This year cannot be summarised in one sentence and the more time passes, the more confusing it all gets. I can’t really wrap my head around whether things are getting better or worse. In any case, Covid-19 has shaken all of us financially or mentally, one way or another. Ruffled our leaves or pulled us from the roots. A new season brings all new challenges in figuring out how to live in this pandemic, what to cancel, what to reorganise. It’s not that the rug has been pulled from underneath, but it does feel like walking on legos.
One of the biggest pros of my studio is that there is room for only one tattoo artist. That also means just one client at a time and the way I have been working these past years, one client per day. Thankfully, this is in compliance with the rules of the pandemic. However, it brings a con – sometimes I miss good company and an active environment – which I usually fix with different events and flash tattoo days. It is known that the favourite event for both clients and me has become Halloween flash weekends! I got so excited I drew a whole sheet full of designs before I connected the dots and realised that there is just no way it can happen this year. My nightmare has become catching any cough at all, so all close gatherings have to be avoided at all costs. We decided with Kerli and Janely that good content shouldn’t be wasted and clients are also waiting. So here’s the plan: the flashes are happening not all in one day but… one client per day. This way clients can fill their Halloween meters as safely as possible. My drawings will be available for booking from 1st October. The appointment can be put in November or December. Janely and Kerli’s designs will probably appear on their IG pages which will also have contacts for booking. I know the Halloween tattoos will stray a little far from the holiday itself but true fans celebrate it all year long. Especially if tattoos are forever. For the first time I decided that these flashes will also appear in my online store as temporary tattoos (start of October), so everyone could take part in Halloween shenanigans even if parties/events are cancelled. Still fun to get some colours on your skin at home with friends and children!
What else has changed? As someone who used to have constant fomo (fear of missing out), I have happily reached jomo (joy of missing out!). Autumn has brought many ideas for what to do with my home, develop the online store and switch up studio events. I have reached a positive conclusion in the shape of just having to stay home more. We started renovating the flat and I found I have sooo many interior design ideas. My colourful style was first expressed in my studio, and now I can play around with colours, textures and details in my own home. Of course there are some headache sources like finishing, slats, raising old structures etc. But that just makes the end result seem more exciting! Our apartment is relatively small, so making it colourful and at the same time airy/open is an interesting challenge.
My efforts towards a smaller ecological footprint have brought me to minimalism and recycling. I would like to start using textile remains in the clothing I design. The first steps have been made and we are currently testing different ideas on which materials could be used and how with my seamstress Tiia. For me it’s very important to do these things with a certain creativity and without fearing what others think. I decided that 100% of the profits from first batch of products sold is going to charity. Since mental health is also currently in my orbit of interest (separate blog post on this later) then I would definitely like to donate to some organisation in this field.
Have you also found new things to do during the pandemic? Are there any big rearrangements you’ve had to make in your life?