Wow, I have realised how negligent I have been at updating this blog section of my website while updating my online portfolios during a quiet period during the lockdown. This weirdly apocalyptic year has been quite an emotional whirlwind for me personally and I know there are so many people out there probably going through similar or worse experiences than I have.
2019 was thankfully a busy year for me, I was up to my eyeballs designing mostly Baby Shark books, activities and games for my usual client and I was in my element, enjoying the challenge of learning new formats and loving every minute of it.
In January 2020 my whole world was overturned completely when my father passed away unexpectedly after emergency surgery in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. I had no choice, but to take a couple of months away from work and my family to spend time in the house that I grew up in, while getting my mother back onto her feet and I just managed to get back to the UK as the whole world shut down – of course, my suitcase with all my gifts for my family and my summer wardrobe remained behind in Johannesburg after my layover there and I am waiting with eager anticipation to see whether I will ever see it again…. maybe in 2021 apparently! I hope my shorts still fit…
(Update edit: it took 6 months, but my suitcase did come back mostly intact! Easter eggs in September rock!)
Thank goodness I have been given more work during this lockdown period to keep busy with and have been happily designing annuals for a new brand. I honestly do hope that work keeps coming in this year and that the world comes right for everyone.
Like most people, I have also been spending time thinking of alternate sideline ideas during this lockdown period. I have so many ideas rolling around in my head – I may get back into illustrating and create my own children’s book in the near future. I may even consider doing a degree to diversify in a different direction as well. In the meantime, while I procrastinate during my mid-life crisis year of turning the big 5-zero, I may just share some of my own kid’s work here to keep this blog ticking over… my daughter is a pretty dynamic artist who has just finished her second year of animation at Portsmouth University with an interest in pre-production and my son, whose A Levels were cancelled, is off to Solent University in September to study TV Production with an interest in post-production. If I keep procrastinating long enough, maybe they will both start a dynamic pre/post production agency to support their mum who supports them creatively from the sidelines.