve-month anniversary of the first restrictions and cancellation of my exhibition at Art at St Francis, we can thank our own resilience and personal strength that has carried us thus far.