Painting of a Lady in Post-Quarantine

How to paint a home inside ourselves

photo by Dmitriy K. on Unsplash

“For a moment I felt joyful, and then I felt completely exhausted.” — Ottessa Moshfegh

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of a good amount of free time, must be in want of something to do.

Sorry, Jane Austen, but since this woman has no intention of waltzing to the altar any time soon, she had to re-adjust your very famous first line and make it modern-day appropriate.

We’ve been through a lot, haven’t we? From sneaking outside for a quick run to the near supermarket, on tiptoes, through ghost towns, to streets full of life and danger during the European World Cup.

And whilst we dreamt about going away, meeting friends and family again after what felt like a lifetime, some of us basked in the glory of just being home, safe, comfy.

I can’t say I was eager to go outside in the real world any time soon, I think there’s beauty in the stillness of a boring morning, dancing around the house in your knickers and a green facemask.

I loved the slow pace of each day. How there was nothing do to and yet, so much time to do it. We reinvented ourselves in a way that couldn’t have been possible before.

I don’t even know if I’m the same person I was, pre-pandemic. I think this slow living, the carpe diem-ing has grown on me, making me feel things more intensely but also, helping me let go of the unnecessary burden of everyday life.

Mornings for me are these blessed moments now where I check in with myself, to truly feel my body, how it moves and changes. I wake up without the thought of another difficult day but with the joy, the wonder of what could happen.

Now I read in bed as I wake up and make a cup of coffee — which life in quarantine made me addicted to — before taking the time to get up and slather my face with skincare products.

I water my plants while blasting some classical music and swinging around in my silky pj's and take time to adjust to another day.

It’s a religion now.

By the time I sit at my desk to write, my body and mind are ready to take another day as…