+8 Hobbies From Home: Making the Most of COVID-19
Hobbies From Home: Making the Most of COVID-19
Skylar Maio (19) begins to make a medium sized bag at my home in Newbury Park, CA, carefully making the first stitch in her previously cut fabric on December 6th, 2020. She talked about how she had never sewn before COVID-19; “My mom and I decided at 12:00 at night because we were so energetic one day in August learn how to sew. So we watched a YouTube video on how to make a bag.”
Hobbies From Home: Making the Most of COVID-19
Having success in making her bags, Skylar Maio (19) started her own company Rae Threads and now sells her bags on a website she created. As she finishes sewing the zipper onto her bag at my home in Newbury Park, CA, she displays her logo that she sews on every bag to build her brand on December 6th, 2020.
Hobbies From Home: Making the Most of COVID-19
Within an hour, Skylar Maio (19) has created a new bag in my dining room in Newbury Park, CA for one of her customers on December 6th, 2020. Making these bags has become her life and though the process is demanding, from picking out fabrics, to loading pictures on the website, and sending out orders, she enjoys every second of it.
Hobbies From Home: Making the Most of COVID-19
Hobbies From Home: Making the Most of COVID-19
Before starting his new board, Fred Kershaw (60) organized a s square space in his garage using two blue tarps and two sheets of plastic, which he calls the “Blue Room,” in order to prevent the foam shavings from flying everywhere when planing the board. He has laid out all his tools outside the “Blue Room” on November 25th, 2020 in Newbury Park, CA.
Hobbies From Home: Making the Most of COVID-19
Hobbies From Home: Making the Most of COVID-19
Hobbies From Home: Making the Most of COVID-19
Hobbies From Home: Making the Most of COVID-19
On November 24th, 2020, Marshall Via (21) opened the MG to look at the interior of the car in Camarillo, CA, explaining that the MG was extremely dirty and in bad shape when he received it. He got as far as cleaning out the interior and examining the engine to realize that the engine was rusted, parts were missing, and it would cost over a thousand dollars to get it running again.
Hobbies From Home: Making the Most of COVID-19
Hobbies From Home: Making the Most of COVID-19
Disappointedly looking at the remains of the rear window in Camarillo, CA, on November 24th, 2020, Marshall Via (22) explained how originally he wanted to fix up a car with his dad, but his dad said. “No sorry, high school was the shot. So, I decided to do it by myself and this is how far I got.” Though he was looking forward to it, he did not realize just how big the project would be and how much time it would actuarially take. He might sell it and find something else that’s not in as bad of shape for his first project.
Since March, California has been in and out of shutdowns and stay-at-home orders. The initial order was put in place on March 19th, 2020 by Governor Gavin Newsom. It mandated that all California residents shelter in place and only leave for essentials. Schools were required to move online, residents had to work virtually if their job allowed, restaurants were only open for takeout, salons and retail stores were closed, and beaches and parks allowed limited access to the public if any.
Eventually, the initial order was lifted and California began to reopen, but many schools and corporate jobs remained online to limit social gathering. However, with the climbing death rate and hospital capacity in California, a new stay-at-home order was issued by Newsom on December 5th, 2020 for different regions of the state.
COVID-19 not only takes lives every day, but it has also caused many to lose their jobs or small businesses due to the prolonged closures.
Though it has been tough, some California residents are trying to make the most of the situation. With social gatherings prohibited, recreational businesses closed, and school and work accessible from home, some have found themselves with extra time on their hands and in search of something fun to break up the monotonous days. Skylar Maio, Fred Kershaw, and Marshall Via are all residents of Ventura County California. Each have attempted to develop new hobbies during the pandemic, some having more success than others.
