As Covid infection rate continues to go down, restrictions are being lifted and it does feel as if our life is going slowly back to normal. Together with this week’s glorious weather, it makes me hopeful and happy. Past year was extremely challenging but thanks to the supports of customers, colleagues, friends and neighbours, demure could survive to date. I would like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Until very recently, I stayed in a ‘lock-down mode’ with much less direct contact with the outside world. It was such unique experience. On a surprisingly positive note, I had an opportunity to focus on creative side of my work. In isolation with more free time in my hand, I could try new things and dig out old materials and skills. The items made in such way may not be the most ‘commercial’ things, but they were given great platforms by those who believed in my ability and that gave me great amount of confidence which I needed to survive the difficult period.
On the other hand, lack of direct contact with other entrepreneurs did have negative impact on me. To be honest, I didn’t even realize this fact until recently when I started having anxiety and even panicky thoughts about how I continue with demure. Sometimes I even thought of quitting. And as you may know, the worst symptom of such state of mind is to think you are the only one in that state and there is no one who could be in the same situation or would understand that feeling. Moreover, I suspect that there is something like ‘sense of shame’ in talking about such feelings because within business community, there is almost too much emphasis on ‘eventual success’ rather than struggles in process. And the success only means financial success.
Also, I hate the mainstream interpretation and over-valuation of ‘positivity’ . Like criticism can be a constructive way forward, acknowledging existing negativity in life is the first step towards addressing it properly. And of course it’s easier to do it with someone who could be in similar situations rather than being pissed off and depressed on your own.
This way I hope to wind down the psychological lock down and support each other with other entrepreneurs in continued efforts to recover from the crisis. So small business struggles go on for another while but I hope we will survive together. As I said, ‘struggles in process’ rather than ‘eventual success’ is what gives entrepreneurial businesses opportunities to be creative and flourish. And such efforts play vital roles in unique local culture with many personal stories. I would therefore like to ask all of you to continue to support your favourite businesses and favourite people so all of us can come out of crisis even better and stronger. Thank you very much in advance!

