COVID SERIES//
With hopes to support, encourage and promote genuine small businesses, local artisans and hard working individuals
(while being socially conscious and safe of course) I have curated a series of photos and thoughts from the quarantined mind.
Feeling beyond fortunate for the opportunity to document so many admirable individuals during this wild moment in history.
This series includes those in my current community as well as all over the world with help from video chat. While everyones experience is different,
I hope that this can bring some humanity to the situation. Allowing you to know that whatever you are feeling is valid and that you are not alone.
Below the images you will find responses to the following questions that were asked:
-During social distancing, How have your emotions effected your work?
-What’s something you want to take with you after this experience?
-At the beginning of the stay-at-home order, I tried to keep working like normal and welcomed the solitude. But then I had breaks in my supply chain because I purchase things internationally. It became hard to chase down what I needed and I had a constant distracting concern for the people in my community that we're hurting. Chasing down PPP loans and giving clients the disappointing news that they were going to have to wait for their order was spirit breaking. So I leaned in hard to the stay at home order and gave myself several weeks of break. I typically am in the studio between 10 and 12 hours a day, my body and mind welcomed the change in pace. After about a month in, I got the itch to go back to the bench. I kept two baby chicks in my studio as incentive... Between my dog Lucy and the chicks, I've got a nice little crew to keep me company.
-Slow down, take more naps, and fill your shop up with as many pets as possible!
-Most days I’m working on our website or fulfilling online orders, so I feel lucky to be keeping busy, but some days I get really bummed and it’s hard to stay productive. I’m used to having a schedule with some free time, but right now I don’t really have time off. It’s important to take time away from working so I don’t get burnt out.
-Having to make such a fast pivot to online sales has been a ton of work. It was scary to close our doors to the public with so much uncertainty of what would come next, but the business doesn’t have to look like just one thing- we’ve been able to adapt to the changes with lots of support from our customers + community.
-At first I thought I was feeling pretty good about everything. I’m young, adaptable, and resourceful. But then I started to think more and more about what will happen to my business and livelihood. That’s what I found myself crying in my car sitting at red lights. But I’ve been getting some good vibes lately from friends and fam so I’m feeling more optimistic. Also just accepting that whatever happens happens and life isn’t a straight line. At the end of the day, I’ll be ok.
-What I’m taking away from this crisis is the important of working class organizing. This pandemic has shown how badly we need a systems change. I’m starting to become more active in the Progressive organizing community. I’m excited to contribute to a movement that fights for a better tomorrow for the working class. Also sleeping more and spending more time on personal projects and not apologizing a damn bit for it. I thought I was out of the rat race once I started my own business. I then learned that I was conditioned beyond what I knew. I’m snapping out of it and working on building a life, not a career.
My emotions have not affected my work, because I am in go mode to make a living off of my own creative outlets now which is a comfort zone for me. However, I do have days where I am overly emotional and unable to bring myself to do anything other than lay in bed and watch a shitty Netflix show, but this is no different than if I were working my service job and wasn’t social distancing. If anything emotions Of passion, joy, or excitement have filled my career such as selling vintage, we’re getting the RV Airbnb ready for summer.
Something that I know I will take from this experience is the confidence that I have built in myself knowing I can be my own boss full time. If I just focus my attention on my true passions I can make a living and enjoy doing it. I also would like to go to less bars & restaurants, I’ve gotten good in the kitchen and realize that if I’m going to have a drink I’d rather just do it with a few friends in my own backyard. Also my friends, man I really feel like the luckiest girl alive to have such a wonderful support system to guide each other through this uneasy time.
The Glass Pantry: Milwaukee, WI.
-Ahh my emotions are affecting EVERYTHING I do! But for the most part I feel more driven than EVER to help make a small difference in the way we do things going forward. It’s clear that we cannot continue down this road of consumption, destruction, and disregard for our actions and our environment. My emotional state changes day to day, hour to hour but I try to exist in a state of optimism and positivity is much as possible. I have hope. I want us to ha e the great awakening that is possible at this time.
