As I am quarantining myself at home during the coronavirus outbreak like other Hong Kongers, I have realized how a home-bound condition can have a negative effect on mental health. Staying at home all day can be hard. It is even harder to bound ourselves at home under the condition that go against our conscious will because there is no choice making involved. When the government does not seem to be able to gain the trust of its people and to hold the city’s anxiety arising from the feelings of uncertainties, it has made citizens staying at home more helpless as it makes us feel we have no ones to hold onto during the wait (or is it a wait?).
The news clip makes me think about those in the quarantine camps in Hong Kong. As I am coping with staying at home worrying about not having enough masks, I can imagine how hard it can be to stay in isolation for two weeks. Art has the power to help us feel more in control which is one of the fundamental elements of human’s existence. It also has the capacity to contain people’s anxiety. It would be nice if the government could consider distributing clay or other art materials to help those in isolation feel more in control of their lives.
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