Well now. To say that 2020 was a rollercoaster would be a massive understatement. Everything seemed fine, every single person on the planet was excited for what 2020 was going to bring - a brand new, fresh start from 2019, something to look forward to and due to the connotation of 'hindsight is 20/20', we were going to make sure the world changed.
Needless to say, the world definitely changed. Nations were under attack and there seemed to be nothing anyone could do about it. A global pandemic swept us all up and flipped our lives upside down. While governments struggled to keep panic at bay and to keep their country afloat, entire cities, states, provinces, and prefectures shut down to keep the novel Coronavirus at bay. We say 14 day quarantines turn into month-long lockdowns, into almost a full year of rescheduled life events and hundreds of thousands dead. The US in particular had a pretty rough time, between non-believers in the government itself which led to mass devastation, to hoax-criers refusing to sacrifice a bit of normalcy for the betterment, health, and wellbeing of their neighbors. But "Love thy neighbor", am I right? We entered 2021 with a better understanding, a government that has actively taken a stance to protecting its citizens against Covid-19 by supporting and pushing a vaccine meant to help us all stay healthier, even though there is more pushback than ever from previous administration's cult-like following.
Even still, among all that, we are surviving. Unfortunately, the mental and emotional health of the world has taken quite the hit, leading to mass depression and anxiety. Yet we still push on. The outpouring of support for the displaced and less fortunate has been astounding, especially among social media. I'm not saying the boom has been perfect or that the trolls have been slain, but the fact that strangers on Tiktok and Twitter have stood together to combat homophobia, racism, transphobia, religious persecution, narcissists, abusers, and everything in between has been absolutely amazing and inspirational. We are surviving the loss of jobs and homes, security and normalcy. Small businesses have taken a hit while big business continues to thrive, but we are turning the tables and pushing for the 'shop local, shop small' crowd.
Among all this, some like myself have taken time to look at new ways to maintain a sense of creativity and community. I launched the Taking the Shot with VCintrón Photography back at the end of January and all things considered, it is a slow progression but I'm enjoying the work and effort. I've continued to work with brands as much as possible, to collaborate and help them grow while expanding my own photography reach. I've looked into new hobbies and projects that I hope to incorporate into my photography and photo-printing business. Since 2020 was a bust, we are making 2021 a year of recovery and growth. And just like my podcast, even if your growth and mental health expansion hasn't been a quick one, or a big boom to say the least, I want to remind you that it is okay. These things take time and patience, and will be well worth it in the end!
