Last week we hopped onto Facebook live and poured our hearts out to our followers about how it’s felt to be a Canberran this summer.
We called it: it’s been the most stressful, unpleasant summer of our lives. Thank goodness it feels like it’s almost over. And thank goodness we haven’t copped the very latest of disasters in the form of floods.
We know we’re not alone. Canberra is a very unique city and after ten years in small business, I have learnt that CanberraĀ is sensitive and vulnerable to certain events. As we emerged from our protective cocoons in mid January and attempted to return to work, we could feel it everywhere – Canberra was hurting.
The reasons were numerous:
- WeĀ had unbreathable air for nearly 2 months.
- Many of us were caught up in the bushfires in NSW over New Year’s, or had friends andĀ family who’s lives and properties were threatened.
- Many of us had to cancel our long-awaitedĀ summer holidays, or had them interrupted by road closures, smoke and fires.
- We had an unprecedented hailstorm which destroyed half the city’s cars and damaged a lot of personal and commercial property.
- We’ve had some ofĀ the hottest summer temps everĀ recorded.
- And then we had our own bushfires, which caused massive stress throughout our city for over 3 weeks.
I know we’re also not alone in saying that we very much look forward to our summer holidays –Ā time outside, time away, time spent doing not-very-much with our family, and time to rest so we’re ready to hit the ground running for the start of the year.
None of that happened this year.
Like many of you, we spent most of our summer holidays trapped inside while our kids went stir-crazy, and I know I’m definitely not alone when it comes to theĀ temporary OCD I developed which saw me checking bushfire apps, air quality apps andĀ watching ESA updates all day, every day.
Like many of you, the start of our working year in 2020 saw us sad, exhausted andĀ anxious.
Within a week or so of being back in the studio, we realised that the impact on our business was way bigger than we had anticipated. People don’t want to think about family photos when they’re sad, exhausted and anxious. People don’t want to go outside and be photographed when it’s 44 degrees, or when the AQI is over 200. And to be completelyĀ honest, we weren’t feeling all happy and raring to go either.
We told our followers on FB last week that at February 5th, we should have already photographed 20+ sessions (that’s what was booked), but we’d only done 6. Most were cancelled due to smoke, extreme heat and bushfire threat.Ā It doesn’t take a genius to realise that means a massive revenue loss. One that we can’t get back.
Sadly, we are one of hundreds of Canberra businesses affected in this way. Hospitality, tourism, and other non essential goods and service businesses have all had losses. Barely anyone is talking about it, for fear of being reprimanded –Ā we know we’re lucky that we still have our businesses. Our hearts ache for those in other towns who have been completely ruined by this, and we are doing whatever we can to help these communities and their residents.
But this disastrous summer has been hard for everyone, in different ways. I think our whole country is hurting. Trauma, anxiety and financial loss has not been reserved for those directly in the path of the fires.
Recently I spent several days wishing I was a wage earner again, so that I could at least just go to work and get on with my life and not have to worry about how on earth I was going to solve our current challenges. It was extremely confronting to me, because it was the first time in ten years of small business, that I’ve ever wished something like that.
So what’s the point of this letter? Well firstly, it’s absolutely not meant as a pity party. We will recover, of that we are confident.Ā We want to reach out, to talk about it, to create connections. We believe in the power of community, and we believe in small business honesty. We believe that sharing experiences can helpĀ others. We don’t believe that we should all just suck it up and get on with life as if nothing happened.
Friends, please go out and support local businesses as much as you can in the coming weeks and months. Give them a shout out on social media. Tell your friends about your faves. Leave a lovely review.Ā Buy some gifts for upcoming birthdays from some local retailers. Have a dinner out. Book a family photo session. Buy gift cards for local experiences to celebrate special milestones on the horizon. Visit local attractions you missed out on during the holidays. There are so many ways we can all help.
And it’s not just business. We’re all fragile and exhausted. We all need our friends and family right now. We need kindness, understanding and support.
Thanks for reading, and please reach out if you would like to share your thoughts. We are all ears.
We love you Canberra. We look forward to normality returning over the coming months.
Warmest wishes,
Katie (& the Heartstory Team)
