What a year, I mean c'mon. This time last year we were squashing in as many drinks and meal meet-ups as we could and making elaborate plans for 2020. January and February may have got off to a good start but by March, our lives were turned upside down. Many of our family and friends found themselves immediately out of work and those that were lucky enough to work remotely found themselves struggling to keep the show on the road without the supports we will never again take for granted.
Despite all the talk about dolphins in canals, birdsong and a renewed appreciation for nature and the arts, the stresses and strains of lockdown became overwhelming. There seemed to be this parallel pressure to improve ourselves through online exercise, courses, baking and so on when all we needed to do was stop and take a breath and realise we were in an emergency and all we had to do was get through it. Work wise, I found myself totally immersed in the pandemic because I started a website with a few friends, Pendemic.ie, which invited and published submissions from all over the world to document that moment in time. Then with the handwriting service, in response to your requests, I found myself immersed in the intimacy of personal communications so it was like a double dip along with my personal experience of the pandemic so it was altogether very strange but hey, I got through it. Anyway, I hope you found some sort of groove to make sense of the incomprehensible and that you take the holiday time to again reset.
Guys, I've been humbled by the support shown to small indie makers like me, a global effort to support and shop local. Compared to other years, I only had a handful of orders from overseas so I presume they too have supported local makers in their countries and that's mighty fine with me. I sold out so many times this season, not only in the usual Ho Feckin' Ho but also in the Corona themed cards (Christmas is NOT cancelled and We'll meet again), the Bah Humbug Bad Ass and unfortunately in the Christmas Grief cards - so many times and even the pre-orders of a new delivery sold out overnight so I had to go again. Normally, I wouldn't reorder Christmas cards so late in the day but the Christmas Grief ones are particularly special going by the lovely emails, posts and tweets I get every year so I didn't want to let anyone down.
Anyway 2020 is nearly a wrap and like I say in the bad ass card 'that year can just fuck right off'. I hope 2021 is better for all of us. Thanks again and Merry Christmas,
Joy xx