My City and Me

      Giving young people a platform to share their Covid-19 stories

[mycityandme]

Poem about connections in 2020

Connection transcend race, religion and age

Some of us hope to connect with people onstage

Our culture diffuses and we can form bonds that are true

People can become friends even through zoom

You can connect to someone that's not in the same room

With virtual connections we don’t feel alone

Meeting new people through apps on our phone

Connections are so precious and important today

Lets hope these bonds don’t go away

[mycityandme]

How do you think COVID-19 has affected/will affect your future? By Amanda Skipper

A short comic on how I feel Covid-19 will affect my future. This one took me a while to do with all the colouring.

Despite the rough year 2020 has been, I feel more confident with my future. Media Trust has given me so many opportunities and confidence in myself. I have made Vlogs, started a YouTube channel, learned how to make a podcast and pushed myself so I can create content. Although I am still wondering in which direction I want to aim for, I am keeping my mind and options open.

This year has been a struggle but we are all in this together, we can pull through this. That is what I believe anyway :)

[mycityandme]

What Do I Think About Online Challenges? By Amanda Skipper

We have all been around social media long enough to know about the different challenges/hashtags that trend. Anyone remember the Harlem Shake? I recall that trend going around at my school before I had an Instagram account; or rather, I wasn’t really invested with social media at the time. Even so, the Harlem Shake challenge was something I knew of and did with my friends at their Birthday parties. It amazes me how one small idea can get popular and spread around so quickly. Most mainly, participate in these challenges, because of the fact it is popular so they themselves can be too on their posts. Others do it just for the fun of it.

For me personally I have a bit of mixed opinions. On one hand, they can be entertaining to watch, take Tiktok for example. Anytime someone comes up with a new dance, it’s the latest trend and ends up becoming a popular hashtag. I myself had tried but failed at the dances, unbelievably they aren’t as easy as they look. Mind you, I’m not really a dancer, still as the saying goes practise makes perfect. Then there are also the filter effects on Tiktok that go viral. Although that’s mainly due to the fact they’re more interactive. Like the 6-Second Challenge where you have to blink at exactly 6 seconds and I am proud to say I have completed this after many attempts. 

However, there is a dark side to these social media challenges. Some can be quite painful and even put someone’s life at risk. I remember watching YouTube video about the Choking/Fainting/Pass-Out Challenge. I never heard of it, so I clicked to see what it was about. I had an idea based off the name but thought it was absolutely ridiculous of why there would be a challenge for people to purposely make themselves faint or wanting to pass out. I didn’t see the ‘fun’ in it despite being a minor myself at the time. Needless to say I was shocked when I found out how many kids and teenagers had passed away from the said challenge. Apparently you could get a brief sense of euphoria or ‘rush of feeling high’ from it. Whilst it may seem obvious how dangerous it is, to a young audience they won’t know any better. Even if they are aware of the consequences, if their friend did it, then why couldn’t they? It’s a dangerous and horrible mindset in this situation. But I did learn something, not every trending hashtag is all that it’s cracked up to be.

So, my overall opinion of online challenges? Honestly, I find most can be quite fun, just think first before going for the challenge. Don’t just follow the trend because it’s popular. If it’s safe, then sure have a go. But don’t do it if it’s dangerous. Is it worth risking? There are a lot of creative challenges out there and there’s always a new one being discovered so there’s plenty of choices to choose from. Some challenges even get brought back and trend again. So be safe and have fun!

[mycityandme]

The format and tone of this piece was inspired by 'Dearest Art Collector' by the Guerrilla Girls, but takes the perspective of 'London' thanking 'Art' for not deserting it over the lockdown period. Whilst the message of the work may not be as radical as that of the Guerrilla Girls, it intends to acknowledge the importance of art to everybody's lockdown experience - the Spotify playlists, the Netflix films, the makeshift arts and crafts sessions...if this time should teach us anything it's that the arts are essential and must be valued in concrete and meaningful ways. I have also referenced the theme of lockdown in the medium and style of the work, which is the outcome of many beginners brush lettering tutorials whiling away unproductive hours at home!

