Artists During Covid
My road trip photo project in the first weeks of the Covid pandemic.
I was at a park when the Covid-19 outbreak first began and happened to see someone with a camera around their neck. I’m not usually one to want to have his photograph taken, but in this new world of uncertainty and dread, I had a sudden urge to have someone capture this moment in my life. The pandemic is a turning point for all of us, and one which we will all remember forever. To me it felt surreal, almost like a dream where I’m paralyzed, afraid, and falling. I began to wonder how others were dealing with this pandemic, and specifically other artists.
The next morning I hatched the idea to use the longest telephoto lens I could reasonably get my hands on and photograph a dozen east coast artists from extreme distances. I make portraits of people for a living and that, of course, comes with closeness, interaction, and collaboration. I wanted to explore how the opposite of that felt and affected my photographs. I put in a few calls and got through to the lovely folks at Lensrentals.com who agreed to lend me a Sony 600mm f/4 lens and an A7R IV to explore this idea, in exchange for sharing my story on their blog.
This concept was formed in the early days of the Covid pandemic, while we were still taking flights and going to restaurants - and the idea of separation from my subjects seemed novel, experimental, interesting, and a bit charming. But then the lockdown came and the new reality set in. The weeks went by in a haze and I realized that I hadn’t touched another human for a month.
And then the package from Lensrentals.com showed up. A colossal box containing a massive pelican case, holding a whopper lens bag, and, at the end of the small-car-priced Russian doll emerged a gorgeous ivory white 600mm Sony lens.
One of the flaws I have as a creative and photographer, something I came to recognize a long time ago, is my tendency to set lofty and difficult goals. This in and of itself is something I love about myself, a whimsical, obstacles-be-damned drive to accomplish the impossible. However, this often runs into a reality roadblock. Sometimes it’s physics, some things just can’t be done; other times it’s been the lack of budget or simply bad timing.
A younger me would often push against these clear stopping points, flailing wildly and working myself into a frustrated angry mess when, despite all my efforts, the image in my mind simply couldn't be accomplished. Now entering my fourth decade on earth, I’m slowly learning to recognize these signs and to open myself up to the possibility that limitations are often presented to us. If one door closes, there’s another nearby that is opening up. I just have to be willing to take a small dose of humility and look for it.
In the weeks between my initial idea and the Lensrentals.com box showing up at my door, the world had changed. Isolation no longer fit with how I was feeling about my work and about the people I was photographing. It suddenly didn’t seem novel or charming to be standing a football-field length from my artist subjects.
So during this project, with two exceptions, the huge and absolutely incredible Sony 600mm f/4 with its near-magical focusing speed, massive reach, and insane resolution stayed in its pelican case. Instead, I chose one of my own cameras, the Fuji GFX 50s with a 32-64mm zoom and the 110mm prime. It’s a tool that gave me the opportunity to (while still maintaining a safe distance) be closer to my subjects and to create images with them which I feel best to convey this isolated and uncertain time in their lives.
Each person was kind enough to give me a paragraph or two about who they are, the art they create, and how the Covid19 pandemic has affected their work. Initially, I assumed this would mostly be negative stories of lost income, uncertain futures and the gut-punch of having the rug pulled out yet again. But I got much of the opposite, many of the artists are finding new inspiration in the experience. Many are making shifts and perhaps shedding old habits. Or at very least gaining a new perspective on what really matters to them. It’s going to be a tough road forward for all of us in the creative community. But at least we won’t be on that road alone.
So essentially, this is a story about how Giles borrowed a fantastic piece of camera hardware and ended up not using it. But he did make some new friends, and images of them that he’s proud of and at peace with. Sometimes life works out best when you let go and find a new door to open.
Theresa & Sparrow - Manhattan, NY
I love the lower East Side of Manhattan. My storefront studio/gallery/happening spot - TBG has closed after over a decade. I am not shutting down, I am transforming. I will continue to give my performances, ideas and exhibitions to be both embraced and ignored. Art is like breathing, necessary but mostly unnoticed. I confront the truth that I am not a great business person. I am an artist, not market popular enough to warrant survival. I question the ethics and efficiency of our economic system anyway and I happily slip between the cracks. I do not choose the stress of fighting for TBG. Times are changing and I accept and honor my ongoing critical and creative thought process above anything else.
