See Optimism and Opportunity in the darkest times

This is where the story pauses. 

The saying ‘you are what you think’ is very common in western society.  Yet people continue to flood their minds with negative, low vibrating thoughts.  And find themselves stuck in a loop of fear, which results in no action.  I operate differently and have done for a long time, so it has became my normal.  

I am no different from anyone else and feel all the feelings, but I think how you process these feelings are important.  Acknowledge them, feel them, name them, sit with them, then ask yourself why you are feeling them.  Then process them by moving on, letting go, or shaking them out.  Don’t get stuck, and don’t be a victim.  It doesn’t serve you.  In fact, it drains and starves you from having a nice life.

Our ego and primitive mind wants us to be safe and secure.  It wants us to take the less risky approach to life and therefore controls us with fearful thoughts.  Lockdown was a time of real fear, with the potential for overthinking.  We like to know all the answers so we can feel in control of our future, and prevent the impending doom and gloom.  This is normal behaviour, but you need to catch this behaviour and work through it, or it drives you crazy.

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There was a time where I found myself out of alignment.  I wasn’t sleeping properly.  I would put my lamp on during the night and read my book until I felt tired again.  There was even one night I started to paint on old boring chest of drawers from IKEA - bright yellow - then once I felt tired again, I would crawl back to sleep.  I knew something was playing on my mind.

I allowed this to go on for a few days, then I asked myself what was up and journaled the response.  There were some uncertain parts to my life due to Covid, which made me feel uneasy.  Some of which I could find an answer to.  One required a phone call, which I made then got comfortable and started to sleep better.  That’s when I told myself I would focus on what I could control, and remain wholly positive in the belief we would get through this time stronger and more connected.

I am a big believer in reflecting and learning, learning from your previous experiences, which can only be done by your future self.  So here we go, using hindsight to sum up some highs in a world of lows.                

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My bike and that photoshoot

My new bike allowed this new sense of freedom and adventure into my life.  Even though I can run far and walk for hours, there is no better feeling than a spin on the bike.  I even worked out a 30 min cycle loop from my flat, around the Westend of Glasgow.  It took in a couple of uphills, but also delivered the downhill highs.  I love a downhill.  It reminds me of the street I grew up in, where my parents still live now.  We would cycle downhill freewheeling, with our fingers perched on the handlebar anticipating some danger.  That was the feeling I still seek now in my 30s.  To be a kid again - free and wild.  

Those 30 mins broke up the working from home day, which would slowly morph from morning, to afternoon then into the evening.  Whenever I worked in the office, I would always take a lunch break to get out in the fresh air with a podcast on.  Now I had found my escape, and could easily fit it in around meetings.  You hear a lot of people moan ‘I don’t have time’,  when in fact people are not willing to make time. Research has shown spending twenty mins in nature gives you a big reset.  The wonders of nature.   Twenty mins to break up the workday, refresh the soul and recharge for the afternoon. 

It was on one of these bike rides that an unexpected, and very funny incident happened.  A new piece of street art had been created on a laneway near my bike route, so I added this in as a pitstop.  As I cycled down the cobble laneway, I could see someone else taking photos with one of those pro cameras.   I had my bike helmet on and my phone as a camera.  Not very pro like.  

I slid alongside the gentleman, acknowledged him, and started to take a photo.  Then the gentleman asked, ‘do you want to be in the photo?’.  I glanced at him, as if to say, ‘ what ?’.  I was on my lunch cycle break, why would I want a photo standing with new street art.  I think he sensed my confused look and explained he worked for one of the newspapers.  He wanted to take a photo of me, perhaps for a feature.  ‘Ohhh right’.  The gentleman introduced himself as John.  The next thing I know I was involved in a photoshoot.   Not pretending, or over dramatising, but I was involved in a photoshoot.

