COVID-19 is Shit!

One of my favourite sayings is, ‘you can’t polish a turd, but you can roll it in glitter’. I love the simplicity of it. I love how visceral the image of a sparkly little poo is, but most of all, I love that it takes something quite nasty and makes it just a little bit prettier.

For those of us who are living through Lockdown 2.0 (which is an infuriatingly cute way of describing the steaming pile of excrement that it is), or continuing to feel the sting of the first wave of this nasty little troll, COVID-19, it is probably feeling like life as we knew it is nothing but a far and distant utopia. It is also highly likely that we are feeling a little bit helpless, a little bit fragile, a little bit out of control, a little bit scared, a little bit (or even a big bit) of many different emotions, which is totally normal and understandable.

We are grieving. We are grieving for so many things and to make things a little bit worse, we may have been taunted with a wee taste of normality (whatever that means) only for it to be ripped from our clutches once again.

It’s important to take some time to grieve and to acknowledge that each day will be different. We will have good days and bad days and days that we just don’t know what they were. This process of grief is individual and will come in many forms. It may be re-watching all seven season of The Golden Girls; it may be a YouTube wormhole of watching Bob Ross paint landscapes while avoiding getting any paint in that luscious hair; it may be laying on the couch for so long that your phone, computer and both PS4 controllers are now all out of battery; or it may be tears, laughter (and sometimes both at the same time). Whatever it is, it is yours and yours to own and feel.

But let’s not simply look at this time of lockdown as a time when we are so powerless to do nothing, we know that we are better than this and are the captains of our own destiny. (Authors note: Insert witty but inspiring anecdote, possibly a seafaring tale). In fact, with a little bit of glitter, we might just be able to turn the steaming turd that is COVID-19 into something that is valued (even if it is in a contemporary art glass boxed item kind of way).

Business development, strategy and planning are often seen as a luxury—something that we will get to when we have time more time or space. It’s the first thing that goes from the top of our to-do lists and quickly tumbles further and further down, and there is nothing wrong with this. We know that many in the arts and culture sector, small businesses, or sole traders are on the constant hustle to make a dollar and keep the wolf from the door. We do, however, really have to ask: how sustainable is it to maintain that hustle in the long-term? Often, we don’t evaluate or realise how much of an impact this constant hustle is having on us until we stop (but that is a discussion for another time).

Now as soon as I use words like business development, strategy and planning, most people’s minds will wander and the temptation to open Instagram or TikTok (or whatever those youngsters or pesky hugging millennials are doing these days) will be strong. But I am here to tell you that business development, strategy and planning are not scary and absolutely everyone (no matter what your business is) can and should be working on them in a time like this. In fact, I would even go so far as to say, those who don’t use this time to really reflect on what they have been doing — or look for new ways of making money in a genuinely sustainable way — will most likely, in a professional sense, not make it back from this.

Let’s get real on a few things: we know that unemployment is at the highest level it has been in decades and likely to continue to rise; we know that we are in an economic slump and with it comes less discretionary spending on things like arts, entertainment and recreation; we know that as we continue through, some businesses that have been propped up by programs like JobKeeper will simply fold (to say nothing of what opportunities there will be for artists to perform or show work when we open up again, because at this stage we just don’t know who will survive). I would bet my dearly loved cat that some of the venues, galleries and institutions that have been mainstays of our communities for years will simply not be there in a few months time. All in all, it’s hard to argue that the picture is pretty grim. If we thought it was hard to make a living from arts, culture, and small business before, let me tell you this: it’s only going to get harder and more competitive from now.

However, all is not lost, and hope is far from gone. Now is the time to equip yourself and your business for a long, hard slog ahead. For anyone on JobKeeper or JobSeeker, you may find yourself with more time on your hands than you have previously had, yes some among us will still be working, and yes the economics of living on these programs is tough, but there is an opportunity to use this meagre income as a guaranteed wage to work on your own business.

Try changing your perspective of JobKeeper/Seeker as not just a form of social security but as a government grant to prepare you for the fight ahead. There are many ways to prepare for a new COVID-normal life and to ensure that you, and whatever your business is, are able to not only survive, but thrive. Think about why you exist: what is it that makes you and your work important? Why you and not someone else? Where can you place yourself for the best chances of success? There is a huge range of resources and tools available to assist you through this process.

Also, let’s not disregard that there are people and businesses out there — like my new business George and Bill — that specialise in providing this advice and assistance (who will often provide very reasonable rates for artists and small businesses). I created George and Bill specifically to contribute and assist the arts and culture sector to move the dial from surviving to thriving. It just so happens that after 20 years of being involved and working in this sector I have launched this business that is so dear to my heart in the middle of the biggest challenge that we have ever faced and hopefully will ever face.

I too have been going through all of the emotions, I have been sad, I have been scared, I have been angry, I have cried, I have laughed, and every day has been something new. But now I am ready to fight. I have watched my fair share of The Golden Girls, I’ve played with clay, I’ve cooked (I didn’t venture into sourdough), I’ve knitted and been for lots of long walks (I’ve done all of Fitzroy North, if only Brighton was an option). But today is a new day, and I have spent the day writing and planning and I am ready to tackle what’s next. I realise that tomorrow may be a different story, but I know that from doing what I have done today in writing this article is that I have done something, putting me one step closer to being prepared to get through this.

So now, here I am, ready to fight and most importantly I’m ready to win. I’m extending my hands full of glitter, support and determination. Come with me on this journey of rolling things in glitter to see what sticks.

Big love

­

Dean

P.S. Anyone wanting to work on strengthening their marketing or business model and are genuinely looking at ways of improving their work then please send me an email dean@georgeandbill.com. I am doing heavily reduced rates for artists and small businesses and I am really happy to do payment plans.