Theresa Byrnes
“In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay. And unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable. And help to change it.”
― Ernst Fischer
www.theresabyrnes.com
Resident artist - Grace Exhibition Space
Joan - Greenpoint, NY
“I am fortunate enough to have been able to set up my life so that I am responsible for myself and myself only. I have no partner, no children and no pets. I did this because I have music to make. ⠀
I spend half my life on tour. Lockdown and the moratorium on socializing have allowed me to rack up a lot more time on the home half. ⠀
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I love humanity so I have had to find ways to safely connect with the energy of this city. It’s still why I live here. Our energy has not flagged. If anything, NYC has learned how to glamorously shimmy into an impossibly constrictive ballgown, knowing that sometime soon it’ll be able to shed that gown and get back to getting down.”
Zainah - New York, Ny
“I’m a hustler by nature so I chose to not take on this pandemic/quarantine sitting down or being fearful. Ive been trying my best to stay healthy & active everyday mentally as well as physically & these days I’d rather focus my energy re shuffling my own deck & fine tuning my Fashion Brand & business @4leaders Like a lot of Designers right now I had to start making masks & making sense of where my brand would go with having limited options and resources. I’m realizing that It’s all a learning process that’s necessary.
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Normally you can catch me at my day job dog walking for @homesweetpaws from the west village to flat iron from flat iron to soho from soho to tribeca. I honestly don’t know what will happen with the dog walking industry or the Fashion industry as we adapt and move forward but I plan on continuing to stay positive while I hustle and create more options for myself and income. I truly have nothing figured out and I’m honestly taking a leap of Faith on myself everyday but I trust myself even more now and Im starting to appreciate every part of my journey especially my failures. When this is all over or slows down I’d love to jump on a plane and do some more vacationing and travel but until then I’ll keep creating and keep being positive because everything else is beyond our control”⠀
Chartruice - Harlem, Ny
“Everything feels totally normal so far to me during the pandemic, maybe because my life has been completely chaotic since I was born and this just feels like yet another thing I have to survive, and I will. I spent the first two weeks of the pandemic lying in bed and watching “Intervention” wondering what the hell was I going to do next? I decided right then I was going to put on my own shows and bring performance art alive yet again in a time when none of us know when we’ll be back on a stage.
I’ve had a few people tell me it’s given them hope to perform again right now; little do they know that’s exactly how I feel providing them the platform to do so. I will continue to make art and provide as much space as I can for other starving artists like myself, and to help put a little extra grocery money in their pockets.” ⠀
Fred - Brooklyn, Ny
“When the virus arrives my instinct is to get my gear in a bag and get to work. Go out and capture what is happening. It’s what I do. It’s what I know. Default mode. It takes only a few days to realize I have no idea what this means in the context of this situation. Work on what? In what way? After a week of lockdown I make my first journey into the streets totally unprepared for what I encounter. The stillness is visceral. Even the buildings look bizarre and out of place. New York City does not exist on empty. Surreal is finally the correct word. All the pictures I make fall short.
It’s hard to imagine emerging from this unchanged. Even harder to imagine wanting to. I have no idea what a new way looks like creatively or personally. I know it’s not going to be what it was on any level. It’s unnerving to watch the country clamoring for a return to “normal” at any cost. Normal is the illness. I wonder if society wants to change at all or if we’ll go kicking and screaming back to the old ways at any cost”
Chris & Lindsey - Manhattan, Ny
Lindsey - “As an actress I feel strangely prepared for the downtime this pandemic has forced on most of us. The first few weeks felt surprisingly normal- I’m used to career instability and days at home- but as it drags on I’ve been thinking a lot about what I actually want out of a creative life as opposed to just worrying about getting the next gig. It’s been an interesting evolution in how I think about my career and how I want it to look. I hope the theatre art that comes out of this time is thoughtful and imaginative and beautiful.”
Chris - “The beginning of the pandemic found me in a place of almost monastic devotion to the skill of guitar. Whereas, I think a lot of people retreated into practice, I actually took my first couple day break from playing in several years. Without gigs, I had to cast about a bit for direction. I started doing a weekly solo concert on a platform called Stageit.com. The Chris Barron Thirsty Thursday Happy Hour. That shifted my concentration to repertoire rather than technique. I’m pretty fortunate to have that bit of work right now.”
