Bedroom
Cozy Corner “Work Station”
Fifteen Months Postpartum
February 14th, 2022
My cozy corner is my bedroom workstation through all the chaos during the pandemic this was my peaceful space. Pre-Covid 19, I became an adjunct lecturer to teach digital photography. This was a marvelous experience to be an alumni teaching at the Bronx Community College. This was my first teaching experience doing something that I love! Of course, it sounds crazy to take on a teaching gig, without having any expertise but as an artist, I have always been a risk-taker. As a graphic designer and photographer teaching was something far beyond my list. Although I was freelancing and doing a lot of remote work from home, I never thought to see the world on pause like two years ago. At the same time, I had a baby while transitioning to teach remotely from home.
My cozy corner became the place for me to feel connected with myself, my students, my creativity, and my writing. During this pandemic period, we all had to get used to seeing each other through zoom calls. As an educator teaching my second-semester fall 2020, it was challenging to deal with new students and make sure to keep them engaged, and having to take many bathroom breaks because of my pregnancy. Furthermore, teaching remotely was fun some of my students were engaged and others weren’t which was understandable since they were used to being in the classroom all the time. Though, sometimes we all felt disconnected since when learning to take photographs it is more fun to interact with your subject and understand studio lighting in person as beginner photographers.
Besides being an educator and content creator this cozy corner has become a space for me to check in with my mental health. Finding time to write again has never been as easy as I thought with a toddler screaming “Mami” every five seconds. Now, I am hy-flex teaching and it has a strange transition from working away from my cozy corner. Those that do not know the meaning of hy-flex (students allowed to be in the classroom remote or in-person), but as the educator, have to be in the classroom teaching through a digital screen. Going back to finding time for my mental health in my cozy corner usually is through creating ads, finding inspiration, listening to podcasts, listening to live conversations on Clubhouse, applying to remote positions, or finding the time to write my thoughts.
Lastly, everyone has a cozy corner to either create, write, or produce digital content. I am thankful to have found the time to seat in my cozy corner to finish this essay and express my thoughts on my workspace and this pandemic new work environment and how it has affected me as a single mother. Do you have a cozy corner? What else should I write about? Send me an email at marcosandmama(at)gmail(dot)com