-I want to remember never to take community and closeness for granted again. Seeing family, hugging friends, play dates for my son, public spaces-libraries, parks, beaches, museums, restaurants, cafes...none of these are certainties. They never were. So I want to remember to cherish all of it. Every moment of interaction is a chance for connection and support. Each time we see another human, let’s remember that they’re human. We’re all one and we know that now
Dr. Hoyer.
-My emotions affected my productivity in a way where I felt severely overwhelmed. Not only was I put in a personal situation that was stressful and forced me to relocate- I didn’t know how I would receive income with my job shutting down indefinitely and also knowing I had planned gigs and some big opportunities that are now canceled and postponed. I have an album to put out that is already pushed back so it’s been hard to not feel pressured to create everyday. Seeing other friends create inspired me but also made me feel more useless and not worthy enough at the same time. Not to compare but in my mind I was telling myself “I’m out of work and have nothing but free time? Why am I flopping on every song I try to produce?”. With help
From mentors and fellow musician friends I learned to stop trying to pressure myself to make a song every day and shifted my focus on exercise, journaling, hydrating and crafts!
-I want to take humility in appreciation of the little things in life and getting back into loving myself. Removing the Zed Kenzo pressures every once in a while. All I was met with this quarantine was “how has this affected you as a musician?” Everything became so monotonous. Clearly I miss going to the studio whenever I want, I miss linking w my creative friends and I especially felt heartbroken knowing I won’t be playing any of my summer gigs. However I learned to tune into myself! I want to treat myself kindly mentally without music pressure and appreciate the little things a lot more after this.
-So during SD I think it was a difficult time for us, navigating what we were being told, which was “act like everyone you meet has the disease, vs human nature to respond to humans as humans with warmth, this was made doubly hard for me with the loss of my nanny, and having my toddler at work where he simply doesn’t understand what social distancing even is, as Fijians we all struggled with this concept immensely.
-What I would like to take from this time out, is that I feel like I never want to work full time again! In Fiji, with our dollar not as strong as other currencies, it’s easy to get wrapped up in new business ventures, chasing hours of work, vs what you actually moved here for, which was a lifestyle choice! So coming out of this at the other end, I would like to think I have learnt to prioritise more the little things, I’ve got to watch my son take his very first steps, not miss it and find out when I got home, we have planted a garden, and generally made our house a home x and now we are slowly opening up again to local traffic, to enjoy my customer experiences in store, and find out what it is about us they truly love.
Mrs. Iwanski: Teacher.
-My emotions have effected my work greatly during social distancing. I am a middle school teacher and need the face to face to connect with my students. Learning and school aren’t just about memorizing facts and completing assignments, it’s about social and emotional health and well being. It’s about working with your peers, learning from each other, finding your strengths and weaknesses, accepting differences and diversity and handling conflicts. It’s about developing self confidence and stretching beyond your comfort zone. While teaching virtually I don’t feel that I am able to reach all of my students. I can’t be there for them to offer comfort when they are sad or to celebrate with them when they find success and joy. This is leaving me feeling as though I am not doing my part. I am retiring this year, this is not the way I would like to end a 32 year teaching passion. I didn’t get to say good bye, give that last high five, “you got this” or hug.
-There are so many lasting memories, traditions and emotions that I want to take with me after this experience. I hope that I continue to embrace the felling of being content; staying home, relaxing, reading, creating and spending time with my family. The slow paced quiet world of walks with the dog during the day and a grueling game of cribbage in the evening. I feel as though I lived such a fast paced life “before” with work, errands, socializing and trying to pack my days and my closet with things. In the end it is family and time for living and being my best me that really count.
-I have been able to work during social distancing because I work alone, but I have found it to be immensely harder to get focused, stay focused, and keep moving forward. My moods have become more intense, my frustrations hitting harder. Having a plan for making money and building the business this year was completely thrown out with Covid-19, and I am still collecting a vision of what Directive will be moving forward. So unnerving.
-Since this hit and my calendar emptied, I have found that taking the time to cover my basics (more sleep, exercise, cleaning), keeps me calm. I am hoping to continue to do those thing for myself even as life gets busier again. Too often they were neglected as I prioritized other projects.
