What Do I Do With Myself?

Since the British Government have decided to lock us down again, I’ve found myself becoming at another loose end.

In March 2020, as you know, the British Government announced our first ever lockdown, to hide from the Coronavirus and it went on for months. I lost all of my commissioned work but managed to innovate and learned some pretty cool things about myself. I didn’t sit back and watch what was going on, I took a good long hard look at myself and worked out what I had, what I can do and figured out a way around this mess.

The first thing I did was react visually with my camera because I didn’t really know what to do if the truth be told. So I went out and made some photographs and then put them all together in to a film with some cool voice overs and music to suit.

This film attracted a lot of attention but it wasn’t the ending for me. I’d got an idea in the back of my mind to document this harrowing time as a once in a lifetime opportunity. I wasn’t going to waste a minute more of my creative life.

I asked the question to my audience on Hinckley & Burbage Photographed, ‘Would anybody be interested in taking part in a project where I make photographs of you through your front windows (maintaining social distancing) and then interview you with a view to creating a book?’
Immediately I had a few responses from people who were genuinely interested. I didn’t realise the gravity of the task or the situation as I asked, but I went through with it and I was almost led by the project and not by me, like I was just the vehicle for other peoples stories.
Before I could say Global Coronavirus Pandemic, I’d built a big and growing body of work, which you can view it all here.

Here’s 9 photographs that feature in the book ‘Locked Down’.

The book has been amazing for me and everyone involved. I’m still selling copies of the book, which you can find in my shop or via this link…

Sales of my book began to drop off as people began to emerge from isolation and went back to work. During the whole time I had also turned some of the photographs from my archives in to Jigsaw Puzzles, which have been amazingly popular. I’ve even brought out a colouring book, featuring 20 photographs from my collection. As my online sales stopped going so crazy, I realised that I needed to continue to do something so I can earn a living because I’ve got a little girl at home that needs a good life, she deserves it, so I had to get a grip and earn a wage. With no commissioned work, I only had my catalogue of photographs to use but luckily, I’d grown that catalogue to over ten thousand pictures of local places and events.

So I designed everything I would need to run a market stall on the local market in Hinckley and even managed to gain a sponsor who supported me through starting up. Jamie from Brookfield Signs & Graphics.

However, the Government announced a new lockdown for the whole of November, so I was back on the sofa, thinking of what to do. I didn’t want to repeat myself and do the same project again because that wouldn’t be creative in my eyes.
I decided to embark on a massive journey to document the entire county of Leicestershire in the same way I’ve done with Hinckley & Burbage Photographed. Leicestershire Photographed has been born.
I plan to do with this what I’ve learned after 9 years of the other project. Except this time I’m starting with the idea of making tangible products along the way and have already created my first 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle, The Old House, Cadeby.

I’m quite excited about my artwork now because all along, I’d been doing commissioned photography and filmmaking to earn a living, which was fantastic but I really only wanted to make my artwork and now the dream is becoming a reality for me on a full time basis. So developing my skills to cover the whole county of Leicestershire is a massive task but one I’m enjoying so much. It would be great if you could follow the project on social media. Use this link to the Facebook page and hit follow.

I’ve now got loads of products available for sale using my artwork now and if you haven’t seen them yet, please go and have a look at my online shop.
I’ve got 1,000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzles, Adults Colouring Books, , 2021 Calendars, Christmas Cards and Framed Prints.
I’m hoping that Boris Johnson will be kind and actually open up the country again on December the 2nd, then I can get back to work and rnu my market stall. I’ve even got a van lined up to buy ready to help me move my stock around because it’s been a right royal pain in the arse folding down the car seats and loading everything I can squeeze in to the car. I feel like I’ve got a valid business for once and it’s all from my biggest passion, photography.