Illustrating the lockdown (part 1)

Like most freelancers the start of the lockdown was a blizzard of cancelled jobs, disappointment and anxiety. my live visual minutes bookings were the first to go, followed by any animation work that required travelling to a studio for filming. Even the work I could do from home was looking precarious as the financial impact of the lockdown meant commissioning illustration work was put on the back burner.

But when a window closes, a door opens, which in my case was the back door, as I found myself with a lot more time to spend sitting in the garden and exploring ways to stay creative (and employed!) now that my diary was clear and time was meaningless I could do…whatever I wanted really. With animation and graphic facilitation work largely on hold I had the opportunity to practice other skills.

So when writer Linda Mannheim got in touch to ask if I wanted to write a piece for her blog Barbed Wire Fever which explores contemporary and historic accounts of seeking asylum I said yes. Pre-lockdown I might have had to turn it down due to a combination of being both too busy and self conscious of my writing skills but now I had the time to both write and agonise over my writing. If you are interested in how I explore my identity as a refugee through illustration and animation and how I facilitate others to explore their stories you can read it here