Dario - Greenpoint, Ny
“As a writer, mostly of gay erotic fiction, it seems foolhardy to even think about strangers having sex, let alone write about it. I mean, we're in the middle of a global pandemic, and while reading erotica might just fit the bill for some (especially those boys sheltering in place all by their lonesome), writing during this unsettling time about sexy encounters feels both irresponsible and impossible. In fact, I'm having a difficult time even sitting down to write in the first place; my mind just can't wrap itself around this “new normal.”
Plus, it doesn’t help that I’m still working full-time from home for my job which has turned into 12-hour days, leaving me no time to let the creative juices flow. I’m bummed – now would be the perfect time to tackle that autobiography I’ve always wanted to write!
And yet, I’m not complaining; my husband Michael (@atlien74) is a nurse, a true essential worker, and never once does he bitch and moan about his job or the myriad of trivial things that consume me on a daily basis. I’m so grateful to him and all the doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals dealing with this nightmare every day. And I’m also grateful for our dog Emilio (@emiliothepapillon) too. He’s a lifesaver.”
Selly - Crown Heights, Ny
“Hi there! I’m Selly and I’ve been djing professionally for many years in and around NYC. The pandemic gives us a different lens as DJs . Traditionally, our strength lies in “ bringing the room together” through sound. As of right now, there are no dance floors or large social gatherings in bars or clubs. Needless to say, I have no active residencies at this time. What I have done, was lend my ability to an organization named @Bedstuystrong where I have done an online live series, incorporating some dj friends...where we fundraise to get food and essential item deliveries to the elderly in Bedstuy.
My advice to any artist or person is to continue to do selfless acts of service as there are so many who need food, funds, shelter.
I have slowly begun to emerge from my shell aka residence as the weeks have gone by. My strategy to keep positive is to engage in things which make me happy. I love to ride around on my bike.. visit friends here and there and enjoy the small moments of a slower life. Basically, that’s how ya met me! On the stoop... keeping good company and boredom at bay”
Vanesa Joy - Freeport, Nj
"Weddings are recession proof." That's what I used to say. People will always get married so I had a pretty good gig as a NJ and NYC Wedding Photographer. Weddings, however, are not pandemic proof. I think my line of work is going to be the very last to recover from COVID-19 and go back to normal because it relies on people comfortably getting together in groups of 200-400 on average, in one room, celebrating, eating and sweating all over each other on the dance floor.
Weddings are full of hugs and smiles. I can't remember the last time I saw or photographed those. I honestly have zero desire to photograph anything other than people so the creative life has been sucked out of me. My income, especially since my husband is a wedding videographer, has dropped by 2/3rds. Thankfully, I am heavily involved in content creation for my photography YouTube channel and Adorama's so I have that 1/3rd income left to live on and provide for my two young kids, while feverishly cutting costs everywhere I can. The wedding industry is likely in this for the long haul, so I'm preparing for that and holding on as best I can.
Carina - Fishtown, Pa
“As someone with pre-existing anxiety, I've spend the past 5 years learning to manage and live with it. When covid hit and everyone started to panic, I felt oddly at ease. Now, instead of feeling alone in my anxiety, I am comforted that I'm no longer the only one - which in itself is maybe a little selfish. Many of my jobs have been canceled or postponed and my business is being hit hard. At the same time I'm seeking out the joy in what I have and what has been given to me. I feel extremely fortunate to have lived in comfort, and am willing to adjust to a different lifestyle if needed.
On the photography business side, I'm spending much of my time with my partner figuring out ways to adjust our business to better fit our clients' needs. My brain hasn't stopped for a minute and I feel more motivated that I have in years. I think this is just how I deal with stress.”
(i guess you can describe me as a freelance photographer, since i shoot a million different types of jobs, not just weddings and portraits. my website is carinaromano.com and the wedding site is lovemedophotography.com)
Abby - Brooklyn, Ny
@abbyabbyabbyabbyabbyabby
Abby is a set designer and stylist.
