Has this pandemic made time feel strange to anyone else? That's a resounding yes from me. When it all broke out last year, everything happened sooo quickly. In a heartbeat, we went from everyday life to...well, the opposite. Some were stuck at home resorting to baking specialty breads, making doubles and playing games on Zoom until ungodly hours of the morning. The first lockdown moved in a blur and before you knew it, the year was over.
For me, the beginning of 2021 felt hopeful. The numbers were getting lower, vaccines were being produced and the country was reopening. Then BAM! Enter the Delta variant and ANOTHER lockdown. Now why am I babbling on about covid? Isn't this blog supposed to be about art? Well, you see, that second lockdown really wiped me out. If I thought 2020 was bad, imagine my disbelief when my calendar said it was November but I still thought we were in January. Time just flew past me. Honestly, I still can't coherently put together what I did and when. Before I knew it, it was months since I had created any art.
So November came around and well, I woke up from my figurative slumber. There were a number of things that jolted me back into reality - good friends by my side, my loving pest of a dog, Ada and the right "vitamins" from my doctor. We'll tackle the latter another day. The point is, I could see in colour again and boy oh boy was it glorious! So I went back to the old ways obviously - soak in all the music I possibly could until my ears hurt.
I came across new stuff but I went back to an artist that I hadn't listened to in way too long a time - Coldplay. Specifically my favourite album of theirs, Parachutes. It was like falling in love all over again, I forgot how much I had loved their early music. Feeling actual feelings again left me feeling optimistic and inspired. So hey, why not paint? And so I did. "Cityscape" was the result. So while you take a look, press play on the song below. I'll talk more about it in a bit.
My favourite track on Parachutes | "Shiver"
The Painting | "Cityscape"
So Cityscape and Coldplay's Shiver. They're sort of my love letters to each other. Shiver got me in my feels, reminded me of my great love for Coldplay's music AND stirred within me the inspiration I needed to start painting again. While Cityscape marked my return to creating again, escaping from the numbness that the previous year generated AND falling in love with art all over again. My, you could say - Falling Back In Love, In More Ways Than One.
You know, the world is pretty messy right now. And it probably will be for the immediate future. It doesn't mean we can't deal though. Everyone just has to find the thing that works for them. Well for me that's...wait, I think the lyrics sum up exactly what I'm trying to say.
"From the moment I wake
To the moment I sleep
I'll be there by your side
Just you try and stop me"
To the moment I sleep
I'll be there by your side
Just you try and stop me"
1) The power of music and the inspiration it stirs
"I'll sing it loud and clear
I'll always be waiting for you
For you, I will always be waiting"
I'll always be waiting for you
For you, I will always be waiting"
2) The art that waits for my return but rewards me with peace anyway
So it's not too late, just find YOUR thing.
Interested in reading more?
