"We are made for pandemic life," my friend Maria said to me last time we talked. She's right. There are so many reasons we have to be grateful for what we do right now. We've always worked from home, by ourselves, and had to figure out how to make things, sell things, and adjust if that wasn't working. The people and businesses that are able to carry on right now are those that can be flexible. It's a luxury, or maybe just plain resourcefulness.
One thing that has developed for me is the ability to teach collage classes over Zoom. This opportunity came about quite unexpectedly, in the form of a question from a customer. I had never thought of the possibility of doing so, but it makes perfect sense. It removes the physical constraints of where to have the class, how to advertise, figuring out how many people can take it, and bringing supplies. The one gift that Covid has given us is the gift of time. I love that people are thinking about how they want to spend this precious gift. That's what makes me happiest about these classes. People are deciding that they want to develop a creative pursuit. They've always wanted to learn this one thing, and now there's time to do so. Art can be such a powerful tool in getting through hard times. I hope my students are able to find some peace by creating the space and time to learn a skill for themselves.