[mycityandme]

Cutting up old exhibition guides...an antidote to screen headaches & clutter.

[mycityandme]

A double edged sword: The Pursuit of Happiness (by Steph Santos)

The question was, what brings you joy and what worries you?

Ultimately, there is the one answer to both parts of this. In fact, I think it’s the answer to everything: The pursuit of happiness.

As a young adult in today’s world, I often looked back at my childhood and teen years and thought damn, things were so simple then. And I do feel like they were much simpler days. But as of lately, I’m starting to think that maybe this nostalgia of simpler times, is actually the nostalgia of a simpler form of myself. What made that form simpler? I think that has a simple answer too. Younger me, although completely oblivious to it at the time, was purely focused on the pursuit of happiness.

So to expand on the first part of the question, what has brought me joy during this time we’ve been living? Well, it’s been the return to the pursuit of happiness.

I’ve not kept up with news or politics or anything of the sort. I feel like I have been free to exist in my own bubble. No FOMO from the motion blur around me because as it happens, the world halted and slowed down too. This allowed me to focus only on what makes me happy. I’ve also reflected lots and am aware that my set of circumstances allow for this. I have parents that keep a roof over my head, and put food on the table. I don’t have to worry about surviving. It’s not something I take for granted, I’m aware that I’m lucky to be able to prioritise happiness. However, before this whole pandemic, I didn’t embrace that advantage. I was somewhat caught up in the stress of showing up in the world, adhering to all these expectations and comparing myself to people. After months and months of feeling my mental being continuously overwhelmed, I pushed back on all of this at the end of last year. I booked a long trip in February with my best friend and had decided that when I came back from it, I wasn’t going to start job hunting, I wasn’t going to rush into anything. I was going to slow down and only say yes to things that made me happy. My parents wouldn’t let me go homeless or hungry so I had nothing to worry about. I wasn’t going to be pressured to ‘get my life together’. I didn’t want to compromise for the sake of looking good on paper anymore. No, I wanted to find and build something that I loved. Little did I know that the world would soon slow down with me in my pursuit of happiness. It felt like my younger years again. I picked the subjects I wanted to study, and then outside of that, I did whatever made me happy. No schedules and no expectations. It may seem counterintuitive given our society’s obsession with ‘productivity’ but as it turns out, this is the least stressed I’ve been since graduating, and the most I’ve evolved professionally and personally since university.

Which brings me to the second part of the question, what worries me? Well like I said, it’s the same answer. The pursuit of happiness.

With so many things that make me happy, how does it all come together? When will it all start to fall into place? Is it silly to explore all these different things rather than just get really good at one thing? But I get bored so easily, what if I do that and then start hating that one thing because I feel limited? Will I start feeling pressured again when the world picks back up? Will that pressure then force me back into the cycle of making rash decisions and ending up feeling trapped somewhere again? Am I even compatible with the world we live in? I mean, I don’t agree with so much of it. When will I have enough influence to make changes? Will I be able to build up to this level without playing by the rules first? Realistically will my mental even be able to handle that? Am I too much of a snowflake? Do I just need to grow up and get it together like everyone else? But then look at so and so complaining about their job. Is that how I want to feel in 5 or 10 or worse 20 years? They do have more life experience than me so maybe I should just listen to them... But then what if they gave up on their dreams too quickly? Or didn’t try hard enough? Or maybe they had to give up because they had to prioritise survival? But then is my advantage also my disadvantage? No that can’t be right, I know I’m a go getter. I’m just more specific about what I want because I can be. But what if circumstances change?

See how easy it is to spiral? One worry turns into another and its never ending. More interestingly, it’s the same thing that induces both the positive chain of thoughts, and the negative if I allow it.

