Katie Shelly
My social media: @interkatie & www.katieshelly.art
Current city, state, country: Barcelona, Spain
My profession: Freelance Illustrator
Describe your daily routine before the pandemic and during: Before the pandemic, I would work from home all morning on illustration projects, then have a break to make lunch with my partner, who also works from home. Then I might have a siesta (we do live in Spain after all) and continue working through the afternoon. In the evening, around 7, I would take the metro for 30min to go to my flamenco classes, or for a walk, or to see friends. Now my routine is very similar, except I can't go out in the evenings to clear my head with dance classes, tapas, or walks. The lockdown in Spain is very strict, we can only leave the house for absolute necessities like groceries and taking out the trash.
This pandemic makes me feel like: Scared! I'm scared about all the terrible things that could go wrong— people dying, people losing their jobs, businesses closing, and vulture-like politicians and businesses taking advantage of the situation in nefarious ways.
This pandemic makes me think: I am hopeful that maybe this will be the moment we see universal health care finally pushed through in the United States. In Spain, we already have fully public health care but the system could use more funding, and I hope that the pandemic will inspire people to support that choice with their votes. And in all countries, I hope to see this situation result in more protections and appreciation for the workers who keep us fed, clean and healthy!
This pandemic makes me hope/pray for: I saw an old man in the supermarket yesterday with a mask over his face, looking very nervous, not sure where to stand, what to do, he was just trying to follow the instructions from the supermarket workers. I felt for him so much in that moment that I had to suppress my tears. So many old folks are alone, and scared for their lives, it just breaks my heart to think of them. I hope and pray that they will get the love and support they need, and make it out okay.
If I had three wishes during this pandemic: 1. Universal health care for all human beings 2. Fair labor policies (paid sick leave, paid vacations, proper PPE) for all workers 3. Less mindless consumption of natural resources and better stewardship of our precious planet
What I think of the federal government’s response: I think the differences among governments are super interesting. In the US, UK, and Brazil, where far-right populists are in power, you hear a lot of talk that diminishes the seriousness of the virus, pushes for a return to (economic) normalcy, and a sort of denial, putting profits above people. I am really glad to be in Spain right now, where although the response is not perfect, at least the lockdown is strict, which implies a prioritization of human health and life over economic activity. I think this is the right choice.
Before this pandemic, my plans for the next 6 months were: My wedding is planned for June 20th! Alonso's entire family has plane tickets and hotels booked to come to New York and celebrate together with my family. I don't know if this will happen anymore. Even if we do re-schedule the wedding itself, I don't know if his family can afford to re-book their trips. This is a huge loss for us and our families. There's a small chance we'll be out of this by June and the wedding can go on as planned. Let's see.
What I have in my fridge/freezer and pantry: Fresh vegetables! A big stash of onions, garlic, and shallots. Tons of spices. Coconut milk, canned tomatoes. Our freezer is full of whole fresh fish like sargo and salmonete (I don't know what they're called in English!) Plenty of Spanish wine and Estrella Damm beer. I knew Alonso was the one when we started cooking together in his apartment. We love cooking and we love to eat well. We are keeping healthy.
Ways I’m coping: Zumba classes on YouTube with an instructor named Helio Faria, to compensate for the incredibly sedentary existence. We also hug a lot at random intervals throughout the day. I stick to my routine M-F work schedule, for some feeling of normalcy. I'm also meditating for 15 minutes in the morning.
Predictions for when this will get better/end? Some experts have been saying that we will experience "waves" of infection over time, and quarantine periods to account for those waves could become routine. And this will go on until we have a vaccine. A vaccine will probably take a year, ish, on the light speed pace they're working at. So I think our lives will be disrupted and upside-down, possibly in spurts, for the next year.
Creative things to do with kids: Illustrator Wendy MacNaughton is doing Instagram Live drawing classes every morning at 10am PST, for free. She is a big name in illustration, so it's quite a cool opportunity to take daily classes with her for free.
General advice/thoughts/anxieties to share with others: Please, please, stay home and limit your activities. In Europe, people seem to have less of a problem with this. In the US, most people hate the idea of the government telling us what to do. It's hard for us to think as a collective, and not as individuals. Individualistic behavior, which in this moment looks like going out to see friends, working on non-essential projects, etc, is not OK in this time. This is why I think many Asian countries have managed to contain the virus so quickly, because they have a better grasp on the idea of collective responsibility than we do.