NeoL

ーーHow has the spread of coronavirus effect your lifestyle and creative activities?


Baihe : I am/was a graduating student and a working creative living in New York City. I flew back to Tokyo on March 9th right before the outbreak and only had the chance to properly say goodbye to one person before I got on my flight. I did not know what was going to happen. Neither were these two countries I was living in. COVID-19 surely has changed my life in every possible way just as it did to the whole world. All of my courses moved to online platforms and I had to attend classes from 1am to 6am almost every day. I had been living in reverse time. That had a major impact on my creative activities. Everything seemed and felt more like a dream as the idea of time was becoming vague. My work had a tendency of becoming a dream journal even though I did not intend to do so. Also, living with my family all together for the first time had been challenging. I left home when I was eighteen and I had lived on my own in Paris and New York for a long time. It was surprisingly weird to be home knowing that I am not a child yet I can still act like one. That also had changed how I work.





ーーDo you have anything you realized and want to keep in mind from now on going through this situation ?


Baihe : There are so many things unveiled that I did not notice before the pandemic. “Protect mother earth”, “spend time with your loved ones”, “don’t be a racist”, “do what you really want to do” turned out to be more than just something you say. I am more conscious of what I have and that I treasure. I will make sure to let my loved ones know that I deeply care about them even when this is over. There are so much more I can put into actions.








ーーHow are you preparing yourself mentally and physically towards the lockdown?


Baihe : I was in an odd position. As I was born in Tokyo and raised in Beijing, I have family members in both countries. When China first had the outbreak, I was well-aware of what was going on and I was mentally prepared. New York and Tokyo both started to get worse when I got back about two months ago. I knew it was going to happen but knowing is not enough. The virus never got THAT close to me until someone I know passed away because of it. I had countless mental breakdowns.I had been wearing pajamas all day long for the first few weeks and I realized it did no good to me. Apparently it is necessary to look good and feel clean especially under this circumstance. I am now in a more positive situation as I figured out my daily routines. Having a routine is super important to me. When I am in a sad mood, I dress myself up and cook for my family. For the rest of the day, I read and write a lot. I go out at night for a walk along the river and that is my favorite daily activity.

ーーIn light of your own activities, what kind of indoor creation is possible?


Baihe : I personally think it is not healthy to force myself to make “good work” during these trying times. I figured that everything can be turned into a creative activity once I stop caring much about productivity. For now, I am obsessed with cooking, baking, and painting during the day and writing in the middle of the night. I keep a photo journal, too.

ーーIf you have any recommendations  or ideas on how to use online applications efficiently or any measures that one can take themselves, please share them with us.


Baihe : I am in love with the idea of “JOMO” (joy of missing out). I am spending lesser time on social media as now I am keeping in touch with my friends via long emails and sometimes video calls. I am not fond of texting and it is kind of stressful to reply to all those “how are you” messages. I think it is time to figure out a new way to stay with your closed ones even when you are in great distance physically.
I use online platforms to look for cultural/educational resources as there are more can be found. I really appreciate institutions and publications for their effort and generosity for offering support in these difficult times.








ーーDo you have anything you want to challenge yourself with?


Baihe : I am currently challenging myself with one thing and that is to have routines rather than rules. It is liberating as I feel like I am really living a life and that I don’t have any expectations to meet. My daily challenge now is to do yoga for an hour everyday. I am also spending some time reading in French.


ーAfter COVID-19 converges and the situation gets better, what would you like to do?


Baihe : This is a tricky question. I think I stopped thinking ahead once this pandemic started so I don’t really have a plan. But I very much want to travel even more. As well as spending more time with my loved ones.

ーーDo you agree with the measures taken by the government? If not, what other measures would you recommend taking?


Baihe : Another super tricky question for me. I live in three different countries and have friends I care much about all over the world. It is devastating and irritating for me to see how some of these countries are getting worse because their governments are not putting people’s lives into serious considerations.
I personally think China had done well by having Wuhan locked down before it got worse, as it could have gotten so much worse. My family and friends living in China are all sticking to the rules and self-isolation policy the government had made and we all think it is reasonable, and possibly the only way out of this situation.

Baihe Sun

Artist

IG : niuniu_sun