-While I know that social distancing has meant that a lot of people are dealing with loneliness right now, I on the other hand, have a family that is now home constantly. As someone who thrives on alone time, having a studio outside my house to go to has been something that I am very grateful for. So currently, in addition to using the studio to run my business and art practice, I’m also using the space to clear my head and find a little quiet. Small personal projects that I steal away time for in the studio feel more therapeutic than they ever have in the past.
-I’m cultivating a lot of gratitude during this time. Seeing so many others experiencing such loss around the world has inspired me to take stock in what I have. As a daily practice, this has brought a lot of peace and eased anxiety. I hope that I can continue and strengthen that mindset and practice for the rest of my life.
Opeapea Farm: Big Island, Hawaii.
-Not being able to be open, not being able to rent my Airbnb, having all my weddings and funerals flowers canceled, was financially hard to deal with. You figure it out and make it work. I was able to take my fall and winter work and move it ahead to spring and summer, meaning all of my custom build work. Like light fixtures, tables, sinks, decor for clients homes and businesses. Trying to keep busy anyway possible. I’m sure having my son with everyday from morning to night while I work helps me stay motivated and positive. Instead of him taking along with me I was tagging along with him while watching him learn how to walk, crawl, tumble, and wrestle.
-Work, money, acknowledgment, pride, success, and creativity were things that I worked my ass off for 20 years. Worrying about failure of any of these things was devastating to me. Failure to me now is not spending time with my family...
Instead of working 80 to 120 hour weeks I’ve been working maybe 50 hour weeks. I love it. I’ve been seeing my wife more and having more time with my son doing fun non work related things with him rather than Him strapped to my chest while I work or making him take along with whatever I have to do for work. I’m very fortunate and feel very blessed and I will not lose my business of covid-19. I won’t let it happen. I’ll always make things work to continue the life I’ve created. I’m just gonna do it a little different and focus on the real things that matter in life. I would love to see more people. I miss having tons of people in the shop and feeding a bunch of people free hot ham every Sunday. I miss getting to hang with friends right now but this will pass. Right now I’m enjoying home time. Life-changing!
Celesta: Milwaukee, WI.
-My emotions have greatly affected my work during this time of social distancing. I miss touching people. I oscillate between fear, existential paralysis, and deep gratitude. Maybe even a little joy for more quiet moments.
-I’d like to take away a sense of stillness from this experience. And those cracks we are all seeing? I'd like to find a way to fill those cracks with light.
Adorn Pacific: Fiji Islands.
-I feel like I’ve gotten much more real and honest with my customers and followers in the last couple of months. My work is not for the faint of heart or the weak minded. I can’t say I went into quarantine calmly, but I didn’t anticipate so many hurtles. Living and working by myself I’ve frayed quite a bit over the last couple of months.
In the first month I worked tirelessly day in day out to naively maintain the momentum the business had established, but it soon turned into an effort to keep things afloat. Buyers where falling off due to losing their jobs or fearful of losing their jobs, others tightening up their purse strings and still for some reason reaching out for a song and dance. I was working so much, because unemployment wasn’t an options and no one was going to save me. This pace and life unfolding ultimately caught up to me, causing my back and knees to tell me I needed to take a break, ease up.
With needing to take it easier on my body, though, my foundation has started cracking. Month two has brought out some very honest sharing in hopes that people really get it that it’s just me and that I can only give so much in order to keep, to a degree, getting out of bed. As dire as this is somehow my spark never goes out. My job is exciting. It’s my lifeline. Until now I don’t think I understood just how important my customers and our interaction have positively impacted me emotionally.
-Can we just pause on the “after this experience” For a moment. What a wonderful concept to think about. And after. We will have a cure. We will have this under control. The rest of us will feel comfortable in public places, again...
I think the biggest absolute of what I want the most to keep with me as things regulate after this is my business, my baby, my livelihood. Provided my small business survives this massive blow what I have now is a budding maker and artist network I never had before. I really want that to continue to grow. Motivated creatives bring massive amounts of inspiration and energy into my life.
