Over the past few months I have been lucky enough to be able to volunteer several times a week at a Covid-19 vaccination centre close to where I live.

One encounter that sticks with me still was when there was a quiet period at the centre. A woman was directed into the main entrance hall, where I was stationed. She was dressed head to toe in black, and was shaking. In her hands she clutched a flowery bag. Once I’d directed her to a seat, I came to check if she was okay.
She told me, “No, I’m terrified. I haven’t been outside in eleven months.” I tried my best to comfort her, knowing the doctors just a few rooms away would help her in just a few minutes, but she was under my care for now… She told me that she was extremely relieved to be getting the vaccine. The process is scary, she explained. The journey outside into a world filled with coronavirus is terrifying. But it’s worth it. Because after her second dose, she’ll be out there again, in the sunshine.

Her story was similar to so many other people’s. We have spent a year, holed up at home, in the dark, in fear of a virus that has killed so many. This vaccination is hope. It’s escape. It’s an opportunity to come outside, blinking into the sunlight, and experience the world again. The encounter stuck with me, and I don’t know why she, of the thousands of people I came into contact with, still reminds me of how precious our freedom is. Light and friendship and community are vital parts of human existence. I never really realised how much my health, both physical and mental, are linked with spending time outside.

For my creative piece, I wanted to explore what it’s like for patients to feel free again, after a year in lockdown. The woman depicted is reminiscent of the lady I met, but her dress, instead of being black, has a floral design. I chose specific flowers to paint onto the dress, because I’ve always been intrigued by the different meanings of certain flowers. I won’t list all of the meanings but some significant ones are; Chamomile, meaning patience in adversity; Dandelions for overcoming hardship; Rosemary for remembrance; and Sage, which links to health, wisdom, and respect.
The flowers, along with their original meanings, represent the outdoors, health, friendship, and hope. I’m so hopeful that this vaccine (in combination with other vitally important changes to our world) can bring us back to a place where sharing time with others in the beauty of nature is a possibility again.

Beginning this piece, I initially mostly focused on the imagery of flowers and how they would link in to my experiences vaccinating. However, as I began to plan and sketch out my initial project, I realised that I didn’t want the experience I was trying to convey to be represented by a bird, or a cage, or a text message. I wanted to show a person, nervous but still persevering, enjoying freedom and sunshine – represented by the flowers.

This drawing was reworked and rearranged many times – I was using a digital art program and that’s the beauty of building layers and copying and pasting.