Social Distancing #112
Ruby Bird @_ruby.bird_
London. June, 2020

"My names Ruby Bird and Im an artist and elderly care worker for my grandparents. 
I’ve been struggling to find the words to write about lockdown. I really wanted to say something inspired or filled with hope but this week’s not felt so hopeful. We’re nearing some resemblance of normal and TBH I feel a bit lost. With reunions laced with fear and creative work muddied with the unknown future ahead, I have such a mixed feeling. But maybe thats the true nature of real new beginnings. Maybe by having all we clung to as normal, all our plans and nets of social safety taken away, we get a chance to start again, however uncertainly. Maybe now is sort of a rock-bottom of rebuilding in the image of what matters. Aside from my current doom feelings, Im so happy that as this collective pause asks us to really introspect the Black lives matter movement is finally taking centre stage. Just when we have the opportunity to practice real growth and challenge ourselves to be better and live better.
I think that really symbolises the potential this totally surreal and unorthodox period of time has. The power to transmutate our reality into something where basic human rights to health, peace, safety, and happiness is valued above all else. I really hope that we take this opportunity to do the work and lay the best of fresh foundations. Tearing out the rot that undermined the old ones for good in the process.
Apart from using this as an opportunity to rant! Heres a picture of me in a costume from my old life as a clown, dug up and re imagined in a messy way to reflect how bloody out of practice at make up I am (this is paint, I don’t recommend!) Heres an an ode to being silly. To playing dress up and some day soon being letting off the leash to live a little more colourfully again." Ruby Bird