It has been a very long year!
For most of the world, it can be described as the year of loneliness, isolation, unhappiness, fear and disease.
For me it was the year of self-quest, of re-defining my values and priorities, the year I found the time to play and rest, the year that my sketchbook became a part of my everyday life. In Greece we had a 4-month curfew - even in Christmas time, we were unable to visit with family and friends. I missed so much being in a natural environment and visit my beloved Kymi, that I was feeling a physical anguish!
I am a collector of classes and workshops, but I never find time to really work on any of them! This year I managed to watch a lot of the classes stored in my computer- and had the time to practice and evolve. Art became my way-out of the horror of the days and my bookbinding, which requires precision and focus, kept my peace of mind and everyday life in proper order and perspective.
It was a year that people were investing on their journals, because the only travels and exploration anyone could make, was only virtual. People explored their feelings and environment in the pages of their sketchbooks. I was lucky to be a book artist with a steady income, unlikely most of my fellow artists who felt the earth moving under their feet!
At the early months of the pandemic, I decided to stay away from the constant harassment of the TV and facebook, and although I was watching the heartbreaking news every day, I managed to maintain my sanity. I focused on my bookbinding, in creative projects and managed to spend some quality time with my husband and dog.
Luckily, COVID stayed away from my inner circle, so I managed to have a relative peace of mind and maintain a good mood.
I really hope that the same happened to you all, although I know that it was a difficult time, and I was just lucky - most of the people were not!