-During this hard time my goal has been to try to remain positive and keep it weird. By keeping my social media pretty silly and to also do my part to give back! Since the shut down we’ve donated over $600 do various local businesses and non profits through IG story sales!
-I hope to keep all of those sentiments in the future and always try to give back to the community in whatever weirdo ways I can!
Mike Crivello’s: Waukesha, WI.
-Social distancing has reminded me how significant proximity and touch are to our relationships. Not being able to be close to people you care about is a bummer. As for work, it’s just taken extra thought to keep our masks on and keep our distance. Nobody at the store wants to risk our place becoming a vector.
-Seriously, our customers are the BEST. Even in this scary time, we regularly hear people say, “I know I could get this online, but I want to support a local business”.
Classic Carpentry Works: Milwaukee, WI.
-My life over the last several years has been nothing but change. The last 7 months in particular I have done a lot of emotional work that I know helped me tremendously during this period of social distancing. While it has been a challenge to have a social bubble of just three people, it has given me the time, maybe even forced me to continue moving forward. This has been one of the most productive and satisfying times in my life. People tend to show you what they really are in times of crisis. There are so many people doing amazing things. It’s truly inspiring. So my emotions have affected my work but only in a positive way.
- I really struggled with this question. I would really like for all of us to take the feelings of the first several weeks of this shared experience. Maybe this story will help me clarify my thought. My 6 year old son Roy and I were driving east on Capital Drive. We were stopped at a Red light when I noticed a woman on the bus looking at my son. She had her face covered so all we could see were her large, expressive eyes. She made her eyes big trying to get my son to smile at her. Which she did and he also waved at her. She waved back at him. She then looked at me I gave her the peace sign. Which she then gave back to me. We then simultaneously put our hand on our heart and then pointed at each other. I can’t express how emotional that made me feel. That’s what I want to take with me.
Locals Only Vintage.
-During social distancing, as during any time in life really, my emotions have really driven my work. I think my fear for everyone and my own personal stress was turned into this frenetic drive for survival. I felt this fierce push to keep going, even if I was going into my grave. So I tried to do as much as I could for my business and for businesses I care about. I did a lot of online selling and I used most of the proceeds to buy from other small businesses—that outward focus really helped me feel better about things. In the end, I’m not sure how much I actually did, but it helped me survive the day-to-day, and I guess that counts.
-Something I’d like to take with me from this experience is just the rawness of it all. I know people say we have all been very disconnected, that our only access to each other was this abstract online connection, but personally I have never felt more connected to people. I feel like I got to interact, however distantly, with so many people and with so few interpersonal barriers. There was a strong sense of community, and a really raw humanity, shared during this time. To me, that’s something I’ll never forget. And it’s something I hope we all remember as we navigate through our individual lives, as we continue working for a better future.
New Moon: Oshkosh, WI.
-Social distancing has been quite the rollercoaster. Most days I’m up but those low days are so heavy. I miss sitting at a table with my team and working across from each other.
-I hope to continue to cook more. It was kinda shocking to see how much takeaway I was picking up in a week. Really enjoying being creative in the kitchen with what I have in the house.
sheila-
1) During social distancing, my emotions have not really affected my work at all. It's actually the one thing that is keeping me happy and excited. While other areas in my life have definitely been affected, tending to Plume has remained in tact for me. We have gotten a lot of great feedback about our daily Instagram stories and our customers have been so good to us, it just makes me feel grateful and wanting to pay it forward.
2) After this whole experience, I want to make sure I am not taking anything for granted. Things were different then. Social distancing was almost like a reset that we needed.
Maggie-
1) At first it was difficult to be productive, but I eventually found my groove. Without my regular routine which involved places to be and people to see, I didn't know where to start each day. I felt a bit paralyzed.
Eventually I realized this was the perfect time to revisit old projects, get organized, and create a new normal. This time began to feel like an opportunity and I became inspired by things, spaces, and ideas that had diminished in precedence.
