The New Normal
We made it to 2021! Let’s hope it is a year filled with something other than distress. We have a new president in office, several new vaccines, and cross my fingers and toes, maybe an approved treatment for Covid that works. If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s having a back up plan, and taking things in stride. Last year forced me to appreciate what I do have, and who I still have left. Some of my loved ones were taken by Covid and other diseases. But all were taken too soon. The 2020 deaths hit me especially hard with no way to mourn for them—the unattended bedsides, funerals, and graves. At one point there were two deaths within 48 hours of each other. I cried every day for weeks—and when those tears dried up, they continued on the inside. Although I pray for more life than death this year, I remain realistic. But I will be damned if I don’t find a way to cope with the new normal that is 2021.
I am doing some new things this year, a couple of fun transitional pieces to pay my respect to what I call “Deep Winter.” It is a time to rest, reflect, and go through a rebirthing process. How much more can I push myself to expand and dive deeper into my craft? When I first began studying millinery, my weaknesses were very pronounced. As I became better, I gained an added benefit by also improving my hand sewing skills. This is what I call expansion. By growing, I made other things in my life better. Last year I took a deeper look at my millinery designs, and realized that the identity that is my work needed clarity. By honing my skills and bringing more of my culture into my designs, I expanded my abilities.
I am not rushing this year. I am going to do more by doing less. It’s kind of a Taoist concept really. Like letting go of things to create space for the new. So if I stopped doing all the things that make me unproductive, I will have more time. A good example would be getting more sleep, to have better waking hours. I hope by adding non-millinery projects into my mix, it will make me a stronger artist.