We catch up with our Office Manager, Katrine, this week.
What do you do at Art4Space and what would you say is the best thing about Art4Space?
I’m the Office Manager at Art4Space so I manage office tasks to ensure the office and other admin tasks are going smoothly, plus I do the bookkeeping. I also manage our social media accounts and campaigns, and update our website. The best thing about Art4Space is the creativity and encouragement you get from the directors, the rest of the team and the people you meet through the organisation. I also can’t wait to be able to go back to the studio as the space in Stockwell gives a really nice energy.
How do your days usually start?
We had plumbers in sorting out our bathroom last month, so that meant we had our alarm set earlier than we were used to during the other lockdowns. I’ve now managed to keep that alarm on that earlier time, so I usually start the day now by having a shower, but if I’m too tired I just open the window in the lounge, listen to a podcast while lying on the sofa with BBC Breakfast on in the background, before I make myself breakfast and coffees.
Do you have any personal tips for keeping well during lockdown?
Stick to some routines; I get up at the same time on weekdays and I go for a walk at least once a day or do a home workout on Youtube. Think that you’re going to allow yourself a walk outside rather than thinking you have to go outside. I go for a walk almost every day now, either during my lunch break or 40 minute to 1 hour after work, where I walk the same route with a podcast – I would recommend having a circular route, rather than walking around aimlessly or have an aim such as going to the local shop to pick up something. Studies show just doing a 20-minute walk will boost your mood that day, plus I’m staring into a screen most of my working days, so I really need to go outside to recharge my energy and clear my head.
Is there anything you have discovered that you would like to recommend?
I would recommend the website “UK Quarantine Quiz”, which is an online quiz run by a guy (Quiz Master) and his wife. During the first lockdown they ran it every day, but now it’s only 8 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays.
It’s five rounds with different subjects (also sent in by people). The first round is always general knowledge, then it’s at least one audio round and one picture round. The guy has created the website where you get the questions up on the screen and your team have to type up the answers and you have one team captain who sends in the answer to the Quiz Master. You can chat via text on their website, but what me and my friends do is that we also have a video call running with us on the team, so we can talk and discuss the answers while one of us sends in the answers. It’s quite a lot of teams playing, and we’ve managed to be in the top 5 a couple of times now. It’s quite a good way to be social while doing something together plus using your knowledge during lockdown.
What is your favourite home lockdown lunch?
I’m quite boring with my regular sandwich and fruit almost every day, but if I’m lucky we have some leftovers from last night’s dinner like chilli sin carne. But I also make this really nice cheese sandwich with sourdough bread, pesto and parmesan. I found the recipe from Live Like Louise’s Instagram page.
Are you working on any creative projects?
I’m not really an artist or anything anymore, but I discovered an app called 1 Second Everyday (1SE) where you document 1 second of your day either by a photo or a film (I prefer filming), which I think it’s quite a creative project to do at the moment. I often just randomly remember that I need to film a second of my day, so often it’s just a second out the window or walking down our street with a nice sky, but it’s really fun looking back on your month. I’ve been doing it since September now. Plus I think when this pandemic is over it will really document what we were doing back then. You don’t have to share it with anyone by the way, you can download the monthly video if you want to so you can share it, but I just like using it to look back at my days in a month.
How do you have a “break” or relax in lockdown?
I really relax when I’m doing a face sheet mask for 15-20 minutes alone on early mornings while I’m just enjoying the silence from an open window in the lounge or listening to a podcast. I have to wear glasses when I watch telly, so the time having it on just forces me not to spend all my time watching TV, but enjoying the silence or a podcast.
Who would you give a shout out to and why
I would like to give a shout out to my partner Dan who has been part-time furloughed so many times this last year. I think it’s great how he has found different projects and aims throughout this time, painted our flat, and let me sit in the lounge to work and do meetings almost every day! Plus he has been great having at home to answer my stupid questions about how to edit things for Art4Space’s website (haha).