What to do during this crazy time...
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Since we are all experiencing this crazy times together, I think almost all of us had to make some changes in our everyday life. I usually work from home, about 90% of the time. But now 100% with added kids with elearning added into the equation. It does make it harder to work and keep them occupied.
So starting today I am adding into our schedule at home, Art Class. I am having my kids take the foundations curriculum. We gather around the table, watch the videos and then they have till tomorrow to finish the assignments. I am also doing it again with them. I hope we can continue to do it everyday as part of our new routine.
How is everyone else dealing with change?
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@Chip-Valecek what a great idea. I am using the time to get caught up on my grad school work and to read actual books. My kids are grown, but they do come over occasionally.
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I work in a school as a finance officer. They announced last night that schools will be closing here on Monday, so I'm not sure how I will do my job. I can't really work from home, and without kids in, school trips, and teachers ordering supplies for class etc, it will probably cut my work load in half. We will see what happens...
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Here in Australia we are not yet in self isolation but most people (when they can) work from home. Since we can still go outside, I am exploring my district and trying to spot homeless people.
They are those who suffer the most when shops shut down and shelters stop running as volonteers are confined too.
I am telling myself, if I know where they hide, I might be able to give them a meal when we are all in isolation and can only go out for grocery shopping?
I don t know... But that s what I want to do if I have the chance. Please, for those already confined, look for the vulnerables from your windows / balconies
So again... not related to art. I am working for one of the essential industries still running despite the chaos. I hardly have time to draw nowadays. I wish I could! Draw on my behalf please
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I had to take a pause with almost everything art/illustration career related, as I am home with a toddler. I have about 1 hour maxium to work per day at this moment. I am often too tired to draw.
My husband was not feeling well when we started self-isolation a week ago. He is much better now, and I hope from next week my work hour will go up to 3-4 hours per day, so I can atually do some art. I am trying to come up with some kid's activity based illustration for free download. I know artist is probably not considered an essential profession at times like this. But I want to contribute, doing little things I can.
I think it is really good idea to do art class with kids at home @Chip-Valecek, I wish my child is old enough for that :-).
Hope everyone stay safe
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I'm not getting any art in at all - I have two school age kids at home and as of Monday, the school is setting up remote learning...which means I'll be supervising/assisting their education while their dad works in our home office. I honestly don't see them going back to school this year. My hope is that, once they become used to their new normal, I can sneak in some time to draw here and there. Stay healthy everyone. And relatively sane.
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@Laurel-Aylesworth Not sure where you're based Laurel, but from working in a school in NI (and I assume the rest of the UK and Ireland are thinking the same) we have no doubts that we will not be opening again before September...
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im actually wondering if illustrators with published books will be making money on royalties during this time? while on one hand people are trying to budget more than normal and not buy things that are non-essential, I feel like now that in many countries schools are out and the kids are home, and home all day due to self-isolating or quarantine, then parents will be buying books to keep them all occupied!
is my theory right? -
I’m a minister of a small church and everything here is shut down with gatherings over 50 prohibited so I have been working 12 hours a day trying to convert all of our activities to online for a congregation which has a number of older computer illiterate people. Absolutely no time for art and my March contest WIP May remain a WIP. At least no one I know is sick. I appreciate reading what everyone is sharing because it’s helps keep me from getting bogged down in the the frustrations of my own little world.
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My art hours are more like minutes, and they're all over the place instead of scheduled. Husband had surgery the day our city began to shut everything down except hospitals, pharmacies and grocery stores, so I've been spending the past week caring for him and we just got drinking water delivered today. A friend said tonight "Rest is real work, too." Good insight there. We will get back to our art, friends. I have been designing in my imagination during down time. We'll find a way, because we are artists and it's within us just like love.