“My impulse, when the reality of all of this set in, was to gather my favorite materials and colors and start a new series. I recognize this as a pattern, something I do in moments of uncertainty and open-endedness, as a distraction from unknowns that scare me, and as a way to clear my head of old constructs and keep moving.”
Fabricio - Crown Heights, Ny
@fabricioseraphin
Fabricio is a Haitian born, NYC based professional dancer.
“The pandemic has truly been an experience. It's brought out a more creative side of me and has revived my curiosity and thirst for knowledge. I'm thinking about dance and art in ways I haven't had to before. I've also been really getting into history, physics and seeing how I can implement what I am learning into my craft and it's opening my eyes to the possibilities that are out there.”
Amelia, Lily, Paul & Ian - South Portland, Me
“Like many folks right now, I find myself suddenly laid off from what seemed like a fairly sensible, stable position as a program administrator at an art studio for adults with disabilities. It's been a strange and fruitful time. I am reconnecting with myself as an artist, taking stock of what I've done and where I want to go, and watching two very small and fantastic humans as they burst with mysterious and abundant life.”
Jessie & Deanna - Fishtown, Pa
@jessiejayths
@deannarama
Jessie is a tattoo artist and designer, Deanna is in advertising and marketing design.
“Although I think everyone's experiences at this moment are likely unique specific the one thing I can't get out of my head is that we're all here together. For that reason I think I've been able to keep my head up during the Covid crisis. Maybe that and the fact I was at the tail end of recovering from a serious injury when the quarantine started.
Long story short I was hit by a car in early February and spent every second in bed all the way up to the moment we were all instructed to stay home. When I say it out loud it sounds like I should be bummed, but I'm truly grateful to be as healthy as I am. Full credit to my partner Deanna for helping me through the stresses of healing. I can't help but feel guilty for my positivity at such a hard moment in time, but thats just how I feel.
As far as my work, I thought I'd be using all my new free time working on designs. But with this unique perspective I find my self getting distracted more often by everyday things. An urge to participate more in the mundane everyday tasks I typically do on autopilot. I'm not sure that's interesting for anyone else, but while it lasts I think I'm going to ride it out.
Deanna has been working from home with a unique and valuable perspective of her own and I'd actually like to hear what she has to say seeing as we've spent every second together for the last 3 months. So Deanna how do you feel about Covid and trying to stay motivated and creative?
Working in advertising there has been a very blatant shift to digital, which in my line of work (social media) has become invaluable. It has, unfortunately, put me in a state of constant work which has been detrimental to my creativity. At first, we were all challenged to come up with clever solutions to our consumer’s main problem: not being able to leave home. But it seems the ideas have run dry after two months, and constant motion has given very little time to refresh our minds.
Your accident definitely had a similar effect on me, as I also felt that it kept me from truly taking advantage of normal life pre-quarantine. However, it also offered me up a new viewpoint in taking advantage of every moment I have with you and with my loved ones.”
Jessie with Deanna & Wren
Tyler - Bed Stuy, Ny
“Tyler: clown, entertainer, fun-sized... It's a bit hard nowadays to make people laugh, it's my passion. What keeps me busy these days are videos or live streams. They're all right, but not the same as being in a room sharing the experience together. Its now like being in a glass box watching the world in disarray. I would love to be out there again bringing joy, but I suppose in the comfort of my living room will suffice for the time being.”
Brian - Newport, Ri
“The Covid pandemic has been rough on the photography industry. As a music/event photographer who shoots festivals and special events all around the country, all that work has gone away for the unforeseen future. It has been rough. But luckily I’ve hedged my bets over the years and have backup work I do for times like these. Not all my friends have these options. I’ve been trying to sell prints and drum up other creative biz ideas during my spare time.”
Brian is one of the best live shooters I know and sells prints of his work here - www.brianlima.com
Kyla - Crown Heights, Ny
“I think I've been in perpetual motion my whole life. Much of that is my nature, and how I cope with my depression, but it's also what it takes to survive in NYC as an artist, so it's worked out for me. I started my professional performance career almost 22 years ago, when I had just turned sixteen. Since then I've worked so many different jobs as part of being an artist, and to support my art. My life has changed up in a significant way at least every four years, typically more frequently. A friend said that it seems like I've been preparing for this pandemic my whole life. I'm making art now because that's what I've always done.
