The image above is an example of book spine poetry and pretty much sums up the last few weeks for me. I’ve been staying put with my husband and daughter and everything but essential services are shut down due to the Coronavirus pandemic. We live in a tourist town and the beginning of April usually signals the beginning of the season as the Shaw Festival Theatre begins productions. That isn’t happening.
This town is also home to many retirees, a vulnerable population during this pandemic. We’re lucky in that, so far, rates of infection are low and the lockdown is meant to keep it that way. I’m lucky to be facilitating the online course, 30 Days of Perception, this month and sharing the experience online with dozens of others. As we move through the month, I’d like to share some thoughts along the way, as well as some resources for you.
I realize as I share my experience that many others are going through this time differently. If you’re working from home or a provider of essential services, your jobs are harder and more stressful than ever. Thank you for your work. If you’re home due to a job loss, you’re probably focused on stretching your dollars. You need support in a myriad of ways and that’s something I think about a lot.
Constraints inspire Creativity
If you’re a writer or photographer or any kind of artist, you know that constraints can be a source of creativity. Being confined to a space or having to work in a different way forces us to come up with new possibilities. We’ve seen this happen already as musicians offer YouTube concerts, teachers of all stripes present online video classes, and restaurants switch to online ordering and takeout. Even the late night talk shows are putting out “at home episodes.” I’ve always been a proponent of photographing at home and now many others are too while being locked down. Here are a few photographs I’ve posted lately from my home.
The Body’s Wisdom
In these extraordinary times, it’s so important that we see what’s really happening, as hard as that may be at times. Besides the hard things, it’s also important to see what’s going right – the ongoingness of nature, the creativity, care, and collaboration springing up. It’s important to keep to some kind of routine and to find pockets of delight.
For the past week in the 30 Days of Perception workshop, we’ve been doing this and sharing our perceptions on Instagram. In the first part of the course we focus on tapping into the wisdom in our bodies. We experience the world first through our five physical senses, as well as the internal senses of intuition and emotions. When you bring more awareness to your senses, you see more.
I’ve noticed that my anxiety level is up more than normal. It comes and goes in waves and I try to notice and let it flow. Deep breathing and meditation help, as well as a walk outside. Checking news or Facebook doesn’t, for me at least. Noticing what your body is telling you is great information for moving forward. Here are some photographic exercises for working with the body.
Letting the Body Lead – a way to walk using your intuition.
Aspects of Perception – Perception is embodied so open your senses.
Bringing more Emotion into your Photography – how to look for felt response.
Moving Forward
I wonder about how or whether we will change to a simpler way as a result of this virus. It’s certainly brought to the forefront societal inequities and a realization of the true heroes providing the basics of life. Physicist Alan Lightman has written a thought provoking article about this very topic and I hope you read it. He ends with the paragraph below.
“At some point, the coronavirus will pass, or at least recede into the haze of other viruses and ailments. There will be (and already is) staggering suffering and loss of life, enormous economic devastation. That tragedy cannot be overstated. For years, we will be trying to rebuild the broken world. But perhaps the slower lifestyle in these months can help put the pieces back together. And perhaps a more contemplative, deliberate way of living can become permanent.” ~ Alan Lightman, The Atlantic
While everything is still uncertain and we can’t predict what the future will bring, we can begin to live now in a way that will create the future we want. So, as Lightman says, a contemplative, deliberate life is worthwhile. Keep living it.