CHENNAI: Lockdown, yet again. Dear Adventurous Compatriots, did we not ask for it this time? The first lockdown, last year, was certainly not our fault. We were merely innocent bystanders back then, listening to stories from faraway lands of how eating bats and other creatures of the ilk, could have dangerous consequences. Wet markets soon became one of the most searched topics on Google, way behind Arnab Goswami and Kamala Harris, of course.
And before we knew it, lockdown it was. After decades of running life’s marathons, you silently welcomed this sabbatical, stocked your refrigerators, tamed your panic and wrote endless posts on social media about the long-overdue quality time with family. You watched movies. You baked/grilled/ roasted and made sure you didn’t get left behind in the Dalgona coffee challenge.
You swore allegiance to WhatsApp Forwards Incorporated and religiously drank or inhaled every spice and herb in your or your neighbour’s kitchen. Most importantly, you discovered Zoom and the thrill of talking endlessly while your hapless victims remained on mute. Slowly, you grew tired of it all. You yearned for the fast-paced life outside and the adrenaline rush of your escapades.
You decided to believe that normalcy had returned and stepped out, masks on the chin or in pockets. You shopped, bargained at crowded markets, vacationed hard and partied harder. The elections didn’t help either. Listening to false promises from countless seasoned/unseasoned politicians, whilst breathing down each other’s necks in packed gatherings, you threw all caution to the winds in the hope that one of them would deliver that glorious future you dream of.
Now, here we are. Back in lockdown mode. Exhausted and weary of this isolation. Boredom is the recurrent state of mind behind locked-down doors. As slogans of “I’m bored” echoed all around, I wondered why have I never heard of an artist suffering from this peculiar ailment, lockdown or not. In fact, life has not changed much for the art community. The business of art has been affected, no doubt, with galleries and shows temporarily shut down, but the practice of art has remained unaffected.
Artists perhaps have attained self-contentment because the creative machinery within us is always working, occupying our thoughts, leaving no spare time to entertain boredom. Most artists work well into their twilight years, busy every moment with a drive to create something of consequence. Art offers us a temptation that no party or holiday can ever match.
Looking at all those diagnosed with lockdown blues every day, we are grateful that our palettes don’t abide by such singular colours. Let this lockdown be one of introspection. A journey to find contentment within, without having to seek it externally. Enjoy the time spent in that house you worked so hard to build, instead of suffocating within it. Discover passions. Embrace the joy of your own company. And bid adieu to boredom forever.
JITHA KARTHIKEYAN
Email: jithakarthikeyan2@gmail.com
(Jitha Karthikeyan is an artist and curator, passionate about making art accessible to the larger public)