In an ever-challenging time that has taken a toll on our world, there is no doubt that COVID-19 has certainly brought an endless list of struggles, new changes, and adapting to the new norm which was unimaginable in the past. Considering the mental and physical toll COVID-19 is taking on everyone, it is pivotal to search for ways to rise above such constant negativity and remaining grounded through motivation on a daily basis. In the midst of such difficult times, everyone has had to resort to new ways of coping to help them preserve their mental health.
However, I was keen to search and talk to our previously featured interviewees at FACES to find out how they used their special talents to cope with the current situation. I spoke to three talented Omanis, Sayyida Latifah Al Said – a member of Oman’s royal family and a London based artist, followed by Musafir Al Sinaani – a renowned violinist and dog trainer, and finally Marvet Nassir – an actress, host, and a social media influencer, who was fondly referred to as the Minister of Happiness in Oman due to her bubbly personality.
When asked how they coped with the challenges of COVID-19, Sayyida Latifah described her active participation as an artist: “During early 2020, I was participating in a few group shows. I also had a small solo show prior to the lockdown, but at that point of time, people were already trying to avoid groups and crowds since it was a new situation for all of us. It was pivotal to educate us on how to remain safe at the start of the pandemic.” Since everything had begun to move online, Sayyida Latifah was motivated to capitalise on the new opportunities that digital connectivity provided and experiment with how their work could be seen. Consequently, by the end of summer, she launched an open-air group show as she explains: “The open-air group show took place in a park which was fun, it was interesting to attach the paintings to trees since the wind could blow the canvas every so often, but it enabled me to see my work outside of a gallery environment, which was great.”
For Musafir Al Sinaani – a renowned Omani violinist and dog-trainer, a week prior to the COVID-19, he performed and led a band at the prestigious Royal Opera House in Oman, which he recalled as a fantastic event. However, once the virus crisis emerged, everything came to a standstill. This did not deter him from continuing his music. As he explains: “I decided not to stop during this time, instead I started conducting live events online and providing online classes for learning how to play the violin.” He wanted to use his musical talent to train others and help them cope with this distressing time. Music, he believes, creates calmness and positivity in one’s soul.
In the case of Marvet, the pandemic meant getting accustomed to the stay-at-home norm, which is a setback for performing artists who require going out to film drama or movies. As she explains: “Being an artist means you need to interact at gatherings and exhibitions, as well as be socially active, which was not possible during the pandemic. It was undoubtedly a difficult time for me, unable to film for dramas or movies which I am passionate about.” Despite these limitations, she did not lose hope and explored opportunities that were carefully thought to highlight her content.
She points out: “Since I am an actress, I found myself inclined to offer my advice to people via social media, which included both my followers and beloved ones, to build awareness on the consequences of this pandemic.” She also did not hesitate to serve the country whenever she had an opportunity to do so, be it through active campaigning and educating people about the dangers of the pandemic or by promoting positive messages online. For instance: “I created awareness clips and participated with my colleagues in joint group work which urged people to stay home and exercise social distancing for the welfare of their family and the overall community.”
The creative Sayyida Latifah created an engaging quarantine routine that enabled her to use her artistic skills in a productive manner despite the indoor bringing challenges as she explains: “During quarantine, I made the most of the one hour exercise we could, painted as much as I could, and ate too many snacks whilst stuck indoors. Nature became a lot more important to me during the quarantine time.” She produced some new work inspired by the past year’s events, including her response to COVID.
However, interestingly, she went a step ahead and did something fascinating to bring a smile on the faces of the NHS UK (National Health System) staff. She painted portraits for three NHS key workers: “It was lovely to see the pleasure on their faces when they received the art pieces as a gift. I think psychologically my work has shifted since I started to explore depicting this sense of loss and nostalgia for life as we once knew it. Much of my work deals with absence and presence, and in the series of work that I have been painting I depict people alone and in group dynamics, trying to express their internal and emotional states.”
For Al Sinaani, the quarantine period meant learning new things: “I made use of my time indoors, which kept me occupied most of the time. I enjoyed reading which helped me enhance my knowledge and prepare me for the coming time. Horse riding was another area that sparked an interest for him. As he describes: “I started training with horses at the Al Falahy School which helped me learn how to deal with such a beautiful animal, which opened a new window of opportunity for me to undergo training for a future horse show jumping competition.” Having said that, he also believes his precious violin provided him with relaxation and de-stressing amidst the rampant negativity caused by the virus crisis.
Even though Marvet was confined indoors, producing her broadcasts, she found it engaging to work with entirely new concepts during this trying time, which in turn helped her recognise her potential in the form of “Aunt Agony”. As she describes: “Due to the current crisis, my usual work as an actress and an activist was restricted on social media platforms. However, whenever the situation emerged, I was able to provide a helping hand to those who were suffering from depression and anxiety resulting from the pandemic. I was determined to consistently spread the positive spirit of hope and optimism through my online presence.”
Given the frustrations, loss of various opportunities, and limited platforms to express their individual talents, as a result of COVID-19, there is no doubt that it has instilled a sense of fear and created a new norm of social distancing. Whilst the psychological, social, and physical setbacks cannot be undermined, however, the beauty of this ever-challenging time is that it has enabled these three Omanis to explore their talents, and value the beauty of the smaller things in life, which usually gets overlooked as we get caught up in the everyday hustle and bustle of our daily lives.
Understanding the value of individual talent should not be undermined, but instead fostered since this new norm has given them an individual platform to assess and utilise their current resources to produce something new altogether. Also, not to forget re-discovering the importance of human relationships, valuing their presence, and checking on each other to ensure the other is fine. Each one of us has our individual responsibility to carry out those checks which provide an overall satisfaction to one’s mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health.