2020 for me; I suspect for many others too, has resonated like a bad acid trip.  What began at the beginning of the year quickly escalated to a global pandemic and the last month has seen a resurgence, and in the wrong direction.

I had big plans for this year, I was planning to leave Sweden and move to New Zealand.  Regrettably, that now is on hold until the pandemic madness clears a little and travel again becomes possible.  I’m sure we’ll all be glad to see the back of 2020 and we all hope for better times.  

Another thing I have had to delay, yet again, is the release of my first novel The Locked Room and this is for a variety of reasons.  I am releasing the book through my own publishing label and in order to give the novel the launch and quality of product I want to, I have decided to hold back. I also feel now is not the right time economically for me to be launching a publishing label.

Although this is disappointing, I feel incredibly proud to have finished the book and be actively writing again on new material, given the health problems I have suffered over the last few years.   I never thought I would write again, at one point in the not too distant past, so to have finished writing the novel and have a finished product; does on its own, feel like a massive achievement.  Even if none of my work ever commercially sees the light of day, it feels incredibly good to be creative again, exploring my imagination and ideas.   I also recently took up sketching again, to pass the time during the most banal times of the winter and provide a distraction from the pandemic gloom. 

I began sketching superheroes and comic characters as a teenager and felt a sudden urge to start drawing again.  I’m still very raw, but think my sketching skills are getting a bit better with each one that I attempt.  This one below remains the best I have done to date, I think.

  

I have also started work on a second, ten short-story collection with the working title Dysfunctional.  I have attempted something a little different with this collection, and it will offer a selection of sci-fi, weird and horror tales.  I recently completed the fifth short titled Dirty Bunny. Below is a rather striking image I discovered online which helped inspire the story.

On a personal note, those that know me and connect with me via social media know that I feel incredibly passionate about mental health awareness.  Although my own story/advocacy on this subject is not directly related to Covid or the pandemic, please take care of your mental wellbeing during these difficult times.  It’s absolutely vital you take action if you’re feeling the effects of stress, anxiety or depression.

That’s it for now, and thanks to everyone supporting me and reading my work.

//Jonathan