Quotes from the diary study

On the screen after submitting each COVID-19 Daily Diary Study entry, there is a quote, and I've decided to collect them (I might even ask them for the first ones). 

Here's today's:

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says 'I'll try again tomorrow.'

- Mary Anne Radmacher

COVID Diary 2

I've been poking at another entry in my COVID-19 Diary without making much progress, but it's not for a lack of focus. It's just that a couple other related activities have been taking my time.

One is the blogposts I have been writing on how museums are documenting life during a pandemic. Theses were interesting initially, but I don't think it will be long until I just say "all museums are doing something".

The other, and most importantly, is the is the COVID-19 Diary Study that I am participating in (and wrote about it here). It's very interesting, but is taking me 20-30 minutes each evening (I will get an output of my responses after 4 weeks, so I might post that, or part of it, at that time).

I feel that I am benefiting from the structure these activities have provided me, especially the daily diary study. It has made me aware of my state of mind, how much I am (or am not) listening to news, my health, and so on. For at least part of my day, I am absolutely present.

I have been listening to music while I do these, and have periodically paused to record what I have been grooving to.

Background music: Ain't Too Proud to Beg (Rolling Stones), Maggie May (Rod Stewart), Innagadadavida (Iron Butterfly), Straight On (Heart), Hush (Deep Purple), Carry On Wayward Son (Kansas), Sultans of Swing (Dire Straits), Won't Get Fooled Again (The Who), Touch Me (The Doors), Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple), Radar Love (Golden Earring)

Canadian Museum of Human Rights: Acts of Kindness

The Canadian Museum of Human Rights is asking,
"What acts of kindness have lifted your spirits
during the Covid-19 pandemic?” 

The UK based Museums Association has created guidelines for how museums should go about collecting pandemic-related content, as well as a toolkit.

In How are museums collecting during coronovirus shutdown? the association profiles 10 museums and their COVID-19 collection efforts, nine in the United Kingdom, and one in Canada(!).

Canadian Museum of Human Rights, Winnipeg 

The Canadian Museum of Human Rights is asking people to create and share videos responding to the question: “What acts of kindness have lifted your spirits during the Covid-19 pandemic?” Selected videos will then appear on the museum’s website (there are 16 videos so far).

To read what the nine UK museums are doing, continue reading on the association's website.

Royal BC Museum: Collecting For Our Time

I posted a few days ago about two interesting initiatives around diarizing life during COVID-19: Documenting life during a pandemic. Since then, I've heard a few more such stories, so will continue this as a little series, as I find them. 

Royal BC Museum - COVID-19: Collecting For Our Time

The Royal BC Museum recently launched a project that invites British Columbians to share stories of their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Collecting For Our Time demontrates how museums are evolving as spaces for reflection and dialog. By seeking contributions from the community, the project is also educating the public how and why museums collect. This involvement will help all of us treasure the long-term value of the collection.

"Right now we’re collecting information. So write to us at forourtime@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. Tell us what you think should be captured for the future. What do you think will best tell generations to come who we were and what we lived through? You can send us a few lines, a link to a tweet, a photo or a poem... [continue reading on the RBCM website]."

Fake journals: I love it... and I missed it!

Fake journal? What's that?

I discovered it by accident, after clicking on the 'View my complete profile' to learn more about an interesting new-to-me blogger I'd found on Blogger (MHBD's Blog). That took me here, to MHBD's Fake Journal. After puzzling over it a bit, and not quite getting the premise, I turned to Google.

'What is Fake Journal Month?' took me to the Official International Fake Journal Blog, where I learned about the concept, it's creator, and it's 18 year history.

Although I was disappointed to learn that the IFJM had ended, and why, I was still curious as the the premise, especially when I learned that the founder was continuing the practice in private. Ah, there it is, the value of the fake journal was really for the individual, shared or not. That made me curious about those benefits.

Some highlights from the What is International Fake Journal Month page:

What is IFJM? Basically it’s a free pass to put anything in a journal that you might not otherwise put in. At least that’s one way to see it. From April first to April 30, you are encouraged to keep a fake journal different from and outside of your regular visual journal. Take on a new persona, alter ego, or be the same person you are now, except in an alternate universe. 

• Maybe you are a cat person and always draw cats, well for April you’ll start a fake journal and just draw birds, with a passion, as if they were the most important animal on the planet. 

• Maybe you want to live somewhere else? Well make a daily journal as if you are already there. 

• Perhaps you are always working in pencil. Now is the time to become that artist who always works in pen, just go for it. 

• Or if you are always image heavy in your journal, spend some time writing, pages and pages.

