Editor,

The past few weeks, and most likely the next few months, are going to be tough on everyone. I cannot say it enough, this is the time, the perfect and most important time, for you to encourage small business and artists.

This crisis (and I don’t care on which side of it you are, be it toilet paper hoarder or chill pill dude) is going to destroy small business, it’s already affecting artists all around and shops.

This is THE time to buy LOCAL, to buy from your pastry cook neighbor, your friend the babysitter, your sister the photographer, your cousin George the artist/painter, your adopted twice removed brother jeweller.

This is the time where we have to keep each other afloat, this is the time where we stay united in hard times, until better ones come our way.

And if you don’t have the money, that IS okay, find ideas for them! (George the cousin can make videos on how to paint online), share the art, talk about it! I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH.

It’s times like these where the ones who profit the most are the big companies panicking you into buying, and the ones who lose and close are the small business owners.

And please, please, if you find yourself in a hard situation, if you do not know how you will get through this, call your friends, call your family, ask for help. There is no shame in that.