Pulling Out My Feathers

“Apologies. It’s been a while.” That may as well be the way I start every blog. Sorry!

I started lockdown feeling very upbeat. We had to stay home for necessary and justified reasons so I was okay with the idea of lockdown. It didn’t scare me. We were given valid reasons for it that would keep me and everyone else safe. Therefore I had zero qualms with keeping my doors locked. I had a book to finish writing, a book to start writing and a million videos to edit. I decided to look on the sliver of bright side that there was and thought, this will give the time I need to get my shit together.

That’s what would have happened in a perfect world. What actually happened is that I very quickly turned into one of those parrots that pulls out all of its feathers due to the stress of being kept in a cage. Whilst I have a very busy and pretty stressful life most of the time, I’ve found not having that life feels even worse. Sure, I could have done with slowing down a bit but this snail's pace feels like being stuck behind a ninety-year-old with two hip replacements and a Zimmer frame who has lost her Oyster card at the ticket barriers of Piccadilly Station when you’re going to be later for work. 

My brain is such a funny thing. I can go from having the most incredible day to feeling like I’ll never have a day like that again, in mere moments. I’ve definitely ridden this rollercoaster several times since March despite doing all the things that usually make me so happy. It feels like my life has done a big switcharoo. Instead of trying to find and do all of the things that make me feel calm and relaxed, I’m trying to find all of the ways to keep me busy and focused. Puzzles, candle making, writing, reading, making videos every day, growing tomatoes, running, drawing and all while trying not to think about my industry that’s on the brink of ruin. 

For so long I saw so many quotes and inspirational images that said things along the lines of, “Don’t compare yourself to the people who are using this time to be productive!” And I’m like...where are these people? Who on Earth is managing to keep their lives steady and stable amidst all this chaos? I’ve yet to speak to someone who’s been like *shrug* about it all from start to finish and managed to do all the things they set out to do at the beginning of lockdown. I definitely started off that way but it didn’t take me long to start climbing walls and scratching at the curtains and lose all sense of what I should and shouldn’t be doing with this time. I have a list as long as my arm of all the things I wanted to get done. Don't get me wrong, I have done some of the things I intended to do but there are so many things I thought would be possible with this seemingly endless amount of time that just didn't happen. Lockdown came with a set of mental challenges that I didn't anticipate and so much of my To Do List went straight out the window.

All this being said, Oliver and I are very lucky to have jobs to go on to, Frozen and Cinderella. Although they've been postponed until next year and we still have quite a lot left of this waiting game to go, at least we have a light at the end of the tunnel. So many don't and I'm scared for what's to come for our industry. Until that future is upon us, whatever it may be, we have each other. We have our cat. We have family and friends close by who can sit in our garden. We have a garden! No one I know has died of COVID even when they had it. We’re lucky and loved and so all things considered, life is okay. I just need to keep reminding myself of that and being gentle with myself when the walls start closing in.