Every day has been different and presented new challenges, but in general I have taken the time to be reflective, re-think my processes, and find balance with work and self care.
2) I would very much like to maintain the organization I have achieved during this time, while also allotting for more life / work balance. I think these two things can work in tandem as the more organized I am, the more time I have to sustain a happy and fulfilling life outside of work.
Don't get me wrong, my work brings me great joy, but it's also been wonderful having the time to enjoy walks, sit in the bath until the water is cold, catch up on podcasts, exercise, and even meal plan.
-Mostly I've just had to cut myself some slack. Some days were hard and I tried to make sure I let myself feel that and not put pressure on myself to get things done. I didn't want to pretend like everything was normal and fine when it really wasn't.
-I hope I never take for granted things like concerts, or flea markets, or a simple dinner with friends again.
-No different than before the quarantine, emotions tend to run my day. All day. Every day. The past three months have given me a very clear picture of this. The amount of work I produced was directly correlated with how I was feeling and sometimes that was a good thing, other times—not so much. Knowing this about myself, this time has pushed me to try and embrace the mind over matter mentality but also to give myself grace if I don’t accomplish as much as I had planned to. There is a time for productivity and a time for breathing.
-Being someone who thrives in an environment with some deadlines and boundaries, keeping myself motivated and optimistic has been a challenge but also something that I know I have worked hard on as I’ve experienced this strange period of time. This is something that once the world settles a bit, I hope will stick and I will continue to improve upon. I will most definitely look back on this time as hard and confusing and sometimes downright disheartening, but more importantly, so so necessary for my business as well as my own personal growth.
-The first week was okay, the two weeks after and I’m sure like most people, I felt extremely anxious and uncertain and afraid about the impact of COVID-19. However, with the social distancing I was at home most of the time and only had very limited orders during our lockdowns. Despite feeling very overwhelmed, it was in my own power to ensure that I didn’t let myself feel like it was unbearable or completely feel isolated, I was also happy to have more time to myself to sit back and think about future plans and write more content for my business. Social distancing helped me get back into my creativity.
-Slowing down and staying emotionally connected and Staying creative.
Sweet Willow: De Pere, WI.
-I’m not sure if I’ve acknowledged my emotions at all these past two months. I had one day in the beginning where the unknown had me shook. I spent the day running errands, driving around thinking of all the science fiction novels I was obsessed with as a kid.
Once that uneasiness passed I immediately was elated by the idea of closing the shop for two weeks, hunkering down in the apartment above and get much needed rest and read books. That thought completely faded soon after when I realized it was going to be two months that the shop wouldn’t be open regularly. I went straight into hustle mode. Well, “quarantine” hustle mode. Cause I was already hustling.
-I honestly hope we all realize how to take a break. Slow down. Spend time doing new things. I also hope people take the kindness they have expressed to each other during this quarantine past this moment. To continue pouring on the consideration and thoughtfulness.
I feel like I personally recognized the need to better organize my time so as not to ever feel like I’m always scrambling. I also have way more respect for doomsday preppers. If it really would have gotten bad I definitely would not have been ready. Not that it wasn’t bad. I just mean “really” bad.
- I have always been pretty even keeled with my emotions, and I don’t react. I give myself insight through practice and dedication in such ways as meditation and communion with nature. This has been a foundation in my life for many years in preparation for times like these. So if anything, I feel like I am amble you step up and do my work without reacting emotionally.
-More time for this type of practice, a slower pace with self care. Naps! A world with nap time.
-Operating a mission based around crafting mocktails and making folks feel welcomed in all social environments has been challenging when there aren’t social gatherings. TMP wasn't founded to craft a pretty drink just to post to social media. It was founded to ensure everyone had a beverage option of choice when socializing. It took me a moment to realize that also included home environments.
-My biggest takeaway is to include the (stay at home) crowd. Provide more options and make it more of a social norm to think and say it is ok to make a Mocktail while at home, for a meal, while studying. If it is normal to have a glass of wine after a zoom meeting, let's also make it a norm to think about what options a non-drinker may have. I believe this time has opened my mind up to expanding the idea of social norms. It doesn't have to be at happy hours, bars, music festivals to think about offering a NA option. It can be at dinner. While studying. On a zoom call with friends. Truly anytime society implies it is ok to have a drink, it's also ok to make a Mocktail.
