“Unfinished Art” | Covid Journal
When the pandemic first started, I didn’t know what to think of it. I knew it was a complicated time. No one really knew what was going on, but they knew they had to protect themselves and their families, and sadly, human decency went out the door. People left and right were buying food and supplies to the point that there was nothing left for anyone else. As time went on, it became more apparent that the real enemy was Coronavirus also known as Covid-19.
When the pandemic first became a reality to me was when I was in one of my classes preparing for final exams. I was under a lot of stress. My body from the stress shut down and I found myself in a hospital bed. I was afraid I had Covid, but I just didn’t know. I noticed that there were more people than usual in the hospital, but I didn’t question it. I just thought that was how hospitals were. Later that day, I was sent back home. I had suffered from dehydration due to stress and anxiety. Very soon after that, I found out that hospitals were at capacity and were turning people away. I was lucky to be seen that day.
The next day I prepared myself for exams, even though I was still feeling terrible. I was getting ready to go to class when I found out that the school shut down. It was almost unbelievable. It started with colleges and filtered all the way down to elementary schools. In no time education seemed to come to a halt in Ohio.
Several months later, here I am in online classes, struggling to learn things on my own. It feels like I am at times just teaching myself. Some of the professors are on a computer screen, while others are just posting what they want us to do. Education seems to have changed from what it was intended to be. Asking questions is much harder now, as well as getting those answers we so desperately need. It has changed from what it was, to what it has become. I am afraid that it may never return. We have become a computer screen and an email, rather than actual human contact, and an in-person conversation. Sadly, it also seems that there are people that enjoy this model of education over the old standard. This has changed what college used to mean to me. I wanted to meet and talk to people. I really enjoyed the social interactions. I want my college experience, and I feel like I have been robbed of a huge part of what the college experience truly is.
My favorite things to do deal with art and designs. During Covid, I worked on several small artworks but had a tough time completing anything. The direction I was looking for and in need of just wasn’t there. That is something I was hoping to attain in the classroom setting and personal instruction with instructors. I’m not saying I must have a teacher in my face to create, but a nudge here and there, comment or idea, would really be helpful. It often feels like I am more worried about deadlines, rather than the quality of my work. Covid seems to have taken a lot of enjoyment out of my education.
I know some of this sounds depressing, and I am coming to terms with this new type of learning. I am hoping for some positive change in the future. I want to get back to the classroom as soon as possible. I think that the use of technology during covid has diminished people’s true creativity and overall health. It has taken away a large part of what it means to be human. We are meant to be more than a screen and an email.
