It has been an interesting journey. In many way, of course, it is not over, but the main disaster, the physical distancing and social isolation, and the closure of the shop, is now over. I am back in operation, ready to serve the citizens of Orléans and Ottawa as before. With, of course, some changes to ensure everyone’s safety. It certainly was a long 82 days.

The Store is about to re-open: see www.michaelwillemsphoto.com. It will be around this weekend (store preparation depends on supplies). In any case, I am preparing. It feels good.

Yes, it’s dramatic… but I do not think it is overly dramatic. These are, after all, dramatic times, where everything we hold dear (like enough money to eat; a car to drive; people to be close to) is suddenly changed or uncertain.

Fortunately, the studio will eventually open again. And I have enough trust in humanity to believe that people will come back, eventually.

It is getting serious: financially and psychologically, many people will not be able to take much more of this. 75 days and counting, and “social distancing” will be, say many, the “new normal”. Not a normal I would like to live with, frankly.

But there are ways to lighten the effect. One is to do the normal things, but do them online – interactively, live, with actual people in real time. Check out my courses, which I now teach online in real time. And if you haven’t done so yet, do check out my YouTube channel (link on the right). And stay strong.