So I go back to one thing everytime. I trust me. I know what I want from life. The same way there are unhappy people in the world and there are somewhat content people in the world, there are also people who are living out their dreams in this world. If they can do it, so can I. I’m wired differently to my parents for a reason. They walked so I could run. I have the chance to pursue happiness and I want to do it not just for me, but for them too. And if I run, then maybe I can give someone else wings to fly in their own pursuit of happiness.

[mycityandme]

What I’ve Discovered since Covid-19 by Amanda Skipper

At first, I wasn’t sure what to write or do for this question. I struggled with what to come up with, as I didn’t feel like I did much since quarantine started. So instead, I written a list of anything I did including shows I watched. I noticed there were a few hobbies I’ve rediscovered like animating, photography and even gaming. I’ve learned new skills as well, from starting a business to how to make a podcast and filming.

However, one thing I’d like to talk about here is being more self-aware of my body. Around March I discovered a lump on my breast, it wasn’t cancerous thankfully, but still a hard lump so my thoughts were all over the place. I managed to get an appointment to the doctors at the end of March. They did a thorough check-up and since I showed no signs of the other symptoms, they were able to rule out cancer. They did still refer me to the hospital so I could find out the cause.

Due to covid19, I didn’t get an appointment until June. I was told I would have the appointment by the end of the week but it never happened. Although it was fine, as I understood why, I just couldn’t help but overthink the worst outcomes in my head. Some days I forgot about it, other days I was panicking and stressing. I was in pain whenever I slept on my side, as it was very sensitive. It wasn’t until at the end of May that the pain started subsiding and I felt like myself again.

At the 1st June I got a call from the hospital asking if I’d be free for an appointment that week. I went in on the Thursday calm and stress free as I was no longer worried. If anything, they struggled to find where the lump was as I no longer felt the pain. Nevertheless, they still found it. I’ve waited a couple hours and they told me it wasn’t anything serious. Rather it would heal overtime and that lumps was normal considering my age. Despite this, I was still shaken up from everything. I was worried about it for so long and I finally found my answer. Before I left, the doctor gave me a leaflet to help distinguish breast pain. Even having a mini calendar to mark off how long the pain had started. I took it upon myself to read and learn the differences, one thing I know for sure however. NEVER RELY ON GOOGLE!

[mycityandme]

Lockdown 2020 Poem by Orla McGroarty

What worries me and what brings me joy in this time? 

I woke up in the morning,

Everything had changed,

No more meeting friends and family,

It all felt so strange!

  I wondered what was going to happen next,

My worry started to begin,

So much uncertainty,

I was not going to let this feeling win!

  As much as did not want to be anxious,

I could not let this feeling go,

How will this virus affect my friends and family?

I started to feel low.

  Is my work good enough?

How long was lockdown going to last?

What do people really think of me?

These are all the questions I asked.

  I thought what should I do?

How do I stop worrying in the day?

Do things that bring me joy,

That’s what my family would say!  

  What makes me happy?

Hearing all the birds singing in the trees,

Walking my dog in the park,

Makes me feel really at ease.

  What brings me joy,

Has to be baking,

Cake, biscuit, bread,

Also, cheesecake making.

  I love to watch TV,

At the end of the day,

Comedy, drama, lifestyle shows

It helps my worries go away.

  Lockdown is finally coming to end,

Its rather been a strange time,

I can’t wait to see my friends and family,

I’m so grateful we are all fine!

  What’s the future hold? No one knows,

Well done to everyone who’s helped each other,

During this time there has been real hero’s !

[mycityandme]

Reflecting on now, in the absence of a real subject

https://tashtasticblog.wordpress.com/2020/06/21/reflecting-on-now-in-the-absence-of-a-real-subject/

I return to my drafts, hoping perhaps that by some miracle a wonderful article has appeared by my hand, just about ready to go up and be shared with my small community of readers. Alas, such magical occurrences don’t actually happen in real life, and with my mainstay of inspiration (the glorious city of London) still largely closed or inaccessible, here I am writing about…well, my thoughts I suppose.

