Well I resubmitted my Arts Council bid and I was feeling positive that I had addressed all the appropriate elements. After a few days I received an automated reply that all bids had been stopped due to the need to redirect funding in response to the corona virus, so that is then end of that for now.

I have taken on lots of new activities to try and keep a focus and to feel like I am still making positive steps during this difficult time. I am learning Italian, doing 30 mins each day which is fun. I am meditating every morning for 20 mins followed by 10 mins of chanting using some of the information I gained from the book ‘Healing Sounds’ by Jonathan Goldman. I am also reading as much as possible (something I did very little of before the pandemic). I am playing a bit more piano and am trying to work it into accompanying my singing.

I have not yet managed to do any live streaming but I have done a video of me playing each of the parts of a new tune that I wrote just before the current lockdown. I will add a link to the youtube clip. We are also looking into using Jamkazam as a method of playing together as a band so we will be giving that a go in the near future.

Most of my creative activity used to occur when I was in the house on my own, on days off from work when everyone else was still doing what they do out the house. With the current situation I am finding very little time when I have the space to work in peace at home, so I am finding that certain creative activities have reduced considerably.

To put things into perspective though, I am healthy and my family is healthy. Kittyhawk were very sad to lose our caller this week to cancer. He was only diagnosed a few weeks back and then was given only 6-12 weeks to live and unfortunately he did not even get that long. It makes one realise just how fragile life is and we can never know when our time is up. Rest easy Neil Graham, it was a pleasure to have known you.

Stay safe…