Time flies when you are in lockdown. My last blog is over 7 months ago and it feels like yesterday. I find it interesting how different people’s experiences and reactions varies to lockdown. My immediate reaction was, Yeah! I was going to make the most of all this time for creativity. I through myself into more photoshop courses like ‘Composition and Visual Effects’ by Nick Pedersen, ‘Editorial Collage’ by García Vargas and tutorials from ‘My Photo Artistic Life’ courses by Sebastian Michaels. It was certainly a time for growing and improving skills to create better images. The second Lockdown was more difficult and I started missing face to face interaction with friends and time away from my home environment to be creatively inspired by a normal daily life, which I took for granted. I also realised that my creativity depends on a balanced life of exercise, friendship, healthy food and a holiday away from home.

The last couple of weeks I managed to get everything back on track except the holiday which I am still looking forward to:).

Something I would like to share in this blog is the fact that me and many other photographers couldn’t organise studio photo shoots for the last 18 months. I was always adamant to use mostly my own photography and then smaller elements from stock images for my photo art but as a result of Covid-19 restriction I decided to delve into the world of stock images. To my surprise it opened new path-ways in my creativity and one of the best things that came out of this very strange time for me. I can recommend Adobe Photo Stock, www.Freepik.com and then the wealth of elements and stock images that are included in ‘My Photo Artistic Life’ courses by Sebastian Michaels.

Then I also experienced a dry creative period or creative block that is inevitable for artists and this is something I luckily rarely struggle with but when it does confront me, it feels very disconcerting. I have learned that it is good to take a break from making art or other times I found that drawing classes, mandalas or collage work can help me push through a creative block. I think a different discipline that doesn’t demand the usual expectations that you set for yourself can give you space to relax and have some fun.

So it has been the strangest of times and with people continuing to fight for their lives and losing loved ones, I am reminded daily of what is really important in my life….