Right before this happened I was performing a minimum of 4 nights a week, teaching 5 aerial classes a week, plus rehearsals and training. My career was at an amazing point, but it was fucking hard. The hustle, running from gig to training to gig, barely seeing the sun, constantly consuming calories and coffee, the infinite cycle of packing and unpacking gig bags and suitcases, working through injuries... it was kind of a blur. I was barely home.
Pre-pandemic life was great for some folks, but so many people in our country, especially my community of freelancers, were barely keeping up. Pay rates were going down as the cost of living increased. It was unsustainable, but somehow we were making it work.
Now I'm watching my plants grow. I'm talking with friends for hours at a time. I'm rehabbing my injuries. I'm making short videos, modeling for artists over zoom, and broadcasting performances from my living room. I don't know what the future holds but that's a familiar place for me. I'm ok, and I'm pretty sure I'll figure out how to keep being ok, but I'm scared and sad for everyone else.”
Florence - Providence, Ri
@florencewallis
florencewallis.org
“Trying to stay alert to the invisible contagion is an act of imagination which was, at first, exhausting. Sometimes, during quarantine, I am only able to be creative in visible, useful mediums - farming, cooking. When playing alone, I make music when yearning or angry or light but not when stressed: it’s hard to be present when worrying. Instead, I’m lucky to be able to drive to the woods and move, look for mushrooms and owls. Recently, I’ve found my way into sound through long distance collaborations - both in music and writing. Writing lines of poems back and forth, receiving music to lay tracks into, these are what I am tuning in to.”
Florence plays with The Low Anthem, Lookers and Ravi Shavi.
Tessa - South Portland, Me
“I am a self employed artist, designer, and sign painter, used to operating at 100 mph all the time. As a non-essential worker, most of my projects stalled or halted mid March, leaving me home with weeks of open time. Aside from my existential dread about the current state of the world, I admit to finding moments of relief in the pause. I have been making dumb little paintings of my dog and mailing them to friends and family as postcards. It has been fun to make paintings as a means to communicate and to stay connected, rather than making paintings as commercial objects.
My most optimistic self hopes that this pandemic will force us to rebuild our broken systems and in doing so become we better citizens (and maybe better artists?)”
Dale - Dumbo, Ny
“I spent 20 plus years as a textile artist and mono print maker but haven't done any visual art since I started the website www.dumbodirect.com in 2019. Dumbo is a neighborhood located between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges and it is a flourishing community of artists and small businesses working in creative industries from robot design to documentary filmmaking. After being socially isolated at home with my dog, the art work on my walls from Dumbo artists as well as my own textile have inspired me to start creating visual art once again.
I have a concept for an installation piece entitled "Save By Soap" which I am starting to develop. I think about how such a basic item has helped to save so may lives. I've also decide to get my driver's license once it is safe. I have put it off for 40 years. haha. I'm a real New Yorker.”
Julia - Brooklyn, Ny
“I'm Julia Young and I'm a writer and producer for the late-night show "Desus & Mero" on Showtime. We have been working remotely since mid-March when our incredible showrunner Suzanne Fagel and a handful of producers figured out how to get us back on the air through the magic of technology. It feels really good that I still have a job and I know I'm one of the lucky ones. It also makes me feel good that everyone on our staff continues to get paid.
This experience has made me lose my mind a few times but also made me so grateful for what I do have. I've been trying to donate to local food banks and gofundmes and it feels futile at times because so many people need so much. I also recognize that our show being on the air does give joy to people who have lost their jobs or whose kids are driving them crazy. Comedy is important even if it isn't an essential job. My creativity has been ebbing and flowing too. Sometimes I feel creative and funny and motivated, but a lot of the time I'm sad and lonely and just want to turn off my brain and watch a Nicholas Cage movie.
My brother-in-law works for the Office of Emergency Management and he's been working 18 hour days and hasn't seen his family in months so people like that, people who are making an actual difference, are the ones who are owed so much appreciation by so many of us.”
Ky - South Philadelphia
Ky is a designer and boutique clothing shop owner on South St. in Philadelphia.
