{"id":9980,"date":"2020-12-14T18:28:01","date_gmt":"2020-12-14T18:28:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/?p=9980"},"modified":"2022-09-20T16:10:02","modified_gmt":"2022-09-20T15:10:02","slug":"reflections-on-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/reflections-on-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflections On 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Step Back<\/span><\/h3>\n

Creatives were hit hard by the pandemic, with <\/span>many in the music industry<\/span><\/a> losing income instantly through cancelled gigs and closed venues, and <\/span>those in wider creative industries<\/span><\/a> finding their projects were put on hold due to uncertainty, with the knock-on effects of clients tightening budgets too. But it\u2019s true also that for many creatives a year of successive lockdowns and restrictions has meant more time and energy to focus on their projects. \u201cThe biggest impact for me has actually been having more time for creative work than I did before,\u201d Ross reflected. \u201cThough working from home has felt pretty repetitive at times, I\u2019ve secretly been quite grateful for the chance to really focus on projects now that so many other activities have been put on hold.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Everpress-blog-reflections-on-2020-ross-aitken-spaghetti-no-7-berlin\"
Courtesy of Ross Aitken<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This resonated with Brindha too, who found that 2020 gave her time to reassess and recalibrate. \u201cAt the beginning, when we were in a full lockdown, I did have some real time to focus on my own work and it was really good for me,\u201d she said. \u201cIn some way on a personal level those early restrictions made things straightforward, forcing me to take a step back from busy London life. This all allowed me to be really patient and clear in terms of the work that I wanted to put out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had a pile of ideas that had been written and sketched into my notebook that I\u2019d never got around to doing, including the recent T-shirt design,\u201d she continued. \u201cThis was the perfect time for me to explore these ideas with a clear perspective.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Everpress-blog-reflections-on-2020-ross-aitken-driven-snow\"
Ross Aitken’s ‘Driven Snow’ tee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But this year it\u2019s been important also to be kind to yourself, and to not get too caught up in what you haven\u2019t been able to achieve. \u201cDespite having more time than usual, I\u2019ve mostly been too busy with freelance work to start any self-initiated projects. At the beginning of the lockdown, I think I imagined using the additional time for all kinds of personal projects that I always wanted to explore but it hasn\u2019t really panned out that way,\u201d said Ross. \u201cThat being said, I think it\u2019s been really easy to put too much pressure on yourself to achieve things during this period, it\u2019s important to be realistic about what\u2019s actually achievable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Everpress-blog-reflections-on-2020-brindha-kumar-international-artists-day\"
Courtesy of Brindha Kumar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Branching Out <\/span><\/h3>\n

Across the board, 2020 was a year of change, with lifestyles and working practices dramatically upended. For Ross, this meant a big shift in the kind of work he was able to find, necessitating a move into the corporate world. \u201cThe biggest impact for me has definitely been the fact that there are no events taking place,\u201d says Ross. \u201cPrior to the first lockdown, the vast majority of my work was centred around live music events so I\u2019m definitely feeling the absence of those. Happily, though, other opportunities have presented themselves. There\u2019s been lots of new music released over the past year and I\u2019ve had the chance to produce artwork for several new releases, which has been great.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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A post shared by Ross Aitken (@ross_aitken)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n