Art in the time of Covid-19

Things are changing rapidly, something that is helping me process and understand the situation is art.

Art slows down and expands time.

When you’re in the flow of creation or immersed in a poem, you are bending time.

Things have changed so quickly. International flights have stopped, we can't have a dinner party or have a drink at a bar. We are no longer travelling the same circuits we usually do. We are no longer having incidental conversations, or even eating the same food.

This is new terrain. It has created a break from our traditional modes of being, with which we can morph and grow in this new reality, if we so choose.

We can expand the way we live - in our community, our environment, our body.

In some ways, this new way of being is very difficult. There is a layer of fear that the whole world is experiencing, collective grief. Something I have been living with since experiencing the earthquakes in New Zealand. It's a feeling of being on my toes all the time.

One thing I miss is experiencing solitude in public. For example: going solo to Cinema Nova, browsing Readings and having a pastry from Brunetti's. Riding the tram. Catching those in-between moments. Current in-between moments include: the sensation of stirring a sauce on the stove, creating a collage or really studying a plant I found on a walk.

Creating art is a talisman for me. Reading, drawing, listening to tunes, cooking, writing. An antidote, a solace, a space to ruminate in. A space where in my heart, I know that this will pass.

Something that is inspiring me during this time is how quickly we adapted to this new culture. Because we can't hug our neighbours, we are making rainbows and hanging them in our front windows. We connect virtually through global book clubs, workshops and online exhibitions. Spaces, where usually you can only attend if you are physically in the city where the events are being held. New forms of collaboration are surfacing.

I find myself turning more and more to books.

I crave the physicality of turning the pages, holding the paper between my fingers.

Not quite a replacement for holding my people close.

I don't always have the energy to create art. Taking the pressure off and ACTUALLY resting, walking and reading, almost always eventuates in bursts of creative flow.

I hope you find something of solace in these vexing and ambiguous times.