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| season's greetings . 2020 |
this post initially started off as a rant about how bad 2020 was. but i think it's pretty clear everyone had an overall awful year. so instead of stating the obvious, i thought i'd share 20 realisations i learnt in 2020:
20 – i survived 2020 and everything this year threw at me! and that's something to be chuffed about i think...
19 – with all the projects that got postponed or canceled, i still had the opportunity to work on projects that are probably some of my favourites (check out earlier posts from this year).
18 – the art/cultural community here are really cliquey. this realisation really made me sad. but all i have to say about it is 'better alone than badly accompanied'.
17 – longevity is key – i'm going to continue making work i want to make, clique and fad free! and i'm confident that i'll be rewarded for it, whether it's tomorrow or when i've left this world behind.
16 – i do really well with being with myself, and realised that it doesn't come easy to many. i hope i continue to be this way...
15 – laughter is the best medicine. and i laughed so much with my sister(s) at home after sharing our daily happenings and comparing receipts about basic people in our community! call it sibling bonding, we enjoy it...
14 – i don't think i can do any more zoom meetings, or attend online art talks that have the same people involved over and over again.
13 – 2020 brought out the worst in people, including myself. also, people can't differentiate between critique from opinion. and those that perform on social media are really sad. here's paying less attention to unwanted noise in 2021...
12 – design is so much cooler than art!
11 – someone told me that my work is the positive energy we needed this year. and i love that.
10 – the art residency at the cultural foundation got me excited again about having a studio practise. i can't wait to go back to my studio in dubai and pick up where i left off, and not just prioritise client-based projects.
09 – i like wearing masks.
08 – i like hanging out with non-art world friends.
07 – i hope people pay attention to my work the same way they're attentive every time i post an online rant!
06 – 2020 was supposed to be the year i celebrated a decade of my practise (and this blog). unfortunately, that didn't happen. maybe i should celebrate in 2021? commemorative 'khalid says dance' tees anyone? or throw an 'everlasting disco' party maybe?!
05 – social media is the bane of humanity's existence. here's to taking a step back from it next year.
04 – i failed prioritising self care this year. 2021 give me the discipline to succeed.
03 – disco never died! thank you jessie ware, róisín murphy & of course, kylie minogue for releasing albums that made the year so much better.
02 – dancing makes me happy, and i will dance again in 2021.
01 – if this year taught me anything, it's that family are who i need the most when everything's falling apart. they're all i have, and i love them so much.
here's to 2021 not being a repeat of this strange year. 2020 was a reset button, and things needed to get really bad for it to get better (i hope). the world is changing so fast – i guess it's all part of this strange journey called life and we're bound to move with these changes to not be left behind. please 2021, whatever you have in store for us, be good to us all.
i end this post with a 'season's greetings' hand stamped print i made for close friends and loved ones – reach out if you'd like one! i might make this an annual end of year tradition. the visuals are from the work i've been creating during my time at the art residency in abu dhabi (more on that in a future post).
season's greetings and a happy new year to everyone. much love...