Josh Wool - Greenpoint, Ny
“I am a portrait photographer. My work spans the advertising, music, entertainment, and editorial worlds. Like so many others, the pandemic put an abrupt stop to all my work. Being in NYC at the epicenter of infections has been quite a surreal experience and there is a collective uncertainty that the world as we knew it won’t be returning anytime soon. I’ve been torn between wanting to create and feeling the need to take a step back and reassess my priorities and direction. My work requires a certain sense of intimacy and being face to face with people, so I don’t know what the future will look like as we eventually try and get back to creating.
I’m cautiously optimistic that I’ll find a way to adapt to this new landscape, but for now, the immediate concern is staying safe and making it to the other side of all this. Being an artist in America is to work without any real safety net at the best of times, so I think many of us are equipped to deal with hardships and uncertainty more so than others.”
Josh has a book featuring his wet plate collodion work for sale on his website.
Gin - Bed Stuy, Ny
“My name is Gin Minsky and I'm a tap dancer, sword swallower and burlesque performer in NYC. Since the pandemic has started I've been floating in void of uncertainty. All of my gigs have been canceled for the. foreseeable future, and I do not see nightlife and events coming back for quite some time - which makes it extremely difficult to plan for what's ahead.
In the meantime, I'm trying to re-imagine what I do. How can I take an art form that is meant to be experienced in person and translate it to an online or distanced medium? And, perhaps more pressing, how am I going to make up all of this lost income? Still currently working it out, one day at a time.”
Chelsea & Warren - Philadelphia
Spencer - Harlem, Ny
“During this pandemic, I have been lucky enough to find more time to invest in myself. I was doing so prior to COVID19, but it never felt that I could steer to far from running the rat race. As an artist, my spirit has been given a new lease on what life really means to me.
I am choosing for the first time in my adult life how I want to spend my entire day. It’s been hugely satisfying to break away from the rigid daily grind of NYC and embrace home within my body. I feel more present and more connected in ways I wasn’t expecting.”
Armani - West Philadelphia, Pa
Armani White is a musician based in West Philly.
“We had a pretty dope college tour lined up for the beginning of 2020, March to May. The week of our first show we were in limbo not knowing if our first show was gonna be canceled or not due to the scare/crisis at hand. By the hand of the week, it was settled that the entire tour would be getting canceled. The upside of all of this is this is the first time I’ve been in one place for longer than a few weeks in at least a decade. I’ve been able to create some of the best music I’ve made in a long time and set up a studio in my bedroom I the meantime until studios open back up.”
Aaron - Providence, Ri
“I'm Aaron McLaughlin, I would say my practice has moved from Photographer to Tinkerer, to not considering myself an artist, to knitter, mixed media. It really depends on the day. My main passion has been getting people to make silly faces in my photo booth. I was very close to finishing the newest iteration of it before everything came to a screeching halt. The Pandemic has taken my future plans and spun them around with a blindfold and told them to walk through the woods. Like many others, it has left me in a bit of a daze, trying to get my bearings. I haven't felt very inspired to make anything lately.
Choosing my next move usually means pushing through on a project till I see it to completion. I have been building a garden in my backyard. I wasn't going to attempt to grow anything this year since our community garden was closed last fall. This was totally unrelated to Covid. It was in the name of progress. Building a new building in the landlords search for more money. Being forced to slow down has allowed me to see these things more clearly. It has allowed me to get my priorities in order, even if I still can't move forward till this is all over.”
Beck - Montpelier, Vt
“I was the last one to close the bar before the lockdown, in some way I had to say farewell to a way of life that may be permanent. But pouring beers, making cocktails, and slinging burgers is only a small portion of who I am. (And as many artists experience, is the way to pay the bills.) I have a passion for the study of place and people, and how we relate to, and see ourselves in the world. The Covid pandemic and the necessity to quarantine has had me diving deeper into how I experience and see place, my home, and my community. This strange new world offers the time and capacity for reflection. I have not only become more aware of my own relationship to where I live, but have chosen to put myself out there —to document who my neighbors are, what they are doing, and how they are spending their time. Inspired by these thoughts, a collaborative writing and photography project with my friend, Amy Königbauer, called Through the Window, Across the Road was born. We are meeting and witnessing our neighbors from a ‘safe’ distance — in perhaps one of the most trying times of their lives.
