Has anyone else noticed?
I am not talking about just the immediate impact of the coronavirus outbreak and all these new terms like ‘social distancing’, ‘self isolation’, or ‘flatten the curve’. We seem to be at a real crossroads where as individuals and collectively as a society we need to make some serious choices and sacrifices.
Like most people, the coronavirus has taken me away from seeing friends and some of my favourite places. I imagine that my art show will be cancelled too, because unlike others who may be far more powerful than I, I know there is no chance that this will be over by Easter. I hope I am wrong. I really do, but unless someone stumbles upon a cure or vaccine soon it seems likely we are in a holding pattern for awhile.
Or are we? Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating that everyone just carry on as normal, but perhaps there are other options available to us all. We humans can be pretty clever when we set our mind to it. Just look at all the companies re-tooling to make face masks and shields, gowns and even ventilators.
Since many of us have more time on their hands these days, maybe it is time for us all to decide what kind of world we want to live in. One that values human life where we take care of each other and nourishes people to reach their full potential? Or one where human life is expendable because of an abstract concept called the economy?
As an artist, you may not be surprised to hear that I choose people over profits. No one becomes an artist to get rich quick, and if you do, I wish you luck! It’s not that I do not like nice things, but nothing is nicer to me than the people I love. I want the best for them, for them to remain healthy and find as much happiness as they possibly can. Not only do I want this for them, but I want this for everyone.
It is in times of struggle that the greatest opportunity for growth and change can come. Is this awful pandemic a call to change? To think more local, to garden more, to support our neighbours and communities? To evaluate what we can do for the world to make it better? Is it time to break free from old paradigms that no longer serve us, those we love, our neighbours, the planet, and most of humanity? I hope so!
I am interested to hear what you think. What positive changes do you see possible in the wake of this pandemic for yourself and our world?
My hope is that when this is all over, we realize how precious life is and we put as much effort into solving problems like hunger, poverty and environmental destruction as we are with this pandemic. Otherwise, we maybe doomed to repeat this.
Stay healthy and safe! And six feet away (for now). Sending love and good energy to all who want some.
I am also happy to announce a giveaway that we will be doing here at the pottery. Some of you may know that we have a newsletter that we send out a few times a year to keep people updated on our latest creations and special offers.
Once we hit 300 subscribers, we will be drawing for two prizes that will include a copy of our book ‘A Potters Dream: Myths & Legends’ an art print and piece of jewelery for one of the lucky winners. You can subscribe to our Newsletter by clicking here. Don’t worry, if you are already a subscriber, you are automatically entered.