Well, that was quite a week, and I confess I am pretty tired today. I feel a bit guilty saying that because I am not a key worker, I am not on the front line, I am just adjusting to my own little bubble and trying to make some sense of all that is happening.
There is so much information flying about at the moment, and Susan and I debated long and hard whether we should add to all the noise. Coincidentally, we had started working with the Arts Council some months ago on producing guidance for ‘Managing Financial Difficulties.’ We were seeing signs that arts and cultural organisations were struggling after years of austerity and the Arts Council had limited financial capacity to respond. Little did we know we would soon be seeing a global crisis of this magnitude.
On one level we just want to help where we can, it is obviously up to you to engage with us or not, we hope you do but understand if it’s a blog too far. On a more selfish level it has also meant we have a sense of being useful and active, of doing our bit for a sector that has given us both a great deal. The blog has given us a sense focus at a time when everything is in flux.
It is hard to be so physically distanced from everyone, even though we are both used to working remotely, particularly given this is a time of living through significant uncertainty. One of the surprising outcomes of being online so much is that I am getting small glimpses into people’s homes, I have been meeting pets and children, seeing family photographs and artwork, and catching fleeting views of partners. I take some comfort from this expression of our shared human experience; I often have to forewarn that Lily’s paw may appear in the background at some point as she loves to recline on the windowsill near my desktop.
I have been doing lots of reading in the last few days but was particularly struck by this post on the Chronicle of Higher Education, it resonated because of the intensity of this week, and its very human focus. Aisha S. Ahmad shares experiences of living through other crises around the world as a researcher. There are several key points I’d like to repeat here, not least that we need to be mindful of a drive to be ‘super-productive’:
- Security: Allow for psychological adjustment, most of us are probably feeling a bit lost at the moment. Fundamental security needs take precedence like safety, food, family and friends
- The mental shift: when you are ready and feel more stable you can readjust, but don’t push yourself too soon. I love that Ahmad describes it as abandoning the performative and embracing the authentic.
- Embrace a new normal: when you are ready you can build your new routines, as we said in an earlier post this is going to be a marathon not a sprint!
If you sprint at the beginning, you will vomit on your shoes by the end of the month. Emotionally prepare for this crisis to continue for 12 to 18 months, followed by a slow recovery. If it ends sooner, be pleasantly surprised. Right now, work toward establishing your serenity, productivity, and wellness under sustained disaster conditions.
Aisha S. Ahmad
Susan and I will keep sharing tools, ideas and reflections in the coming weeks, we hope they are helpful. Stay safe and well.
Dawn & Susan