Here in rural West Cork, there's a stretch in the days and signs of renewal in nature. Ordinarily, we'd be looking forward to venturing out from hibernation as the Summer Season gains a pace and our local markets pick up. However, as a global community, we're facing something we've never seen with the outbreak of Covid-19. None of us know what's ahead, but we've all been informed of what we should and shouldn't be doing regarding our civic responsibility to protect those that are most vulnerable to serious illness. Most of us are based at home now, limiting excursions to only the essential and paying extra attention to hand washing and household hygiene.
Luckily, my studio is at home, so I'm already working from home and don't need to go out in public places. As I write, the market at Skibbereen is now only open for food producers and I'm certainly going to miss the chats. Generally, I'm happy in my own company, but I know that having no social interaction at all will have an impact and I'm keeping in contact with family and friends, particularly those who live alone and are already isolated.
I’m sure this is a message you've heard, but I’ll say it anyway: if your income and security have not been impacted, I encourage you to continue supporting small businesses which will probably mean ordering online. Many of my friends are self-employed makers and are looking at other ways of keeping going, so if you no longer have the chance to buy from them in person, please do find out if they're able to deliver to you or arrange collection. To be candid, this is affecting me, too, so if you've been considering choosing a piece or having something made to measure, do let me know and we'll see what we can work out.
It's getting tougher for us all and the uncertainty of not knowing how long we'll be living this way can feel overwhelming. Personally, I'm very impressed with the Irish government's handling of the crisis and it's leadership. I can't help but reflect on our healthcare workers, whose professionalism we're entirely depending on, and hope once we're though this, at last get the recompense they are due. Ultimately, I'm optimistic and it is my hope that with a worldwide communal effort, we can slow and manage the impact of COVID-19, for everyone's sake and especially for those out there whose health and livelihoods are at risk.
Tamsin ✂️
