Blog: Pandemic Addition: A

Hey guys,

It’s pretty surreal that the last time I blogged, I was writing about how happy I was at Drama School, foolishly I didn’t feel the need to add to my blog because everything was actually going great. I felt there was no ‘drama’ at the drama school so it didn’t warrant blog appreciation. There’s a lesson in there.

Now, I’m writing because Drama School is on hiatus and none of us know at the moment what is happening moving forward. Of course, it’s a challenging time for this to happen to anyone at any point in their life, but I have to believe that the challenge is what it is: a challenge and a chance to level up because we owe it to those on the ‘frontlines’ of Coronavirus to show up every day to our own lives and put in a shift: because that is what they are doing for us as a world community. I added the full stop way to late but it was RAW.

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My friend described this ‘whole thing’ as a need to level up as a person like in Super Mario Kart when you collect those mushrooms then rainbows come out of your arse and you double in size and therefore can defeat the evil blobs. I’ve definitely been considering this time of isolation as a chance for Mini-protected Mario Liv to level up and get me some of those rainbows, but yeah it gunna’ take some TIME and resits.

The terrifying thing is that no one has answers just yet, we are a living embodiment of a wonky question mark. So I’m adding some letters beside the question mark because I truly believe that writing/singing/performing in any way will be the thing that gets us through this pandemic. Here are some uplifting things I have noticed about week one of social distancing and isolation and I hope they bring some form of solace, or at least DISTRACTION because that’s what we need right now. Each day, I hope to write a small distraction piece about things I am noticing/appreciating more during the pandemic shut down (unless I get ill) and we are starting with the letter A:

1: Animals:

I live opposite a school, that is shut apart from key pupils (my mum is still working there) and usually on any weekday the house is really buzzing with the echoes and screams of children playing in the playgrounds. I’ve always enjoyed this sound as it reminds me that joy can be found in really simple things especially when we are younger, and our imagination is ready to be stretched more than Jane Fonda’s exercise bands. However, today I was hanging up the washing and I couldn’t hear anything besides animals. I could hear the songs of birds and I genuinely wondered how long it had been since I actively listened to nature without the intrusion of my headphones or human cars/talking and shouting from children. I will still be using my headphones frequently because Lady Gaga’s new song is giving me LIFE. Additionally, I am lucky enough to have two cats, and I’m now realising I am observing their days and their movements to chase leaves and bathe in the sun with an intrigue and quality of observation that with “normal” life, I never did.

It does make me feel better the know that despite the fact “the world as we know it is ending” many worlds are remaining tranquil and the same: dogs are happy, cats and curious and birds are singing. Somehow, I feel less alone as a person when I notice that we humans are only a tiny part of the Earth, and that many other animal worlds are still thriving.

2: A’Cuppa:

I have been trying to alter my perception of time and attempted to move at a glacial pace (at last my inner slow mover is allowed to be set free). I spent five minutes preparing my cuppa’ tea today and it was genuinely lush. I observed the patterns in the smoke rising from the cup and dancing around together, I listened to the clink and ting of the teaspoon whirling round the cup- and the satisfying plod of the mug at my kitchen table. I will include this link to Stephan Fry talking about tips to get through the day because it has really helped me: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-51995797/coronavirus-stephen-fry-s-take-on-managing-anxiety.

Arts:

It without saying that I’m obsessed with all forms of art: music, painting, theatre, film, EASTENDERS (maybe not in that order). We cannot rely on seeing our friends to get us through this, or even anyone else. But I guarantee that we are all, however solitary relying on the arts in these times- and I am more passionate than ever in the knowledge that the Arts are the greatest thing on this planet AFTER the NHS.

Love,

Liv xoxo