I’m not sure how to feel about where things are. It seems like we are gradually and confusedly edging out of lockdown, yet the restrictions are still largely in place, and I’m aware that even those things I long to return to, will not still exist in the form that I have loved them. This I must accept. Though as easy the phrase ‘new normal’ is to say, much as the incredibly misleading and irritating term ‘social distancing’ has become common parlance (to the extent that, one is no longer ‘meeting a friend’ but ‘having socially distanced meet-up with a friend’), I can’t fathom that it will be as easy to adjust to. If ‘new normal’ in museums means following a rigid queuing system with a few minutes allowed to dwell on each artwork, I’d rather not bother.

What I’ve missed most about museums, after all, is not the opportunity they offer for social occasions (though of course I enjoy a good ol’ overpriced tea with a pal at the Tate), but that feeling like your gaze, despite the thousands that have gone before, has value, and that the artwork or artworks at hand are offering something fresh up to you, keeping you company, even when you’re feeling lonely. The last time I went to the William Morris Gallery, I went to see the exhibition about the Morris and the Bauhaus (which, through ArtFund, I had donated towards) and for a long period I was alone in this small room of treasures. I can’t convey how privileged I felt and how touched by the masteries of creativity and craftsmanship before me. There I was, at liberty to experience all this. In all this, time restriction and the sensation that somebody is directly behind you waiting to fill your spot is the worst possible evil.

Likewise, if going out for dinner involves sitting within a clear lampshade, I’m out. There is an unspoken intimacy that going to eat at a restaurant entails, quite apart from eating the same meal from Deliveroo at home. It is the exchanges over the table, with everybody sat together (I’m thinking of my family here), the bickering, the laughter, the sharing of food, the interactions with the waiter. At a good meal in a restaurant, nobody is on their phone, scrolling through the echo chambers of social media. Everybody is present. Even in the quite frankly very awkward meals with my family and my ex and his father, there was joviality and humour, a clasped hand beneath the table or a friendly shoulder squeeze, indicating ‘that was a joke, don’t be angry that I revealed that.’ At the dinner after my graduation, in which I not only graduated (amazing, right?) but also gave the student speech, my brother raised a toast to me and how proud he was, beginning to well up (again). Yes, it was Ask Italian, a chain no less, but I would not have given up that night for all the world. Somehow I feel the experience might have been somewhat marred had we been seated within plastic lampshades.

Therefore, I find this whole emphasis on ‘returning to normality’ a bit strange and a bit sad. The one thing I have absolutely set my mind to is visiting my friend in Norwich just as soon as she’s there and just as soon as I can get there. The one thing I hope won’t have to be sacrificed is the wondrous feeling of train travel, everything paused and at liberty to read and to write as though time offered no meaning, passing through worlds and lives so rapidly you catch only glimpses. I miss that.

I don’t mean to sound bleak, but neither do I want to pretend everything is okay just because some things are. My mind seems in a constant state of whirring and I have sudden ideas late at night when I’d rather be asleep. I ponder on all the jobs and opportunities I have lost and am to lose (any visitor-facing role seems perilous territory now), despite endlessly being told how lucky I am that I have not lost all my work. But, if I have realised anything over this period, it’s that money means very little. Call me privileged (and I am, in the sense that I am safe in my family home and currently have few expenses), but not once have I noticed my salary has been paid in and felt my spirits soar the way they do at the completion of a collage or the receipt of an article for my blog, or when I pause at the distant sound of bird song. Money is necessary, sure, but it is at times like these that you realise what you genuinely value.

For me, what I miss most about my old jobs is the human interaction. Producing family activities to be completed at home as opposed to delivering live activities for children and families may sound similar but they feel like diametrically opposed roles. Working with families is demanding, exhausting, and frustrating, but it is also intensely rewarding. One amazing interaction with a child or parent can brighten an entire otherwise dull day. The benefit of producing an online activity, though of course not without value, is unseen. You can imagine family enjoyment produced from your hours of creation, but you cannot see it, touch it, or respond to it. It is creation into a void. Visitor-facing roles within cultural institutions are often devalued and I feel likely to be even more so in light of social distancing and the atmosphere of general fear among people, but let’s not forget our own experiences of interactions within these spaces bringing them to life. I’d be so interested to hear if anyone has any to share?

