2020 has been a crazy year! All sorts of great things were lined up and then BAM! Along came the virus and changed everything! When quarantine started, I thought it was only going to be a couple of weeks so I went crazy trying to cram anything creative in. Anything I could do to avoid a creative block and make the most of the time.
Then the quarantine was extended, longer and longer… One could get frustrated, all the best laid plans, no more! Then I looked at my painting “Ancrene” from my Anchoreta collection.
In Medieval times, there were certain women and men who locked themselves away from the world, for no other reason than to simply be one with God.
These people in their solitude had all sorts of visions and realizations. Some were filled with great inspiration and creativity.
Reflecting on this allowed me to look on this quarantine in a different way. This was my chance to really look inside, to sit with myself, to explore all different creative ideas, aspirations, and potentially make my previous plans into even greater ones for the future. This was my chance to meditate, ponder, reflect without any pressing deadlines from the usually manic world.
This reflection time has allowed me to build this new website, but also a whole new collection of work, (which is still yet to be revealed so stay tuned!)
Whilst I did have the idea for the collection and was planning a show to present it before Covid-19 broke out, the space and time has allowed the collection to grow beyond my original visions, with images of greater depth and detail that perhaps would just not have the space and time to unfold otherwise.
And so while this quarantine can be challenging at times, I am thankful for my time to truly explore my own inner depths and express them creatively. It has also given me a deeper appreciation for the people whom inspired my Anchoreta collection. Many of the pieces are still available and can be viewed in the shop, so I invite you to have a look through, feel inspired and maybe reflect on what beautiful inner gifts and strenghts you too may have gained during these few months.
