As I write this today it seems half of Calgary is shut down to limit the spread of COVID-19 and the shops may as well be for the amount of stock left on their shelves due to panic buying. My daughter’s university practicum is cancelled, putting her educational plan in limbo, and I am worried about the safety of my mother and her husband on her upcoming trip to Calgary from out of province. They are in the high risk category for complications if they were to get sick. So although I think my household could handle the illness, I will be following the suggestions for social distancing and hand-washing. I am doing that so my older family members don’t get sick, and so I don’t have to self-isolate and miss out on my mom’s visit, should she still choose to come out (I would totally understand if they decided to postpone it though, given the circumstances).
For me social distancing is not a huge problem as my children are not little anymore, I don’t regularly commute for work or work around others, and I had no big events lined up for March. I can play it by ear for the smaller gigs I do have coming up. However many of my peers in the arts are seeing their shows, performances and day-jobs go on hiatus while the world implements extraordinary measures to flatten the curve on COVID-19. Many are uncertain of how they are going to pay their bills, as they don’t fit into the standard employment categories. I am hopeful that recently announced government assistance to workers in the form of paid leave and EI benefit waiting period waivers will somehow be adapted to assist the creative workers who have seen their engagements cancelled as well.
They have poured all of their love and effort into their ventures, only to see something completely out of left field wipe those plans away. It is not something that an artist can plan for. Global pandemic is not usually a SWOT Analysis consideration for these ventures. All we can do is make our best laid plans for what is likely and hope that the odds will be in our favour when it comes to opening day.
As frustrating and futile as it may seem at the moment, now is the perfect time to have faith in the future and start making plans for that next big project. If you are at loose ends with all the cancellations going on, now is the time to make some art, and make a plan to show that art. I have already seen one 30 day challenge circulating specific to COVID-19 response, with discussion about having a charitable auction or show of the results. So go ahead, get in on that, make some art and plan that show for better times!
Here is a video I made to help you get started putting your art show plan together:
Subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss the series as episodes are released. Stay healthy, make some art, and get ready to get out there again when the time is right.