Quarantine caught us all by surprise. It is our routines that keep us balanced, and when that routine is compromised, things can go awry. Creatives were hit particularly hard by the emergence of COVID-19 — no shows, no open studios, and fewer chances to get noticed. By the same token, the pandemic also presented creatives (and everyone else!) with a bittersweet opportunity to look inside themselves, slow down, and perhaps produce some of their best work. We began to wonder how our Creators were making the most of quarantine, so we asked. Hear what they had to say about their differing experiences this past year…

Gabrielle Mitchell says,

“For me, a New Yorker, the spring was extremely challenging when we began lockdown. My partner and I are both teachers and we had a little one at home. Suddenly, we had to coordinate teaching schedules, all while trying to keep her occupied. Plus the stress and anxiety that came with everything that was going on were both very high. I found that weaving was my outlet, my way to express all these feelings, and a way to take some time just for me, doing the thing that always brings calm and joy. Making some me-time to create helped me through the monotony of being around home all day everyday. I also tried to find the bright side of a truly scary situation and tried to find all the ways that I was lucky in this situation. Mostly, I was very thankful to get to spend so much time with my daughter and get to watch her grow. My advice is to find ways for some self care and me time. It will help you stay sane during a difficult time.”

Laura Preston says,

“When the pandemic first started, I thought business would slow way down and I’d have all this time to create and pivot and try out new things. But 2020 turned out to be our busiest year ever! Our sales tripled from the previous year and we grew from a three person team to an eight person team spread across the USA, all working from our home studios. Quarantine gave me a lot more time and energy to focus on my work (for better or for worse) and it ended up being a very productive, exciting, exhausting year for the whole team. I’m hoping that 2021 evens out a little and we can all find a way to step away from the studio and find a better work life balance.”

Hannah Adamaszek says,

“I’ve been really productive in the past year of quarantine.  It’s been a time for me to experiment more and work on things that test and expand my skills, as jobs like murals haven’t been possible for me this year. I started the year by making a new body of work for a solo show that unfortunately was cancelled due to the virus.  But this got me working on a body of work I wouldn’t have otherwise done, like landscapes and abstracts to go alongside my portraits.  I worked on illustrations for a Children’s Christmas book, so drawing and working on the computer in new ways for me. It has made me look at how I work differently and how I can use these techniques in other areas.  I’m also working on some Oracle cards, creating 50 images, along with some designs for clothes and a new series of work based on water. It’s been a very productive year, and I’m hoping to bring this to the New Year too, as I’ve started to experiment with wallpaper so that I can continue doing murals that can be installed anywhere in the world while we cannot travel.”

K’era Morgan says,

“My routine hasn’t changed much since the original Shelter-in-Place order was mandated last winter. Having a home studio is the biggest reason for that. However the demand for my work has certainly increased exponentially, month over month since then so there is more to juggle. I’ve actually had to instill clearer boundaries for myself and hire help. I’m learning how NOT to take on more than I can handle, delegating certain tasks that come with running my business to people that are better at it than me which altogether frees up more time for me to be in my studio working. I have done other small things like having meetings all of which are happening online to the later half of the work day or designating certain days of the week for mailing out products but I think those were more out of necessity rather than Quarantine derived.”

YaShi Designs says,

“It has given a little more time on hands to make more art. It’s incredibly productive, an ideal creative environment! To embark on new ideas and translating ideas into visual reality is a real time-consuming complex process and comprehensive and inevitably we face trials and errors. It takes a lot of patience to shape an idea or image and watching it develop into a dramatic texture of its own using fiber manipulation and weaving techniques. My long held projects are in the releasing phase this year, which I consider a blessing!”

Melanie Biehle says,

“My latest painting series was inspired by nature and serenity, which can be easily found here in the Pacific Northwest. I collaborated with a friend who is a fantastic interior stylist to create nine abstract landscape paintings to sell in her new shop. She contributed her earthy color palette and a mood board that was perfect for expressing the organic, natural, open feeling that I wanted to access and share. While I didn’t literally explore new cities or countries in 2020, moving through the creative process and shaping these imaginary landscape paintings allowed me to experience new worlds through my work. Trying out new-to-me color palettes and acrylic mediums led me to create abstract landscapes that feel much softer and quieter than much of my earlier work. I loved the way that working collaboratively pushed me in my own art practice.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, artists and designers at Wescover have done their best to stay busy, and most importantly, stay creative! You can continue to support small businesses while also treating yourself to beautiful home décor. Explore everything from Boho wall hangings to Minimalist furniture from original Creators.

Discover on Wescover >