When I decided to switch my office job to a freelance illustrator, I didn’t know how lonely this could be at times.
If you ever saw me at the office, I wasn’t a water cooler type of girl…rather, you would see me quietly in the corner, with my head phones on, tapping my foot to the sounds of rock (Muse, White Lies and Foo Fighters have been particular favourites) …just getting on with it.
So yeah, I’ve left office life without remorse. However the challenges of working as freelancer showed me that even I would fail as a Robinson Crusoe 😉 It turned very quickly that I missed morning coffee and lunches with my co-workers.
For the past 4 years of my new career, I have learned to make even slightest social contact a day to avoid turning into a wild person. This could be walking my dog with a neighbour or a longer chat with the sales person in the shop. Then at least twice a month, I would need to go out and have some quality time with my friends. These were my preventative methods against going bananas from lack of social interaction 😉
It all worked pretty well until corona came and I moved to Denmark… You can imagine that it’s not easy to build a social life as a new expat in the city.
So I’ve started to network with other artists basis on the rule than it’s easier to make friends, when you share similar interests.
Before lockdown was definite, I’ve found a cool art escape for me, called Art Escape Studios 😉 Even tho I cannot visit it now in normal conditions, I know it will be there when the lockdown finishes. It’s a cafe and an art school, but most of all a cool international community, which shares interest for creation.
I’ve started to be a bit more active on artist forum https://forum.svslearn.com. It’s a lovely community of always helpful artists. I’v become friends with some of them on instagram. We talk from time to time. I become so close with one of them, that recently we have started video chatting as well. It’s awesome 🙂 Sas, it’s you I am talking about! 😉
What else? 🙂 I’ve entered Facebook group for expats and for the first time in my life, went for a coffee with a total stranger – the very talented Radostina who’s also artist, (quite useful as an icebreaker) 😉
Also I’ve started to smile at people on the street. Ha, ha sounds weird, but they do smile back 😂 The next step will be talking to strangers. I secretly hope to create something similar to ‘Humans of New York’ one day 😉
On top of that I’ve started to listen to a lot of podcasts and courses, while working, cooking or walking a dog. It keeps me energised and motivated. But it might be a good topic for another time…
So yeah, I didn’t go bananas yet … 😉
And here are some links that I want to share
Freshly launched website by virtual bestie Sas 🙂 She is planning an ambitious painting project related to her love of nature. Subscribe to her website, if you want to be up to date!
https://www.saskiamakkinje.com
If you are ever in Copenhagen, visit Art Escape Studio. Melanie – the owner is a great artist with a longterm experience as Chef! Myself I can’t wait for her start to serving food in the cafe – coming soon she promises 🙂 You can also check their online or on spot classes.
https://www.artescapestudios.dk
Check out also beautiful postcards from Copenhagen created by Radostina!
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/forindet?ref=search_shop_redirect
If you like a good short comic, check Viktor Nassli. I love his super funny comics about being a parent!