What Covid did to my Masters Degree

As you know I started a Master degree in Fine Art in September 2019. It's something I've wanted to do for a REALLY long time, something I was thoroughly loving, and I was milking the opportunity for all  it was worth! I'd chosen to do it 'part time' over 2 years so I could make use of the facilities for longer, I was going into college every day and getting to try all sorts of new techniques, mediums and equipment.

But then Covid....

With no more access to facilities the end of my 2nd trimester moved into teaching online and working from home. My 2nd module is now complete but my course has become unrecognisable from what it is meant to be. With my summer term module focussed on writing a dissertation, without access to a library I decided enough was enough and have deferred for a year.
A sad but necessary decision that many on my course don't have the luxury of making. I am really hoping that in a years time, things will have gone back to normal enough, for me to get stuck in again to college life.

So what now?

At the start of the Covid crisis it seemed (I appreciate this wasn't everyone) that many people had a lot of time on their hands, chance to do those jobs you never quite get round to, chance to be creative etc... whilst I was juggling homeschooling, supporting a medic and 2 teens alongside working towards my MA deadline and getting more and more exhausted.
Homeschooling and childcare will continue for a few more months but I now have time to do some catching up. The MA has been pretty intense (mostly of my own making) while other areas of life have been shelved. Now I get to sort out those cupboards, update the photo albums and tend to family tasks. I also have time to focus a bit more on my art business, my website, my marketing etc.

For my next module!

Saying all that, I also plan to treat this year as if I was still doing a Masters Degree! One thing I found frustating about my course was how fast it forced me to move, I was finding all sorts of techniques and mediums I wanted to play with and develop and it felt like there simply wasn't time (I'd already started a list of things I would go back to once the course finished!).
And now I can!

So the first project that I've set myself is to learn free motion embroidery. As with all the other mediums I've been working on since September, this is completely new to me.
I've upgraded my sewing machine and learnt how to thread it. I've brought a packaged tutorial from the fabulous Alexandra Waylett and despite breaking my first darning foot and getting in a big knot yesterday, I am making progress.

Maybe I'll even find the time to write more blogs! Watch this space :)