"Kids need creativity in this situation," Collin Van Der Sluijs reminds us from Maastricht in the south of The Netherlands. "Let's spread this message!" As we continue to report on artists' experiences during the current state of the world, we checked with Van Der Sluijs who is living in a region of Holland that was first impacted by the spread of Covid-19. With his daughters home from school, he divides parenting with his wife and brings the kids to the studio for some creative fun time. Reminiscing about life before the pandemic, Van Der Sluijs still seems to be able to find the silver lining in this difficult situation.
"Wake up and make breakfast. Bring the kids to school. Bike to the studio. Come back home and make dinner. Get back on the bike in the after that, check some spots to hang out or paint. Answer emails in the evening, planning outdoor projects. That used to be the usual flow of daily life.
"It all changed around March 14th, with this virus kicking in. But we keep finding artistic ways to solve this, besides making homework provided online by the school, which is very helpful right now. During the days of this quarantine situation, it makes me sad that every conversation, in person or over the phone, is about the virus. And believe me, I'm trying to avoid that as much as possible, though we can't deny this situation.
"The studio I’ve had for ten years has always been a private place, and I like that. It's my escape from reality and the place where I make work for upcoming shows or just mess around. It's a place where I can allow myself to take time and finish a painting 3 years later while working on other deadlines in the meantime. In the current situation, I do as much as I can in 3 hours a day.
"Education doesn't stop at home and both our kids love to paint and draw, so the studio is on fire! Call that a perfect storm. They are blazing beats on the speaker and free to do whatever they want. Nobody there to tell you to clean up. Kids need creativity in this situation! Let's spread this message!"
Text compiled by Sasha Bogojev
