Summer in the city is looney tunes, yet this warmer time is hands down one of the most evolutionary chapters. It's a pretty nerve-wracking time, so I've entered my own little world of isolation. Visually and creatively I've been emotionally drained up until the sun came a knockin. Essentially, I made a hell of a lot of food and photo collages, appearing as though I am actually doing something besides shipping out masks, answering emails, painting, and drinking wine. Oh, and hyper-organizing all my shit in studio.
June, the sun and I have a passionate romance, so I've got to attribute most credit to my productivity to my time outdoors, running by the Hudson River. Usually I run 3-6 miles daily as it's really the only thing I can safely do without going nuts. Wearing a mask religiously and flowing with the sounds around me, I've been letting my internal stream of consciousness blare. Spending time by water and open sky, even in NYC, fuels my productivity levels, tenfold. Other than that, it's been purely face mask and care packaging shipping. Keeps me focused on my health, other's well-being, and overall positive thoughts all around despite this really shitty time. You can learn more about the entire face mask project, here.
July, I've spent quite a bit of time creating special jackets and canvases. I tend to worked on multiple items at the same time, all different surfaces, to create a unified collection. You paint one, let it dry while you work on another. A give and take. As a longtime lover of grass, I love the benefits in my overall mood, anxiety levels, and ability to positively focus. I'm definitely not a couch potato, actually I'm most likely a classified workaholic, so a little of mother nature's herb goes a long way. It was a positive month - stayed pretty clear off social media and rebuilt my relationship with the surroundings of the new, new york.
August, I continued running, working, cooking, cleaning, and thinking: this month has been 0% social media, 100% focus. Spent the majority this month rebuilding my website, organizing inventory, creating new products, painting custom orders, and planning for future business experiences. We also celebrated Velvet's 6th birthday and prepared for a transformation into the fall. Big changes are coming in September and I'm prepared to clean the slate and keep the change coming.
And as summer has come to an end , I've been continuing to ship out masks, but quietly rebuilding my entire e-commerce and online studio to move into fall/winter of 2020. This pandemic does not have a clear end and life in NYC is so vastly different. Homesick as I have no plans of visiting my parents in Florida, but staying confident and smart moving forward with virtual creative endeavors.