In no particular order:
Kyle asked Pat and I via text if we found ourselves more or less creative during COVID. I've been in lockdown since early March, when my day job directed all of us to work from home if possible. I got back two hours each day by not having a commute. Am I using it to write more songs, draw more comics? HELL no. I'm eating more ice cream and watching more Netflix because I'm worried we'll literally die. It's not free time, it's "trying to maintain sanity during a real crisis."
That said I have started drawing again.
Handling the pandemic like a PR crisis was always going to fail because eventually everyone is going to personally know someone who got sick or is out of work.
I'm really, really digging folklore. Hints of Kate Bush, Laura Veirs, Florence Welch. When I immediately want to listen again, that's a good sign. I think this album is going to help, like Awaken My Love! and the Hamilton cast recording got me through 2017.
Do people really not understand the difference between being sick and being infected?
It's been interesting watching musicians and comedians pivot to streaming video during lockdown. It's not easy to sustain. I think the novelty of Zoom chats has worn off as it dawns on people that this isn't as temporary as we'd like.
Hoping the whole Karen/Ken public meltdown thing is largely over because it doesn't feel good or righteous to watch these people throw their tantrums, except that they're literally putting lives in danger.
Musicians, especially bands, are gonna suffer. How do you even rehearse? An hour in a 12' x 12' soundproof room plus forced exhalations from singing and drumming sounds like a superspreader incubator.
It sounds super-entitled but I miss running errands, and I miss taking my time while grocery shopping.
I discovered this week that Someone I Admire was really shitty to Someone Else I Admire. The former is in obvious denial and the latter is likely beyond forgiveness, and it lowkey sucks.
I've said this before and I still believe it: finishing a thing in no way makes starting the next thing any easier. For me the only way to maintain velocity is to start the next thing immediately. This is strangely empowering.
Even if there is a vaccine I'm not sure when I'll feel comfortable going to an indoor concert again.
You really only need one and only one zucchini plant.
This was gonna be the year I was gonna put together a live band for Car Trouble. Oh well! Better luck next year! Or maybe the year after that!
Deeply understanding something about yourself does not make you immune to it.