No doubt this year has challenged our world. "This whole Covid thing" has brought the world to its knees and made everyone view life differently.
For me, as a Composer-Playwright & Artist Educator, I have been forced (out of necessity) to look outside of who I was, because every avenue of my life was deemed "non-essential" and shut down by the "powers-that-be." This includes my Musical Theatre work: composing and arranging for performers, my performing and working in classroom settings with classroom workshops and artist visits ... EVERYTHING!!
Yes. As a result, I changed. AND, because the powers-that-be deem my work as "non-essential", this had a devastating effect on me because it seemed to put a kibosh on my creative output in all of those areas.
So, instead of focusing on what I couldn't do and can't do, I decided to turn my attention away from this kind of sadness and (1) learn new things (i.e. origami, daily haiku writing), (2) revisit my love of creating art, and (3) explore new musical instruments -- all with the goal of maintaining my sanity and becoming a better person in spite of Covid-19.
This has turned out to be a mixed blessing. While I struggle without my in-person community of artists, I still have grown! I found that I can illustrate and tell stories with #CovidOvid--a little bluebird who lives in isolation at the edge of a beautiful woods, which I post on Instagram and Facebook. I did a huge mosaic, made my first 'how-to' video!! I have experimented with new art materials because of #getsketchbox and I have learned to play the ukulele and shift into 3rd Position on my violin.
Like everybody else, I don't know when the restrictions will end and life will be returned to the performing arts. Until it does, I will do my best to persevere and keep trying to make my life as wonderful as I can in spite of it all by what I create.
I wish everyone who believes in Christ a "Merry Christmas" and to the entire world "A Blessed New Year!"
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