“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
– Desmond Tutu
2020 turned our lives upside down, bringing with it illness, loss, financial challenges, political instability and legions of other stressors. They say that it is always darkest before the dawn, however, and now we start anew with multiple vaccines making their way into our communities, with new leaders soon to take power and with a small beacon of hope visible at the end of the long tunnel we entered in 2020.
Since March I have maintained a pretty low profile, using the lockdown to focus on family and personal growth. I have also channeled much of my artistic energy into playing guitar, something that I did professionally for a decade but stepped away from for a long time when photography found me. My friends and family have all stayed healthy, thankfully, and it has been a blessing to spend so much time with them.
2020 reminded me that I find solace and joy in the simple things that exist in my “3 foot world”: the joy on my dog’s face when I grab the leash and she realizes it is time for a walk. The brush on the canvas as my wife paints, or the sound of my daughter playing her Ukulele downstairs. Being a lifelong health care worker I follow the pandemic closely and can quote COVID stats and literature with the best of them, but it is important to know when to turn these things off. It is the simple things after all, the things immediately within our grasp, that can keep us focused and fulfilled.
And now 2021 is here. A new year, with new opportunities. Slowly light will push out the shadows of 2020 and we will return to the people, the places and the things that we all love so much. Until then, try focusing on your own 3 foot world if you find yourself getting stressed. Step away from the noise and find peace in the simple things.
I will be back photographically in 2021, with new personal work and a small number of Vancouver based workshops this summer. You can count on that. Until then, I hope that you all stay healthy and continue to share your work and your aspirations with me as you have over the last few years. This is a wonderful community, and you are all wonderful people.
Happy New Year my friends!
Best wishes,
Ian
It’s nice to have you ‘back’, Ian, and to read your positive words. Thank you. Let’s hope the coming year (and longer, of course) will be a good turning point for all of us.
Thanks Luis! I feel good about 2021. 🙂
Cheers,
Ian
Thanks for checking in, my friend. I was wondering the other day how you were doing. I’m glad you found some way to make the best of a really challenging year.
Hey buddy!
Yup, all is going well here. I’ve missed travelling and teaching of course, but when life hands you lemonades…
I hope all is going well with you my friend.
Cheers,
Ian
Hello Ian
Thank you for your timely and thoughtful words as ever. I am so glad you are dealing with this so well and finding things to reconnect with as hopefully most of us are. With respect to that thought, I wondered if you might be interested in looking through a few photos of mine that i produced in November when we were in a full lockdown here in the UK. Not that it’s much less than that now…. It was a series of photos to reflect, reappraise and appreciate what we have already rather than constantly searching for something new. I appreciate, like yourself no doubt, that we are very lucky in what we have, housewise with a garden etc to enjoy while others less fortunate struggle. Thank you for your lovely and kind words. I always so look forward to a message with your name on it. Very best wishes to you and your family in this coming year. Steve Garratt.
https://www.stevegarratt.co.uk/inside-no-20
On Fri, 1 Jan 2021, 21:18 Ian MacDonald Photography, wrote:
> Ian posted: ” “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all > of the darkness.” – Desmond Tutu 2020 turned our lives upside down, > bringing with it illness, loss, financial challenges, political instability > and legions of other stressors. They say ” >
Hey Steve!
How are you?
Thank you for sharing your gallery with me, I enjoyed looking through the images. 🙂
Cheers,
Ian
Driving in the rain yesterday, I was thinking: “It’s the first of January. Surely Ian will be blogging again soon?” Came home and there it was! Happy new year!
Hey Stuart!
Yup, still around… looking forward to getting back into the swing of things later this year. 🙂
Cheers,
Ian
You’ve expressed our collective Covid experience beautifully, Ian.
Best wishes for s 2021 which brings joy to everyone in the world!
And the same to you my friend. 🙂
Cheers,
Ian