The Letter I Would send to Myself Before Lockdown

If it was possible to send a letter to myself before Covid 19 this is how it would read:

‘You probably don’t know this yet but because of a terrrible pandemic you will be confined to your house, garden and studio. You will be there for months with your two children and husband and will become school teacher, entertainer, housewife, cleaner, artist, writer and social media networker. It will be a very busy time for you applying for awards and making calls with galleries, artists and curators and there will be some ups and downs but more positive than negative. Indeed you will get to publish your first article in Assemblage Magazine and takeover the Willesden Gallery’s Instagram page. Arts Council England will award you a Covid 19 emergency grant. You will feel a bit pressured to work on online shows to replace the real life exhibitions that have suddenly vanished. Don’t worry, no need to rush into anything, there will be plenty of time to get your work online via the #artistsupportpledge on Instagram. There will be a small window of around an hour or two a day to paint as this is all your husband can spare as he is working full time for an American company. Enjoy these moments of childfree solitude and calm. The weather will be absolutely glorious, the veg patch will flourish and you will watch robins and black cap warblers from your studio window. There will be opportunity for learning too: I am referring to the online lectures by artists for artists about how to survive and thrive during this crisis.  Oh, and please don’t rush off to collect your son from school in July (be careful not to balance too much on the handlebars because you will break your elbow). Don’t forget this will be over soon and I know you miss London and the galleries and seeing your parents and sisters, but you will get to see the Picasso exhibition at The Royal Academy. Cinderella, you will go to the ball!’