Covid19 shuts down studio

So after my last post, full of enthusiasm and excitement about spending time in the print studio it's all come to a halt! I knew then it was only a matter of time but I'm glad I got to make the most of it while I could. I think its week 11 of lockdown now and it's been a very strange and uncertain few weeks and as a family we've tried to navigate our way through these few weeks the best we could, we're adapting to the new normal and keeping safe and I hope you are too.

It can be really draining and exhausting thinking about all the negatives that we might face so we tried to turn it on its head and focus on the positives we can get from "lockdown" such as making the most of this time at home and appreciate where we live and explore the area, especially finding those new routes where there's less chance of bumping into people but also where we will find new adventures.

I've been taking lots of photos as usual which has kept some normality for me however my practice on the whole has had to take a bit of a back seat these last few weeks but I'm trying to think of ways to overcome this obstacle!

• Zoom calls have been really good to keep in touch with the cohort, supervisors and other peers.

• Webinars have been great for keeping up research and I actually think these should continue as its so much more inclusive not to mention sustainable!

• Juggling mum life too has been tricky , I've turned to audible to help me get through books which I can listen to around the house whilst chasing a 3 year old!

• LinkedIn Learning has been a great resource too , there's all sorts of video tutorials but I've tried to use this time to brush up on some adobe package skills.

• Outsourcing - I've had to think of ways I can continue to print without the facilities which has led me to continue with the digital printing process meaning I can have my designs sent to a UK based printing company.

• I've also had to think about how I can progress my practice after my MA and this situation has forced me to look sooner rather than later into resources and suppliers of my own rather than using the universities facilities.

• Thinking long term - I've had a kitchen table in our living room as my workspace but this won't work long term so I've started to sell pieces of furniture that we no longer use to help fund a nice new workspace for me at home.

• Marketing - Not something I'm familiar with but something I've had to consider or at least focusing more on how to present and display my work in a visual and online format. I had a few of my prints go to a friend of mine and they were kind enough to take a great photo of the prints in place which I thought was really well presented . Thinking about my long term space and how I can use it to display my work is also a thought running through my head right now.

Stanage Edge prints - Photo Credit - S. Prior & K. Wilkinson

How are you getting on? Are you studying and struggling to find ways of working? Don't worry , we are all in the same boat! Trust your intuition & do what's right for you.

I'm hoping to get into a new routine and workflow asap but taking each day as it comes, although these days are uncertain times it is important that we look after our selves and our own health and wellbeing. Let's see how we can adapt to these changes for the better. 💜