[mycityandme]

Worries and Joy by Amanda Skipper

Here I decided to combine the two on my illustration. My biggest fear is overthinking, as it's always been one of my struggles. Especially with the lockdown. We see people on social media making the most of it. Learning new skills, keeping fit and healthy as well as staying in touch with friends and family. Whilst others like myself struggle to get out of bed or even have a shower. Despite this, anything small I do I tend to feel proud of and use it as an advantage to get rid of any anxious thoughts.

During this time I've also been able to enjoy my hobbies a lot more. Such as drawing, cosplaying, and binge watching anime,TV series and cartoons again. Well, if that counts as a hobby. One of the recent shows I' ve been watching is Avatar: The Last Airbender. As sad as it is I've actually never watched the show before. It's always been on my watchlist but I never got around to it. Now thanks to lockdown, I'm up to Book 3 and can finally gush and tell my friends I've watched Avatar. 

[mycityandme]

Quarantine Fashion by Ursi Tolliday

Since we’ve been stuck inside for the last few months, I’ve been rotating a few of the same sweatshirts and joggers which I didn’t think would make a very exciting post! So I decided to do a series of illustrations representing different types of people in lockdown and what they might be wearing. Even though we are all in this together, our versions of lockdown vary drastically which is what I tried to express.The illustrations were a bit of a challenge as I usually keep my characters pretty simple but this project depended on character design to communicate an idea. Even though this was really difficult at times, I learnt so much in the process.

Parents are having to multi-task even more in lockdown with children being at home. Many people are juggling working at home, home-schooling, cleaning, cooking and entertaining bored children. I know how difficult it is to keep children occupied when you can’t go outside so parents definitely deserve a break when this over!

This was inspired by pictures of homemade and over-the-top ppe on the internet. In lockdown, I’ve felt a bit like I’m in a post apocalyptic movie so wanted to use sci-fi elements to make the costume look futuristic.

LOL. Let’s be honest, most of us aren’t getting dressed up in lockdown and are wearing what we feel most comfortable in. I find the t-shirt with no pants combo hilarious so thought it would be fun to do an illustration of this.

Since gyms are closed and we can’t go outside much people have been using exercise videos to keep fit in lockdown. I used 80s fashion as my inspiration as exercise videos were really popular in this decade and people had the best gymware!

With all this time at home, many people have been using the lockdown as an opportunity to get jobs done. Being able to catch up on things and have a sort out has been my favourite part of lockdown but I feel ready to go back to normality now!

[mycityandme]

A treasured item in my home - my watercolours 🍊

Since lockdown began, painting has offered a way of escaping the worries of the world and distracted me from the anxiety I have. 

[mycityandme]

Fashion.. Quarantine Style!

                                   (Image by buuski on Instagram)

Since we’re all stuck indoors and suppose to be social distancing, fashion has gone out the window. And instead been more about comfort, and I don't mean pyjamas, dressing gown kind of comfort I mean from the comfort of your own bed, quite literally!!

                       (Image by emilyjanejohnstone via Instagram)

                               (Image by halleberry via Instagram)

The images above are great examples from one of the recent instagram challenges known as #DuvetDressChallenge and #PillowDressChallenge . We might even see some of these looks at next years fashion shows!

Speaking of, London Fashion Week will actually be showcasing new designs, virtual showrooms, short films, podcasts and even playlists all online at www.londonfashionweek.co.uk from June 12th to June 14th! #LFWreset

Although.. personally, I wouldn’t recommenced actually leaving the house in the pillow dress, as 1) you may be arrested and 2) your gluteus maximus is going to be very very cold! Especially if you live in the UK!

Thankfully, I haven't seen anyone rocking any bed wear outside, but there definitely has been an increase of pyjamas and gym wear (with a majority of people putting this on not to exercise but just for comfort, me included). 