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I live in the UK - still cant believe people are queuing round the block for food! I'm a partner in a marketing company but as our biggest client is in the travel industry our work has dried up a bit at the moment. I also have an autoimmune disease so I have been self-isolating at home for a week already. Lucky I don't have any kids to take care of and my only visitor is my sister coming round to keep me company and bring shopping. My other half is still working at the moment so hope it stays that way. One benefit to being at home is I get to spend more time on my art and concentrate on my SVS learning - it's great to be able to watch a video the whole way through without any interruptions
I may have cabin fever by the end of next week though 
Stay safe everyone. -
Life on a small farm by myself is already self isolating. In winter, I often go without in-person contact for a couple weeks at a time anyway and then it might just be a grocery run. There are an unlimited number of projects here and without being able to bring anyone in to help, they are all pretty time consuming. I do have the company of 115 silly goats, 5 horses and 2 dogs so I'm never lonely. I will have to postpone or cancel all my early goat grazing jobs but this gives me time to fix the things the animals broke over the winter during nice summer weather - for a change. I always have a huge stack of books, streaming movies and my own imagination.
I'm lucky to have 13 acres to play on and a 55 mile trail almost at my front door. Rarely anyone on the trail and even fewer now. So I can hike, bike or ride one of my horses any time the weather is nice. I'll use this time to improve my art and writing. For those folks now homeschooling their children, think of the amazing bonding experience you are having. This will stay with your kids for life.
But I also depend on the company and cheer of folks online. I love learning from all of you and learning about life in other places. I think we're all in a really good place. So let's sing it together in true Monty Python fashion...Always look on the bright side of life...:)
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Good topic! Sorry I haven't been checking in as regularly. I will again once the Ideation class finishes next week.
I have been in isolation for almost two weeks now and am trying to take a marathon approach. On the one hand, I am grateful that I have useful work to do and enough to eat, and that I am not the owner of a small store or reliant on an hourly wage. So many are going to suffer from lack of work this year. My husband is stuck in the US, but I actually don't mind because my life is very simple here and we talk most days anyway. He's better off there for now. Living like this makes one grateful for every healthy day.
And @Julia you are right that this is especially hard on people who are reliant on soup kitchens. I volunteer for one and can't go now, but I know that the friars there are handing out sack lunches, and more of them than ever because no one is on the street to give change.
On the other hand, the situation in Italy is very heavy and cases are growing extremely rapidly in my region. When I went to stock up on groceries yesterday it was like going to another planet. I did a complete hazmat routine when I came back, and I'm usually not a germaphobe. So far no one I know personally has had the virus (that I know of yet), but I am starting to hear of friends of friends and relatives of friends who do. I'm worried about friends whose work exposes them daily. This thing is not the flu.
I am trying very hard to work and keep a good routine going. I don't always succeed, but if not I try again the next day. The structure of the Ideation course has helped. I am also working on my portfolio. I had to give up the March contest, though.
I feel for those of you who would like to work but have to take care of small children. I did that for a long time, in a tiny NYC apartment, so I do understand. It's one reason why I'm getting such a late start as an illustrator
. But kids, while you have them, do come first.Take care!
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Very intersting to see how different people handle their new daily life. For me, there is little change as we live in a tiny village surrounded by ruins and one weekend house only. We can go outside for long walks with the dogs without meeting anyone - as usual. My kids are unschooled as ever. Biggest difference is that there is no driving them around to playdates, classes and other spots all the time. I enjoy this so much! Just staying home and not having to interrupt whatever for getting them a ride! Still, there's lots of things to be done on our land and in the garden. Would like to have more time for drawing. Only time I'm getting worried is when there's a certain friend popping up, ignoring us being in quarantine and spreading his doomsday mood. It takes me a while to get rid of hysteric thoughts (no, I don't need to go buying stocks of preserved food!).
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It has been surreal here. We live in the city center, and there are still lots of people roming around on the streets, big, small, young, old. Cafes are still open in my neighborhood, despite the goverment's recommendation of social distance. The number of infection is probably going up. I have gaven up on checking the news.
Since my husband had a cold symptom, we went for a total isolation. We had grocerry delivered by the door. We have not seen any friends, relatives and anyone we knew for more than a week now. I talk to relatives and friends ocasionally online, but most of the time is spending with my daughtor. The only time I would leave my apartment would be the time to take the trash out to the back yard.
Sometimes, I think what it would be like if this happens before I have a child. I will probably just stay at home and paint 12 hours a day, and barely notice anything. My daughtor took the quarantine really well, she had a lot of fun playing with me and my husband, which made life at home a bit easier. It is also really nice for me to spend tons of time with my daughtor. I am feeling very grateful and lucky. But my anxiety level is going up because I am not able to paint, and make art much. I guess for an artist, It is really tiresome to not work.
