27 MAY 2020 My name is Genevieve Bandrowski. I’m from Oakland, California, and aside from living in Baltimore for college, I’ve lived in Oakland all my life.

I really enjoy having a diverse set of projects, so for the last four years I started two companies and freelanced a bit, as well. I co-founded and co-run a sustainable furniture design company—WEND Studio, which my co-founder and I closed in February. Currently, I run an online retail shop—LeMay Shop, which has a focus on local female designers. I curated a shop that focuses on predominantly handmade items that can be modern heirlooms. LeMay also features several Japanese designs. When a fun project comes around I also freelance as a prop stylist.

Covid-19 has impacted so many people who work in creative industries, especially those who are self-employed. I feel very fortunate that I have a stable side job at a nonprofit that provides me a bit of security. I will say the realization that freelance jobs had to be postponed until the shelter in place is over was disappointing. Not only financially, but creatively, I felt like an outlet had been cut off, and I wasn’t sure where to direct that energy in the beginning.

For those of us in the retail industry, we’ve been hit hard during our ongoing shelter in place. It’s comforting to see the community come together and find ways to make the restrictions work for their businesses. But we’ve also seen businesses we love permanently close, which is crushing. I’m fortunate that my shop is online, and I can work in my home studio.

I think we are all feeling overwhelmed by the uncertainty of this time, but in a way I’m feeling especially connected to my community now. The knowledge that we’re all feeling this together, it’s somehow comforting—the precariousness of it all.

I’m a naturally introverted person, so being at home is normally a comfort. At the start, the sheltering in place felt a bit exciting and unprecedented. That sentiment was quickly taken over by the realization that in order to keep my mental health in check, I would have to create a routine that gave my life a semblance of normalcy.

I try to wake up everyday at the same time, I do a bit of stretching in the morning and walk around my neighborhood each evening before making dinner. Setting a schedule and a set of goals for the week, as well as journaling, have given me a more peaceful mindset.

I like to take photos throughout the day, mostly of simple vignettes—a creative outlet that gives each day some individuality. Otherwise three months would go by and I think I would wonder how I spent the time.

My family lives close by, once we sheltered separately for a few weeks we agreed that we would stick to only seeing each other. It’s been a huge comfort to be able to eat dinner together a couple times a week. I’ve also spent quite a bit of time on Zoom with friends and extended family.

I’ve been feeling inspired by the change in season. California’s spring flowers have been blooming en masse, which has been gorgeous. I’ve loved walking around my neighborhood, noticing gardens and homes that I’ve never noticed before.

Living in a densely packed city you can take your neighbors for granted. I’ve been surprised to see so many families out enjoying each other and the community. It’s a nice comfort to wave and acknowledge one another, something we wouldn’t necessarily do pre-Covid. Somehow the pandemic has broken social barriers, we have masks and are standing 6 feet apart and are somehow closer than ever.

Like everyone, I imagine, I’m of course looking forward to one day seeing my friends. I can’t wait to hug them. I would love to sit in a restaurant with my close friends, eating, laughing and drinking while we catch up. I’m surprised that I’m actually looking forward to going back to work in the office. I love my home, but I could do with a change of scenery. I also had a long planned trip to hike to Everest Base Camp with my dad. Our trek has been postponed until next year; I’m still really looking forward to it and all the hikes that will lead up to our departure.