What's Next?
This little project is my personal take on the new normal and a way for me to imagine what would happen in the next few months. I tried to examine how I've been feeling since quarantine started and to be honest at first it was not great, but as time went by and especially around the phase 1 reopening of the province, I started to feel better. I focused on one aspect of my personality that helped me deal with this situation probably better than others, and that is my introversion. During this time right now the new normal is in favour of introverts. I'm not talking about the stuck at home part, but the social distancing one. As an introvert I am more sensitive to external stimuli than extroverts which means the less busy streets and less crowded subways make me feel more comfortable and calm outside my home. I used two little journals to brainstorm and sketch some ideas. Unfortunately I don't own a DSLR or an iPad and I couldn't borrow any from school because it's closed, but the bright side is I got to be creative with some pens and sketch all my ideas in my little journals and end up making a short stop-motion film using my iPhone and PremierePro. This short film captures my view of the new normal and how I imagine the upcoming few months.
This is solely based on my personal experience but I did some research on introversion and came across Susan Cain's TED Talk, The Power of Introverts which opened my eyes to how the world has always favoured extroverts over introverts and how that applies to my experience as an introvert. And so I started examining how people behave when I go out and how most people panic when a stranger stands too close to them, so people got used to social distancing and it has become a habit. Habits don't usually go away so fast so I believe that now that everyone is used to having more personal space in public, the 6ft rule will stick with us for at least a few months, but as a preference rather than a rule.
Script
Everything has changed in the past few months. The world that couldn’t stop talking, went silent, and now panics at the thought of being touched. I’m not gonna repeat what’s on the news so I’ll go straight to my point. One of the things that truly define me is my introversion. I am a person who values my alone time and my personal space. A few months ago this world was so loud for someone like me. Don’t get me wrong, I hate being restricted, but I do appreciate not being squished on a crowded subway, or getting pumped into on a busy street. I can finally enjoy my personal space outside my home. And for the first time I get to experience how it feels to be favoured over an extrovert. Nobody knows for sure when life would go back to the old normal, or if it ever will. I really hope it doesn’t. According to research, it takes around an average of 66 days to develop a habit. A habit of washing hands regularly, wearing a mask outside, or simply keeping distance from others. Which is all I’m asking for. I think these habits are going to stick, at least for a few months. This pandemic came at a time when everything, from working to grocery shopping online was becoming the norm. Taking that into consideration, maybe more people have found comfort in the new normal like I have. Now that everything is more convenient, maybe the stores wont be as busy as before, and rush hour would just be regular traffic. Maybe the world would be more at peace, at least that’s how it’d feel for people like me.