Melbourne Lockdown: Sketch A Day

Most of the world has been on lockdown at some point this year due to Coronavirus. As tough as that has been, one of the benefits has been seeing all of the creative ways my friends and family have occupied this new-found free time with.

I love being creative and I was keen to see what I could make if I put my mind to it. However, as sn international student in Australia, I didn’t qualify for any government aid such as Job Keeper or Centrelink. Staying at home wasn’t an option for me and instead, I had to bounce around between jobs to maintain an income during lockdown.

When Melbourne’s second lockdown was announced and I lost my third job of the year, I felt pretty deflated, having thought that we’d got through the worst of it. Seeing as I’d earnt enough for a bit of a financial buffer, I made the decision to take some time for myself to rest and be creative. After giving it some thought, I decided to do a series of quick daily sketches during the six weeks of lockdown. I wanted to remind myself to appreciate the little things and to give myself a challenge and purpose at a time that would be pretty easy to feel lost in.
Alongside this, I have decided to start watching lots of art tutorials; the aim is to see some noticeable progress over the coming weeks. I am by no means an artist or even an amateur one at that. I am purely someone putting pen to paper and seeing what comes of it.
I hope that you are all finding ways to enjoy and stay occupied during this scary time.

Day 1

The first day of lockdown was my last at work for a while. On the way home, I snapped a photo of some pretty houses in Carlton.

 

Day 2

My first day off. I took myself off on my favourite run along the river to try and add some structure to my day but I did feel a little down.

Day 3

My housemate Cory and I bought some goods from the DOC delicatessen in Lygon Street. We ate fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, Rose and pretended we were in good old Italia.

Day 4

I did my grocery shopping at the market- always a highlight of my week. It was a beautiful sunny day.

Day 5

I woke up early for a stroll and takeaway coffee with my housemate Koi. On the way home, we wandered past one of my favourite buildings in Melbourne.

Day 6

I went for a lovely run around Fitzroy Gardens and snapped a photo of Captain Cook’s Cottage; one of my favourite building in Melbourne. Afterwards, I got a coffee and sat on a bench in the sun.

Day 7

Woke up early, went for a run, got dressed into proper clothes, made a quiche and successfully felt like a proper adult. Spend the afternoon sketching and drinking lots of tea.

What ways have you found to occupy yourself during lockdown?

Share your thoughts in the comments.