I am an artist — a writer, a photographer, sometimes a painter, sometimes a bread baker, mostly a cat lady and nerd for nature— but maybe the most important thing I know about myself is that I am is an observer. In seeing and listening one can see how significant and insignificant we are — all at once. With genuine empathic observation we can see that we are all this thing together.”
Matt & Simone - West Philly, Pa
@matthewlawofficial
@simone.knew
Matt - “I’m predominantly a club DJ/producer. Like many people in my field, the quarantine has completely halted my gigs/touring. I’ve turned to Twitch to live stream sets (Twitch.tv/MatthewLawFNF), predominantly using it to build up my Thursday night show “Law’s Lair Radio.” Besides that, I’m focused on producing new music & just trying to adjust to the new normal.”
Simone - “As a multi-disciplinary artist, I’ve been lucky enough to have outlets to shift through during my time at home. My work as a camera operator has disappeared, and throwing myself into graphic work/painting has been my only option monetarily. It is hard to find consistent work, but it has forced me to focus on finishing directing a documentary that I have been building up to my entire career.
We live a world where creatives continue to burn out their voices to feed big business, but quarantine has forced me to realize that my creative voice is all I have. I am not just a number and now, more than ever, I have to decide what I want to say to the world.”
Hari - Manhattan, Ny
Hari plays section viola with the Nashville Symphony.
“This pandemic has brought up (not just for me, of course) a seminal question: What is essential, and what is not... Who is essential, and who is not? Every day, the poodles continue to school me in their own theory of essentialism. My dogs thank the universe countless times a day for all the things - for the miracle of opening our eyes, for having food to eat, and even for the wailing of an ambulance outside.
I cannot help but feel supremely grateful to have been given a rare gift at this time. I have learned how to leave both past AND future at the door. Doing so has given me the power to experience life as my dogs live it - 100% in the moment.”
Dana - Providence, Ri
This is a time of complete re-evaluation. What am I making? Why am I making it? What purpose is it serving? Does purpose matter? What does the future hold for me and my small business? I thought all this extra time would force me to make more. Write more. Sing more. Instead I’ve turned to nature.. who’s always been there waiting. I’ve been enjoying the day for what it is and not worrying as much about hitting sales goals, production goals etc. etc.. while simultaneously being consumed by the fear of the future of what my business will be or if it will continue to be at all. Underneath the fear there’s somewhat of a freedom. Freedom to rebuild. Reinvent. And re-establish who I am and what I want to be doing.
Jodi & Umi - Philadelphia, Pa
I try to find the light in the darkness everyday. I miss our art classrooms and working hands on with students. Teaching art just doesn’t translate the same way online. In addition to art, I’ve started teaching students yoga online and that has felt like a blessing. I’ve cried a lot during this time and have felt incredibly grateful for my husband, our children and our communities that have kept us going. My husband, who is also an artist, has been keeping everything together for us during this time.
While I teach art upstairs online during the day, he helps our two children get through their school days downstairs while managing his work and doing the cooking and cleaning. We met in art school twenty years ago and he has been our rock through this time. We’re not sure what the future holds for us or our children, but our creativity together has been one of our greatest strengths.
Jeannine - Fishtown, Pa
@Harrietts_bookshop
Harriettsbookshop.com
I’m Jeannine A. Cook writer, artist, activist. Today was rough. We are totally reliant on the mail system and it’s not necessarily designed to handle the demand that Covid has placed on it. I wanted to make sure customers got the books they’d asked for and I felt like a failure not being able to make that happen in the time I originally thought.
My bookshop, Harriett’s, named for the historic heroine, was only open for six weeks when Covid hit. The community has wrapped their arms around us supporting in a myriad of ways. I’m grateful and scared and excited and sad from moment to moment and still don’t feel like I know what has happened and what is to come. Regardless I’m pushing through.
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All of these artists have ways which you can support them, please check their sites and social medias and reach out to folks around you as well. We’re all going to need a hand getting out of this mess. Let me know if I’m able to help you in any way.
I will be adding more artists to this page as time and travel allows. Thank you for visiting and I hope you’re staying safe and sane out there in this weird new world. - G.