Being an artist in these times is pretty strange. It goes against common sense to spend time making art when people are dying and the ones who are most needed are the doctors, nurses, store clerks, delivery people, and everyone who is considered an essential worker. Artists are not, but then again, are we? I answered this question on a podcast called Dream A Little Dream, hosted by artist Jessie Taylor. I attended a virtual art salon at the beginning of the pandemic and shared my thoughts about how artists are equipped for these times. I made a separate video about the topic, which is on my YouTube channel. I was in a heroic state of mind, I suppose, thinking that because we have the time to create because we’re in lockdown. and because art can be such a solitary process and we’re used to being alone or even fighting for time to be creative, that the pandemic was a rare opportunity for us to delve deep, use the time and our resources, and be more productive than ever. Some artists have done just this, and I’m incredibly impressed by them. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to live up to my sentiments that I had expressed in that podcast. I felt flattened by what was happening in our world. Dumbfounded, stunned, overwhelmed, and traumatized, and unable to produce much at all. We’re still going through this as I’m typing this post. It’s not over. Maybe my state of New York flattened the curve, but right now the number of covid cases are spiking in other states. Who knows when it will be over, when we will be past this. This changed our world… everyone’s. Some people lost jobs and homes. Others were called to work harder and longer hours because they were needed. Why make art? Because art speaks. I know that. But I couldn’t push and I can’t push. I did some chalk pastel faces and made a video about them. The human face is my comfort zone and I still can’t figure out the expressions on these and what they mean. Here they are anyway. I think they capture a bit of the numbness that I’m still feeling… a combination of blank meets panic.