Naomi Winter is a 23-year-old who has just stepped into the local WA arts community. Having just moved here from the UK 6 months ago, Naomi was looking to get involved in WA arts which brought her to Propel. Naomi has a background in History and wrote her final dissertation on social issues facing young women in East London in the 1950s. She also enjoys writing, drawing and print making. In Entry #7, Naomi writes about baking for friends, finding a job and the unexpected skills she has gained, Netflix and Zoom calls with overseas friends.

COVID-19 Journal Entry #7: Naomi Winter

CREATE

My primary creative outlet during this period has been baking. I have thoroughly obsessed over trying new recipes and creating some of my own and have produced some delicious isolation treats (if I do say so myself). Marble cakes, loaf cakes, scones, sausage rolls and good old fashioned Victoria sponges have all been consumed most afternoons with a cup of Yorkshire Gold tea.

My friends who have had birthdays during the isolation period have benefited greatly from my cake production line as they have had a birthday treat delivered directly to their door. However, one poor gluten-free friend had the unfortunate experience of trying my first attempt at gluten-free baking. I never knew scones could taste like chickpea flavoured rock cakes, but there you go. 

CONSUME

Netflix. Too much Netflix? I usually pride myself (smugly) on bypassing the box set binge watch but I have definitely succumbed to the technicolour lure and have used TV shows to block out the 24 hour news cycles of impending doom. However, instead of feeling guilty about this sedentary new habit or interpreting it simply as a procrastination tactic, I have tried to just let myself enjoy. It’s quite pleasant to immerse yourself in non COVID-19 related drama for a couple of hours... or seasons. Series I have particularly enjoyed include The Crown, Unorthodox and Peaky Blinders. I have a borderline obsession with analysing the costumes in TV shows and films, especially historical dramas, and these shows have definitely delivered the goods with their well researched and eclectic wardrobes. 

TO-DO

Creating a daily to-do list or purpose is perhaps what I have found most difficult. After completing the regional work required for my visa, I was in the process of looking for a new job when the COVID-19 restrictions slammed into full force. I felt a bit lost for a couple of weeks, as job prospects looked increasingly slim and I had less and less tasks to fill my day. Luckily I was eventually offered some work at a plant nursery, helping to pack the orders of herbs, fruit and veg plants that were flying off the shelves at Bunnings! Despite not being the glossy new job I initially had in mind, it has provided me with a sense of purpose and has definitely made me more productive in my free time. My new job has taught me how to ride a quad bike, which is not a skill I expected to pick up during a global pandemic.

I have also tried to start writing lists of things I can do around the house to keep me occupied at the weekends.  In a time when the world’s problems seem particularly unsolvable, completing small tasks can be especially gratifying. I don’t think my sock drawer has ever been so tidy, or shower so clean….

BE STILL

I am not usually one to be still in one place for a long period of time, but at the moment, with less social interaction, less places to go and less people to see I have had to try and train myself not to fidget as much. I’ve used reading to help me do this as because my mind is engaged I find I can physically unwind for longer without getting restless. I’ve been able to get through some great books that have been languishing under a wedge of dust on a shelf for some while.

I have also found the beach to be a place of solace, as it’s one of the few public places that remains unchanged. Apart from a few social distancing notices in the car park and swimmers and sunbathers stretching out away from each other along the sand, the waves roll in and out as they always have. It is pretty comforting to sit for a while and absorb the rhythm. I realise I sound like a wannabe hippie trying to be ‘at one with the earth’ but you can’t deny there’s just something about the sound of the sea to chill you out. 

I’ll stop now before I buy a kaftan and start lighting an excessive number of incense sticks. 

FRIENDS & FAMILY

Being from the UK I had gotten used to connecting with friends and family online rather than face to face, so in that sense the social distancing rules did not provide any more obstacles than were already there. In fact, I think the changing situation has made me connect more with family and friends at home to support each other through this time. My UK friends and I have created regular group quiz competitions on Zoom calls which is something we would not usually have had time to do. It has been hard not catching up with friends on the weekend in person but technology has definitely helped fill some of the gap made by social distancing.