There is no two ways about it – the seven weeks spent in isolation have changed me. It’s the most time I’ve had off work for 34 years. I didn’t have this much time off when I had my three children – I couldn’t afford such a long spell at home. This year I’ve had the time and space to begin to explore many things I’ve always wanted to. Luckily those things involved quiet contemplation and activities well suited to being stuck in one place.
Lockdown has made me consider the way I make art and reflect on what direction I would like my life to go in, perhaps also prompted by a (very quiet) 50th birthday. The big change is a pledge to make art that offers emotional and physical healing.
I’ve long been fascinated by the science of healing and the psychology of belief. I’ve been reading a lot about ‘self-directed biological transformation’. I’m also convinced that I carry a lot of useful energy in my hands and have already studied how the use of colours have a proven effect on the hypothalamus (and pituitary). With this in mind I applied and have been accepted as a student member of the Healing Trust. This is a two year programme of learning and understanding, so that I might hone and make the best use of my skills, for the benefit of others.
What lockdown has helped me do is to look at how to put other people ahead of me in whatever I create – and the time and space has revealed a new, better path. Previously I was at the heart of everything I made. My opinions, life views, my feelings even. I need to create where others are at the heart of my work and I am the facilitator, the enabler, the healer. I’ll let you know how it goes via my new healing pageand on this blog. Always interested in your thoughts.
Caroline Jaine 