"If you stop struggling, then you stop life."

Day 41:

I feel like I've been on the verge of tears for the last 48 hours and it seems like its getting harder and harder to hold my self together for me and Opeie. My mental health has really taken a beating over the last 2 years and it kind of feels like this whole thing is putting something into motion that I really want to try and avoid. Im a pretty sensitive guy so it was inevitable that I was going to feel like this but there are people in much worse positions than me and I find myself feeling really sad for them too, whoever they are. I'd love to be one of those people that can just switch off sometimes but my head is bustling with information and thoughts and I really struggle some days to slow it down. 

On top of all that I need a cuddle bad, I'm such an affectionate person and the lack of that is really affecting me on a level that I really wasn't expecting, what a mess. Anyway, to try and help me out of my funk today I painted a Rainbow Stag Beetle, which to be fair did the job for an hour or so. I seriously need to keep myself as busy as I can.

Stay safe all, and be kind to yourselves.

"Life is a collage of events, really."

Day 40:

Not the greatest of days today to be fair, everything just seems a little heavier than usual. We did however manage to have a morning of cutting and pasting, 80's style. Opeie drew a pretty awesome Mr.T to go on his which really made me smile. The little things that make us happy are pretty much all we've got to hold on to, while we're not seeing our friends and loved ones, I'm really hoping for some much brighter days. 

"Almost all creativity involves purposeful play."

Day 38:

Our style of home-ed has gone completely out of the window since all this began, It was never really structured to start with but I always had a plan in my head each morning of the work we were probably going to be doing. These days I think it's far more important to be focusing on the mental health of our kids. All this is so much for them to deal with emotionally. So with that In mind our days have been all about the creative side of learning, we do what ever makes Opeie feel happiest. Today we made a dinosaur mask for his LEGO Boost and he did some coding. It's always a fun educational activity that never disappoints. 

This whole thing is hard enough without having to worry about academic learning while the schools are closed. get playing with your kids, that's where the real magic is.

Building a better you is the first step to building a better anything.

Day 37:

This crazy lockdown kinda feels like its been sponsored by LEGO in our house because it has pretty much shaped every day of being stuck at home. Keeping our creativity alight is getting the both of us through this and in a much better headspace. Yesterday we built a tin robot for the word 'Vintage' on our #creativelockdownproject over on Instagram. 

If you fancy a bit of creative inspiration to get you through, head on over and join in HERE.

“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity."

Day 36:

As expected yesterdays miserable day was long gone when we woke up this morning. Shockingly I slept from 8:30 till just before 7:30 which is really unlike me. We got straight up and went for an hours walk which was lush. The morning was filled with LEGO creating for our #creativelockdownproject which today was 'Botanical'. Before heading out again in the car to make the most of the Pokemon Go community day (with no community 😥). Everything about today was happy and we're both hoping that the coming days are much the same, I need to hold on to this sunshine feeling.

"Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water."

Day 35:

Today was such a huge contrast compared to the bright and colourful mood I was in yesterday. I spent the day angry and upset and the fact that neither myself or Opeie had slept well just added to those negative feelings. By about 3 we had both decided that we just wanted to go to bed and start the day again, I really hope there's not too many of these days. I had a good cry before bed because it clearly needed to come out so that I could fully reset the following morning. I know I'm not the only one having these kind of days, these are weird times.  Stay safe all.

“The real world is where the monsters are.”

Day 34:

Todays picture is actually from yesterday, it was really colourful and that's how I'm feeling today. We both slept well, we were out early for a walk again and now we're eager to get some creativity pumping. Opeie started to flag yesterday afternoon and was really fed up (we're all going to have days like that) so I'm going to do what I can to hold on to this positive start to the day.

"Sleep is for squares."

Day 33:

When all this madness started I really struggled to get to sleep of an evening and found myself pacing around the house in the early hours not really knowing what to do. Thankfully that seems to have passed and instead I'm left with my body telling me its time to wake up really early (which I much prefer). Being up early means that we can get out for a walk while it's quiet and it means that we don't bump into many people along the way, bliss. 

"For a fusion to work, there needs to be balance. An imbalance can cause your fusion to lose touch with reality, see things that aren't there, and eventually fall apart."

Day 32:

The #creativelockdownproject that we have been taking part in for the last 5 days has been an absolute blessing because it means that we don't wake up in the morning and consider doing nothing for the entire day (which lets be honest, could definitely be a thing during these times). Todays word was 'Splice' so with Opeie being a huge Steven Universe fan we decided to base ours around Crystal Gem fusions. 

“In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay."

Day 31:

Today Opeie spent the day making a LEGO comic book all about me turning into a zombie. I love that he had the whole thing planned out in his head, he just needed a little help with setting up the scenes and taking the pics. When he's in this kind of creative mood its really moorish and it put some seriously happy vibes on our day of self isolation. More days like this please!