The photoshoot started out quite normal.  John instructed the whole thing, like a pro.  I went along with it.  Firstly, I had to stand and ‘pretend’ to take a photo of the street art.  Then I was instructed to smile while pretending to take a photo, slightly hold the camera a little higher, tilt my chin up, glance more at the art, move a millimetre forward, then move back half a millimetre.  By this point I was done with the photoshoot, but tried not to show it.  That was until that last instruction.  Then I glanced at John and said ‘ are you making this up now’?.  He finally announced he had the photo.  I was mentally exhausted, and still had to cycle back to my flat to continue working. 

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Instagram famous

When I did get back online, I explained to my work colleagues about the photoshoot.  I’m not sure if they thought I was making it up.  It was funny looking back.  I had never ever met this guy before and one minute later I nearly have my nose up to the street art so he can get the most staged photo of 2020.  We exchanged Instagram details.  I spotted the next day I had NOT made the cover shot of the newspaper.  How rude.  That was for a more glamorous version of me.  Instead, I was on his Instagram page.  'Does that make me a little famous?'  

That nicely leads into my last discovery during the lockdown.  A discovery that would open my life up to endless possibilities, by following something that brings me joy. 

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Glasgow Street Art

I have always loved street art.        

It seems to have played a big part in my life so far, and expect my future.   I have lived in two cities linked to its popular growth.  Both Bristol and Melbourne are renowned for the abundance of street art covering the city, with whole laneways splattered in it.    On my travels around the world I always seem to come across the instantly recognisable street art.  Those murals so big you can't miss, but some people do.  

Over the years I have taken photos of the many artworks dotted around Glasgow city and enjoyed spotting some of the less known, or illegal, artwork.    During 2020, when Glasgow was in complete lockdown, I took my phone on my runs and would to take snaps at some of the old and new artwork.  

I started to share a round up of my lockdown week on Facebook, mainly to brighten up other peoples day since I always seemed to experience some fun encounters.  People loved the street art photos I included the most, even commenting they never knew Glasgow was so bright and vibrant.       

During this time, my best friend asked If I could share some of my photos from the near empty city centre streets.  She wanted to share them with her Scottish cousins, who now lived around the world.  I added some of my favourite street art snaps to the bundle of ‘deserted streets’ photos I sent over.  The cousins seemed interested in the empty city landscape, but the photos that created the most buzz were the street art related ones.  Everybody loved them, and they seemed so surprised they hadn’t seen some of the bigger murals before in Glasgow.  This made me consider something, something that I had been contemplating.  

How can I share the street art photos I have collected over five years of living in Glasgow, to showcase the city and motivate people to jump off their couch to head outside and explore?  Perhaps nudge them to be curious about the city they call home.  Or if people visit Glasgow, they have an idea of what art can be seen in the different communities.    I wanted to show people that the streets may be empty from people and shoppers, but they are alive with creativity and hope, if you choose to see it.  

So many people are stating ‘they are bored’ and not leaving their house, when there is the opportunity to find and see the wonder in the simple things in life.  Like art splattered on the streets.  

I sat patiently during lockdown and created a Glasgow street art Instagram page, posting every single street art photo I have found around Glasgow.  It took time, and became a mini project.  I didn’t know any of the artists, so that became the first task.
     
Slowly over time, as I uploaded more photos, I was building up a small community of followers.  It was fun and felt I had some purpose in my next lockdown run, or bike ride to capture shots of the newest, freshest art.    The Glasgow art scene was vibrant during lockdown.  Each day more art was being created,  it felt there were connections across the artists.  There were crews, or pockets of artists who all supported each other and would paint together. 

I went from thinking I was going to enlighten everyone and show them Glasgow, when in fact Glasgow showed me.    I found a seemingly undercover community, sometimes living in the shadows of mainstream society, since the majority of street art is still illegal, who just want to share their creativity with the community!!  

This is what I am passionate about.  Follow your joy, to bring joy to others and you might learn a thing or two along the way.