My family’s health, but also staying sane and not going all Yellow Wallpaper. Trying to entertain myself and laugh as much as I can.
What was most important to you before you had to social distance?
Being busy all the time. Trying to be everywhere and anywhere. I was constantly going into Manhattan and squeezing as much as possible into one day all the time. Constantly going was a main focus of mine.
What’s the first thing you’ll do when this is over?
Seeing my family, but I also really can’t wait to sit at a dive bar and get a beer. There’s this skeezy dive bar that I used to pass by all the time in Manhattan. It’s in the worst location. It’s really far West. So far West that my friend wouldn’t meet me there. There’s been construction going on outside it for three years, I’m pretty sure. I walked in there once and it was so dirty and there were pride flags behind the bar, they were playing Casablanca on TV. I just want to go there and sit and have a beer.
What are you doing to pass the time?
I’ve been taking the time to learn about anything that even remotely interests me. Right now, that’s costume design, gothic literature, Caroline Calloway–literally anything that passes through my mind as something I want to know more about –I’ll take the time to learn about it. I’ve been reading a lot. I thankfully made a trip to the library before all of this went down, so that was pretty fortunate, I guess.
What makes you happy right now?
Social Media right now has become a place to genuinely connect. I feel like a lot of the time it’s like “look at all the fun things I’m doing” but now it’s like “join my meditation today on live, here’s a Q&A with Barry Jenkins for free, here’s some resources to not go fucking crazy right now.” I feel like Instagram especially is a tool for good right now, and that’s something that makes me really happy.
What would you tell yourself two months ago with the knowledge you have today?
Slow down, hug people. Get more books from the library, and get a case of wine.
I remember more than a month ago, being in meetings with people who were talking about going to buy masks and getting canned foods, and I remember thinking “I don’t know if that’s necessary.” In the blink of an eye we were all home. Things can change and get really serious really quickly. It feels weird living through a pandemic like this. Watching [Global Citizen] Together at Home last night was so weird. Kids are going to be tested on these things. Being a part of something like that is scary and weird. Things change really fast. It can happen to you.