-During social distancing, How have your emotions effected your work? At first, I panicked...but I slowly pivoted and my emotions have leveled out. In fact, I’ve gained a lot of confidence in my business seeing it survive the unexpected.
-What's something you want to take with you after this experience? Trust my gut. Follow my heart. Always let compassion lead over money.
-The Quarantine climate being so full of fear and negativity has pushed me to react in my paintings out of escapism, using more lush colors and softer tones like pink and pale green.
-Moving forward after the pandemic I hope to continue to make time (though not gov. mandated) to be still and allow for vacancy in mind and body.
Carrot & Kale: Oshkosh, WI.
-The ups and downs over the last couple of months have made it tough to find energy to create new items. Usually we’d feel excited about the changing season and be ready to offer new things. Everything seems to be moving slowly, so we are adjusting and slowing our pace too.
-This experience has given Dan and I the opportunity to take the reins. We’ve never run the cafe entirely on our own and we usually depend almost entirely on our staff. This puts us in their shoes, and we are learning all the ins and outs of their jobs. I hope that this will make us better bosses/leaders in the long run.
-Initially, the circumstance of becoming isolated and having many of my personal and professional events canceled had my energy supercharged and directed at the dozens of projects. As time changed and expanded I have taken on the habit of honoring most if not all creative impulses, such as tinkering with clothing for the first time to committing myself to develop a new painting/digital series. Those impulses have introduced new forms to grow in my emotional garden. I contemplate my gratitude daily, that I am able to access my studio, rest, and explore my ideas. Though my yoga practice has helped with the anxious waves that can have me feeling existential dread, I have dissolved in a new ocean of feels surrounding the future of my practice. So in this, I feel this time has brought me to my baseline, I reassure myself that regardless of how the tide is changing, my practice is my lifeboat that brings me home.
-Calling this experience a pause and calibration, many of my friends and colleagues have expressed that this time has been valuable for just that alone. In an attempt to find a rhythm in my day, I developed a new project tracker on my bedroom wall. Following your own production schedule is a strange thing for well seasoned team player, I find it truly is the basis of growth. Pre-COVID was a rolling list of planned dates and meetings, that structure fractured and this interest I have in exploring the void has grown. This surprise headspace, based on the excitement of not having a set path is what I would like myself to take away and continue to foster as the world embarks on this post-pandemic chapter.
The Locavore Store: Big Island, Hawaii.
-Honestly, one of the perks of being a "frontline" worker at our little grocery shop has meant that my routine hasn't changed much and I still get to interact with really wonderful people all day, which has helped to make up for the lacks of hugs and high fives.
-Oh, man, everything is so clean right now l'd like to keep that going even after things calm down. More importantly, I don't think I'll ever forget learning just how resilient we are as people, and my community especially, having gone through so much these last few years with hurricanes, flooding, volcanic eruptions and now this pandemic. I am so, so proud of us and how we've shown up for each other and the overwhelming show of support for our local businesses and farms, neighbors sharing food and front-yard harvests, donating more than ever to food baskets, checking up on each other, etc. And learning just how important each one of us is to the health and success of our neighbors had made a huge impact on my outlook.
-We often say that our emotions can be seen in our bread. Sourdough is a delicate balance of science and art. Being closely attune to the bread is important. When you let your emotions or stress into that process, you can literally see it.
Closing down for a couple of weeks gave us a moment to rest, reflect and recharge for our reopening. It had been a very busy 6 months and we were grateful for a little breather that has helped us keep that balance in check. It has been a surprise blessing to us.
-This experience has taught us the importance of remaining true to vision and the importance of balance in our lives. Before this, we were hustling hard, delivering 7 days a week. Now, we realize we can structure our business in a way that serves all of us better. We are incredibly grateful for our supportive community and we can’t wait to continue to grow here.