The Artist in the Time of Covid-19
April 1, 2020
It seems somehow an appropriate time for a first blog entry, when every opera singer and freelance performer in the world is unemployed, and we are dealing with or struggling with or both the idea that we social animals are largely in forced isolation for...well, no one knows how long. And no one really knows what the world will look like, post-coronavirus. My hope is that we learn that a big percentage of jobs do NOT require a daily commute and that our environment gets a bit healthier for that. My hope is that the world recognizes how valuable our teachers, our nurses and doctors, and our artists are to our lives and our quality of life. I'm encouraged that for instance, social media seems to be more about sharing beauty, trying to stay connected in positive ways, and lots and lots of humor (some of which is actually funny...). So how are we coping? How are we using our forced-to-slow-down time? I, myself, have been happily ensconced in my new Boston home with Jean Anderson. We have been enjoying the blessing of all these extra weeks together before we get married in early August; cooking a lot together, reorganizing and cleaning the house, teaching our students from the comfort of our couch for the next 5-6 weeks, and talking about everything under the sun.
I'm also meditating much more on what this next chapter in my life wants to look like; what I will do and what I want to avoid. What my teaching will look like going forward. What my performing career wants to be going forward. And what sort of legacy or impact I hope to leave. I am encouraged that Longy is very interested in my idea for a course entitled "The Mindful Performer" (or maybe "The Mindful Musician"...I like the alteration, of course). It is a time of increasing my focus on weight-loss, health (physical, emotional, and spiritual), and fitness. It is a time for me to get reacquainted with my Artist and acknowledge the hunger I have had to connect deeply with him for years. It's a time to reconnect with simplicity, ease, compassion (for others and for myself), and a time to rest. Because I can rest now. A lot.
My wish for you that read this is that you, too, are able to reconnect with your Artist; reconnect with ease and self-compassion; reconnect with those core things and ideas and beliefs that are always there, but too often there in the background. I wish for you an abundance of rest, an abundance of peace, and calm, and all the insights and growth you've been wanting but have been to constantly busy to allow.
My intent with this blog is to periodically check in with my own Artist journey and share anything from my experience that might be helpful to yours. If you have subjects on which you'd like me to write, please feel free to drop me an email at: DavidSmall.info@gmail.com. I would welcome the writing prompts, the answering of which would be as helpful to me as I would hope they might be for you.
Until the next time...peace, health, and as much outrageous fun as we each can stand to us all!
Peace,
david
