Blame it on COVID

Triumph

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Hi Gang! I had the pleasure of gallery-sitting for a New England Watercolor Regional show at the Vernon (CT) Arts Center over the weekend. from 1 to 5PM, there were 20 visitors and that is very good according to the Art Center rep who was with me. So we wondered what caused such a down-tick in attendance. This was a walk-in show ( masks were mandated) so that could explain it. The show was astounding in range of subjects and techniques. (can be viewed online) The local library hosted a "virtual" show which I thought would encourage participation but NO, the number of entrants was drastically reduced, and the show may be cancelled. So what can we say is happening? I thought everyone being cooped up with all the Covid protecols would be painting/crafting to pass the time! Perhaps the Covid situation has gotten everyone so depressed and miserable our creative selves are losing it. What say you?? Are you all being impacted? If so, any ideras on how to shrug it off?
 
I am doing a big open studios this month. It's an annual tour that is put on by a local arts organization. It was cancelled last year due to Covid, but it is happening this year with some 150+ artists involved. I just finished the first weekend and there was very little foot traffic. Apparently, a lot less than the previous years according to some of the other artists. This was my first year participating.

But overall in general, as an artist my sales have been as regular as always. I have not been affected in that way. I've participated in a couple of on-line exhibitions.

I don't know if I have ideas about shrugging off the impact. I have felt depressed, but I can't tell if it's due to Covid and being cooped up, or if it's my normal depression. :rolleyes: I have probably been able to get a lot more art done than I would have however. Maybe we just need to take advantage of it and make more art? I've known people who got sick, so everyone stay safe. ♥️
 
Covid completely killed my creativity (how's that for alliteration?). Up until last March I was drawing or painting every day, and I was 20 hours into a piece I was going to submit for an exhibition. When the possibility of lockdown was announced, I considered this an opportunity to be creative, learn and improve. But when lockdown happened, the opposite happened: I put my art materials away and didn't get them out again until last week. I still haven't finished my exhibition picture. I did write two bad draft novels, though.

Not sure why it happened that way for me. I suppose it came with my freedom to move around being taken away, which I didn't cope with too well. I feel as though things are becoming a bit more normal now, which is maybe why I've started creating again? Who knows.
 
It was all the bad news on all fronts last year and subsequent depression and frustration that inspired me to get out the brushes and paints and a piece of scrap plywood and paint something ("Skull"). It felt good. I get antsy when I don't have a creative project going on. So I painted some more, joined WC, and here I am. Feeling okay today. There was some self-medication in there that I radically cut back on. I live in a rural area in upstate New York and we're naturally distanced. No vax resistance around here. I do feel bad for people who feel trapped in circumstances and environments beyond their control. Especially children. No words for that.
 
I don't know what the situation is where you're at but corona has been really bad in my area lately and the deaths have been going back up. On top of that people who had it at the very beginning have been getting sick again this time around. if its the same in your area it would explain people staying home.

As for creativity. Well early last year corona almost killed me before it even became a big thing. Once I recovered everything was shut down so I spent a lot more time working on art but by the end of the year I was somewhat burnt out. That combined with other family issues and becoming more fed up with the ongoing situation I haven't been getting as much are finished as I would like.
 
It was all the bad news on all fronts last year and subsequent depression and frustration that inspired me to get out the brushes and paints and a piece of scrap plywood and paint something ("Skull"). It felt good. I get antsy when I don't have a creative project going on. So I painted some more, joined WC, and here I am. Feeling okay today. There was some self-medication in there that I radically cut back on. I live in a rural area in upstate New York and we're naturally distanced. No vax resistance around here. I do feel bad for people who feel trapped in circumstances and environments beyond their control. Especially children. No words for that.

I didn't know whether to like your post or put a sad face. I still have to get more "like" emojis installed. (Been busy!!!!) But I wanted to say I was sorry for your depression, and I commiserate with all the poor people and kids trapped in environments beyond their control. It's awful. :(

It is so great that you found WC and it all helped you to get going on art. That is so wonderful to hear! I hear that a lot and it touches my heart. It all starts with people just having some art supplies and using them, having a little courage. It doesn't take too much, just enough to start. Good on YOU! ♥️
 
16ga and Lazarus, I'm sad to hear both of your posts. 16ga, I hope you can get creative again, maybe the good people here can inspire you in some way. What can we do to help you with this?
 
Thanks Arty. I didn't mean to sound morbid. Doing something creative like painting or other art puts me in another time zone in a galaxy far far away and reminds me that maybe my real purpose (or THE real purpose) is to make things and ignore the brutish nature of politics. Anyway, I'm better now.
"The great end of art is to strike the imagination with the power of a soul that refuses to admit defeat even in the midst of a collapsing world." Friedrich Nietzsche
 
16ga and Lazarus, I'm sad to hear both of your posts. 16ga, I hope you can get creative again, maybe the good people here can inspire you in some way. What can we do to help you with this?
Im good. the problem is that i dont have company anymore. theworld become crazy and when im saying world i mean ofcourse to the humans inside. i cant viist galleries i cant go to museum, Humanity has been reinvented and its like no one know you anymore bcz you is not them, or may i say... all should be thinking in the same direction. if they are thinking crazy i should think crazy too, even if i know its crazy and its bad for me. have you already seen 100 peoples died at home or in the street from that pandemic or its have monopoly to die at hospital? we must be critic when it concerning our health mental.
 
I have been extremely lucky (so far). Living in a very rural part of Iceland covid has hardly had any effect on our daily life.
Sure we postponed a vacation to mainland Europe, and we had to use masks, got vaccinated, and there was a short period I had to suspend my dayjob.
But nothing near the lockdowns, and the impact of that you see in cities/denser populated countries.
 
16ga and Lazarus, I'm sad to hear both of your posts. 16ga, I hope you can get creative again, maybe the good people here can inspire you in some way. What can we do to help you with this?
A large studio overlooking the Mediterranean might help… :ROFLMAO:
thanks but I figure things will get better with time. Its just hard to find both the time and the desire together lately.
 
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