More recently, in a I don’t know what to do with myself moment, I rescued an actual gooseberry bush. Not because I wanted a baby but because it was being suffocated by an exuberant sage plant. Normally when I feel wound up, I write. In fact, with a novel started, I should have been feeling conflicted - knowing that gardening had to be done yet wanting to catch up with characters who were waiting for me to get on with things.
But I had become too anxious to write.
Over the last few months, I’ve read a great deal about the impact of coronavirus on creativity. Some found that lockdown helped them discover, refresh or indulge their creative skills. ‘Try it!’ they often said. ‘It’ll help you feel better.’ Others felt so overwhelmed by the impact of Covid-19 that even with extra time on their hands and when normally creativity was the one thing that helped them cope, it just wouldn’t come.