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My daily drawing time hasn't changed much. Most of my spare time is spent trying to convince my dad not to go shopping when I can do it for him, lol.
But since the gym closed I've starting getting outside instead.
My neighbourhood's very spread out. Big yards. Insulated very private people. Usually I don't even know I have neighbours apart from the one or two cars I pass on the way up the hill.
But the past couple of days It's like halloween on the streets. EVERYONE is outside (but socially distant) and everyone's talking, offering supplies, talking about what they know about what's going on (respiratory technician made sure to give us the run down since my sister in law is symptomatic with a suppressed immune system). 35 friggin' years in essentially the same place, and this is the FIRST time it's ever felt like a community.
It's neat. And, you know, awful, but neat!
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Yeah, I agree with @Braden-Hallett --I've seen more people walking around my neighborhood than I ever have. It's surreal. We all make sure to avoid getting close, and usually it's a quick "Hi! Hello!" before continuing their walks, but it's absolutely surreal seeing all these strangers outside. I try to get at least a half-hour walk each day with my husband who is also working from home (well, at least until his company ceases to exist, which, honestly, could be any day, but there are lots of people in that situation).
Every time I try to write down or post anywhere what has been happening in my little corner of the world results in me deleting it.
It seems... small...
If one dwells on the reality too much, it's paralyzing.
So I've been drawing to escape. To distract from the present. To make pretty things. Because it's just too big.
I draw because it's something I can control. And if I can brighten the life of someone--children, parents, whoever--well, that's something I think can do. I can at least try.
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I'm typically at home while kids are at school and husband at work. Now everyone is home. I do love having everyone around. I wish it was under different circumstances as does everyone. I have moments of panic and moments of calm. I'm not doing much art at all. I'm totally off track for this month's contest but I'm going to try to finish it.
I get quite upset about people breaking quarantine and not socially distancing. I'm trying to learn to let it go. It's hard when we're having clear signals about what we're supposed to be doing to protect the health of the public. .. I get so angry. Today I'm taking a break from social media because that's where I hear most of it. It's helping me cope much better. I haven't looked at the e-mails from the teachers at all yet because I've been too overwhelmed so today i have to do that, hence my self imposed social media ban so I can focus!
We're quite lucky because we have wilderness right in our backyards so we're outside snowshoeing and skiing quite a bit even though we're isolating. My 14 year old son and my husband are out getting wood today.
It's really nice to keep in touch with others. Stay safe everyone️ -
We've been in total confinement for just over a week now and luckily for me, my lifestyle hasn't changed too much. My children are teenagers so we've just got to make sure they're keeping on top of their schoolwork. My husband's a teacher so he's working from home too. Since we live in the countryside things don't look too different outside and we're able to spend time in the garden. Going to the supermarkets is a bizarre experience, and also makes me feel quite anxious but making art definitely helps. Since lockdown looks likely to last a while, we're currently trying to come up with creative ways to entertain ourselves, up until now this has mostly included playing board games and doing a home style masterchef!
Stay safe and be well xxx -
We're on our first day of stay home orders in Wisconsin, USA. I'm out in the country so nothing really changes for me. We have only one reported case in the county although I'm sure there are more so I'll time my grocery shopping for an off hour and wash up as soon as I return.
I started a new story about my electric car, Ruby. In it, Ruby is asked to deliver medical supplies and meals during the quarantine. She has to drive a long way and is worried about her battery. Then she discovers that, in her haste to help, she forgot to bring her charging cord. Steep hills on the way to a remote clinic in bad need of supplies really drain her reserves. She doesn't know what to do. Think.Think. Think. She's got it! Ruby rolls down the steep hills with her brakes on to increase the regenerative charging she gets from her wheels. She makes it back home to her charger with just enough battery to roll into her snug garage.
I'll need to insert some tried and failed attempts before the brake thing. I'm trying to use EV terminology where it fits.
Other than that, I'm really glad we have such great people here on the forum. Social media is pretty ugly right now. This is a safe haven for a little interaction. I'm doing some spring cleaning and, joy of joys - I found an extra roll of toilet paper in the back of the bathroom closet! Cheers!
