What got me thinking . . .

This time of social isolation during Covid19 is going to leave a mark on our collective memories. It has affected, and will affect us all in some way. While I've been isolating with my family, I've had time to reflect on my childhood. My childhood was different to my children's in many ways. Firstly, I am an immigrant. Granted, I came to Ireland by choice, but I do miss so much about my home, my upbringing, my traditions, my culture, and my family that I left behind. Secondly, advances in technology have made isolation today a much more comfortable experience than it might have been 30 years ago. Things were just different.

I want to reflect on some of the universal experiences of childhood, such as wondering if new shoes could make you run faster, or thinking that cats were girls and dogs were boys. I want to explore some of the small but poignant moments from childhood, such as reading bedtime stories with a grandparent on the porch swing, or chasing lightening bugs in the summer at dusk. Not all memories are perfect; not all memories are happy, and I'd like to contemplate some of these as well. Touching on these topics through illustration is a way to explore them in symbolic, conceptual, or interpretive ways.

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Hashtags will be #irememberbeingachild #childhoodmemories #rememberimmigrantchildhood and #artscouncilofireland

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