2020 until now: a evaluation
At the beginning of this year (new decade) I had a lot of new plans. I decided that I must find a really good balance and even face my fears. And take a path I deliberately walked by (high end level and products) over the past 10 years.
And then, in March everything changed. The Netherlands went in a so-called intelligent lockdown. And the whole world came to a standstill. And for my plans: some were put aside, because shops were closed and events were postponed or even cancelled. My side job (not creative related) had to let me and a bunch of my colleagues go. But the lockdown also gave me room to think and write down everything that I have ignored all these years. I could do some reflecting.
I also pick up my initial illustration style back again. First I posted these on a separate Instagram profile, because my main IG profile was a missmash of everything I tried the past years. And to my surprise my ‘true’ style was received much more positive than I could ever imaged. Also people I knew very well were so positive to see this.
Another plan I have worked on was applying for an admission to the study Educator of Visual Arts. Back in the Fall of 2018 I visited the Open Day. And got really enthusiastic about the study and the potential of teaching. In 2009 my tutor Illustration already pointed out that I should teach illustration. But at that time I was 22 years old and I thought I was a bit too young. And I wanted to see what outside school. In the end I regret that I didn’t try teaching earlier. So this year I did the application during the lockdown and I got accepted to the college year 2020 / 2021.
And a final thing I really have work on was my first series of workshops. I had a couple ideas, but I started with an introduction to fashion illustration workshop. I did promo online and offline in my hometown. And the first edition was a good one. Received good reviews and compliments. It is so strange that if you really – but really – stick to your core values and point of view that you can accomplish things you could never dream of.
With August almost at an end and the numbers of COVID-19 cases rising with each day, I still see a bright future (pulling a Billie Eilish here ;). It seem crazy that in these hard times I found what I was looking for all those years. And it was just in front of me. At this moment planning is very hard, because as the numbers here are not going down I suspect that we have to go back in a lockdown. I have planned a few dates for my ‘introduction into fashion illustration’ workshop. But I keep in mind that these might be cancelled if the Dutch government prohibits these kind of activities. Even if it just a very small event. The last months of 2020 – that sounds strange – I am looking into what I can do online to showcase my work, knowledge and make a beginning of a small community like-minded people.