Day 124: Art in the Age of Quarantine

Day 124: July 28, 2020
Global Cases: 16, 884, 052; Deaths: 662, 482
Egypt Cases: 92, 947; Deaths: 4, 691

Zeina Abdel Aziz
Multimedia Journalism Sophomore

When the Coronavirus pandemic first started spreading in Egypt, it was a very hard time for me. I felt really down, my sleep schedule was completely messed up, and I felt demotivated to do anything. It had a very negative impact on me, as I felt that I was worthless and had no purpose of doing anything.

But as the days wore on, I discovered two new hobbies: painting and playing the piano, and these have been my escape during quarantine ever since.

I felt that I had forgotten about the world and it was just me unleashing my talents so effortlessly. Normally, I work as a makeup artist as a side job to my studies, but unfortunately, I had to withhold my job because of safety reasons. Having an artistic eye since I was a little girl, I wanted to express my talent through anything, so I told myself “why not try painting?”

I went to a stationery shop and I bought some art supplies and canvases. Once I picked up the brush, there it was, so natural and effortless, as if I’ve been painting my whole life!

When it comes to playing the piano, it’s actually a rediscovered talent. I used to take piano lessons when I was in elementary school, but things got carried away and my mother’s old piano lay there for 10 whole years untouched. So, I decided to reteach myself the basic music notes from the internet and started playing my favorite song.

I will forever be grateful for this pandemic as it pushed me to trying new things and discovering new sides of me that I never knew that it existed.