Interesting concept, eh? I think I may try it out. What twist will I take? I'm not sure, but one idea comes to mind: I draw daily and my doodles almost always include faces; I could challenge myself to just draw abstract for a month, and journal the experience. Will have to see. Thinking about a month later this year to do it.

CVD = COVID Diary

I've thought off-and-on about journalling throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but let it go, choosing instead to stick to my usual un-routine of journalling when I need it (none of this is public anyways).

Earlier, I shared highlights from two radio interviews about COVID-19 diaries: Documenting life during a pandemic.

Interesting, I thought, as I listened.... so am playing with the idea of blogging throughout this.

My perspective is that of a single female introvert, living alone, working at home, and feeling very grateful for everything: Canada, BC, our healthcare system, my health, my job, my apartment and all the time I have on my hands.

The pandemic aside, I am perfectly content to spend days alone. It's as natural as breathing for me. And considering I just spent 10 years living with family, after 30 years of living alone, I am especially grateful to have my own space. Physical space, but mental, emotional and spiritual space as well. I had largely lost touch with those aspects of myself after I began co-habitating, so this is more time along the path I have been on since December.

Background music: Under My Thumb (Rolling Stones), Heart of Gold (Neil Young), Down on Mainstreet (Bob Seger), White Lightening and Wine (Heart), Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin)

Documenting life during a pandemic

Today I listened to TWO interesting CBC Radio shows about pandemic diaries: who's keeping them, and why, and how they have value beyond the personal. It turns out there are a few initiatives to encourage recording this period for their historical value. A few highlights from each:

'We want it all': Keeping a COVID-19 diary? It could help future historians — and your mental health - The Current

Dr. Karen Blair, an assistant professor of psychology at St. Francis Xavier University... is part of a team that's collecting diary entries from those in the thick of isolation. They hope to shed light on how the pandemic is affecting mental health. Each day, participants check in with a short survey. Some even share details about their experiences that day."

It's so interesting that I have joined the COVID-19 Diary Study project.

The Current story resources
Keeping a COVID-19 diary? It could help future historians - podcast episode and transcript
COVID-19 Diary Study - join Dr. Karen Blair's project

National Museum of Denmark's
Christian Sune Pedersen is leading the journal project

Danes are sending their quarantine journals to the national museum - Day 6

"Lots of people are turning to social media to chronicle the monotony of quarantine, peppered with the brief excitement of sourdough starters and family kitchen parties. But folks in Denmark are taking it a step further, by sending pages of their lockdown journals to the national museum to preserve them for posterity. Conveniently, Denmark already has a blueprint for the journal experiment..."

They've done it before, in 1992 (when they received 51,000 entries) and again in 2017. An interesting listen.

Day 6 story resources
Danes are sending their quarantine journals to the national museum - podcast episode and transcript
National Museum of Denmark - official website (19 museums/sites)

Public Art: Johnson St Parkade

A block or so away from where I live sits the City of Victoria's Johnson Street Parkade, a non-descript cement faced structure. I've never paid much attention to it, including when I used it a few times in December, and walking past it multiple times. Yet, not long ago, I had my eyes up and my attention outward, I (finally) noticed the public art adorning it. And it's brilliant.

I dug a bit deeper, and found that it is called Woven Together, and was created in 2016 by Musqueam artist, Thomas Cannell, with his mother Susan Point (you may very well have seen his art on public installations throughout BC, or adorning BC Ferries new Salish Class ships - read Thomas Cannell's biography here).

From the 2015 announcement:

Woven Together will consist of colourful, powder-coated aluminum circular forms that are often used in Coast Salish art to represent the cycle of life, but also the traditional weaving spindle whorl and transportation. Colour will play a significant role in symbolizing cultures and different beliefs around the world all coming together to complete the circle. The centre will be made up of four eye motifs that create four butterfly images symbolizing the ability to accept change, metamorphosis, and the beauty of nature. The number four is important within First Nations culture as it represents the four winds, seasons, directions, elements, moons and peoples..." [read the full story here].

Related resources
Thomas Cannell lantern design - LunarFest 2020: Year of the Rat
Susan Point and Thomas Cannell to Create Public Art to Enhance Johnson Street Parkade - City of Victoria
Artwork revealed for Salish class ferries - Salish Sea Sentinel
Where Did the New Musqueam Banner Design Come From? - YVR Airport
Public artwork by Thomas Cannell ready to rise in Deer Lake Park - Georgia Strait
Thomas Cannell profile - Salish Weave Collection
Thomas Cannell, Creator - Westover profile
thomascannell.com - Thomas Cannell's website