#GDLifeinLockdown 2.0
Life in Lockdown is a blog series initiated by Greenwich Dance which features community and professional arists close to the organisation sharing how they are staying creative during these isolating times.
Maria da Luz – Dancer, Choreographer, Educator and Movement Director
Is it really happening?
I worked until the last week when Lockdown was imposed. My final job was working at a primary school in London. I could sense the nervousness in the children’s eyes, but felt I needed to reassure the children could take care of their grownups, as they were about to experience difficult times.
The journey there felt unusual as I was one of the few passengers the train was carrying. I could see the snake like movement from within the train as it was going through bendy passages. It felt eerie and unreal.
As job opportunities began to disappear the uncertainty began to set. As an artist I knew that my creativity could save me and help me stay sane. As a mother of 3 teens, all at very different stages, with very different needs, I knew I had to be strong for them.
What should I do to stay creative? What does it mean to be creative? I realised that Covid-19 had not brought change in the lives of many of us. So, I began to look in detail at my everyday life and let that inspire the rest of my life.
I discovered it included washing the dishes, delicious fruits like apples and strawberries. Having the eyes of an artist to appreciate the feeling of the water on my hands, the sound of the colours of my cups, the texture of my strawberries and the colours of my apples. I could do a dance with that or make a pie and have a cup of tea to accompany it! Followed by an online class!
I also decided to involve my children in my creative ideas outside the house. Dancing, making music, filming and photographing my work. Helping them find a sense of what the creative professional world might offer them.