                                         (Image by Judy Ib)

But we’ve also got those who are using their essential shop or daily exercise as an excuse to get all dolled up. With people even posting their taking the bins out outfits on the internet. 

For example, even facebook groups have been set up: ‘Bin Isolation Outing’, ‘Put Your Bins Out In Your Ballgown’!

(Image by Denise Alison via ‘Bin Isolation Outing’ on Facebook)

(Image by Monique Briglia via ‘Bin Isolation Outing’ on Facebook)

With even celebrities such as Amanda Holden getting involved in the trend! (Checkout her instagram for the 30 second video version)

                           (Image by noholdenback via Instagram)

Now then, what are YOU wearing during quarantine?

[mycityandme]

What I Have Learned During Lockdown - Bertrand Dowuona

Everyone will agree with me when I say being in quarantine is not easy for 3 months; whether it’s missing going to the gym, missing your friends and family or missing the simple things like sitting in Starbucks and getting a coffee, we’ve all changed the way we live and work. However, this hasn’t been all doom and gloom I can safely say there are a few things that I’ve learnt during quarantine that I can say that I’ve gone through and revolved.

Money. I used to spend a lot of money, and now that I’m at home, I’ve saved a lot. I can live without so many things that I once deemed essential, as well as realising I dont, it’s helped me save a lot of money. In this time period, I’ve been lickyy enough to still have a job which allows me to earn an income.

Time: time is of the essence, and in quarantine, time has acted strangely. It has gone quick, but gone slow at the same time, does time even exist? During this process, I’ve spent time learning to coding, practicing my Spanish on Duolinguo and reading several books that I bought along the years that I never hadthe chance to read until now. Whatever happens after the pandemic is over, I will always and very much cherise time even more now no matter what happens

Relationships: not being able to see my friends and family has been tasking, and despite being away, it has in some cases strentgheted a lot of my relationships. Thankfully, we live in an age where Zoom, Skype and Facetime exists, so we can always be together with those we love, even a long way away

While I cannot wait for the world to open back up, I will miss lockdown in someways. The world running on a much slower pace led to me not feeling as much pressure, I took the chance to reflect on my plans and goals for the future, as well as realising what I took for granted as well as realising that not everything I focused on beforehand was as important as I thought. But most importantly, I am most thankful that my loved ones are fine and well during this period.

[mycityandme]

My 4 Quarantine Fashion Essentials (by Steph Santos)

[mycityandme]

What am I discovering in the COVID-19 outbreak? By Orla McGroarty

[mycityandme]

Task1: What I discovered in quarantine by Aaron Charles

For the first task of this page, I’m suppose to answer the question, “What have I discovered during the corona virus pandemic?” and after thinking about how to go about answering this, I came to the conclusion that for me, it was less about what I discovered and more about what I re-discovered.

For instance, when I had to clear out the spare room, there were a bunch of old books that needed to be sorted out. Within some of those old books were a lot of crosswords puzzles, some of which had pages that hadn’t been finished yet. So naturally i did a few and wound up finishing the book, and threw it away since it was keeping up space. I enjoyed it so much, that i downloaded a crossword app on my phone and play it from time to time.

Furthermore, there were a bunch of Maya Angelou books we had to sort out as well. Some of them are in the loft, a few were sold to eBay many moons ago and the rest I managed to liberate and are now occupying a corner of my room. I read a few chapters of her book “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” but it didn’t keep my attention for very long.

I remember a situation happened, where a family friend was in the neighborhood. He rang the door bell and obviously I didn’t let him in (social distancing and what not), though we did talk outside the door for a bit. And before he left, he convinced me to have a turn on his bike; I thought it was a bit strange to take him up on his offer ‘cause again, social distancing, but I figured that it would be fun. As I rode his geared bike up the road and started feeling the burn in my legs, I remembered how much I used to love taking my bike around the park and peddling 'round my area for hours.