‘I want to show how those people living in rural areas can properly participate in fashion, rather than just observe it.’ - Alannah Cooper, who was interviewed by The Gentlewoman, has been documenting creativity in rural, quiet and hidden places; showcasing our unique relationships with craft, community and the land on her online platform Teran Community. Like Alannah, I was brought up in rural Scotland and her words here really resonated with me. Moreover though, it made me think about our current climate.

As the UK comes out of lockdown that ever ambiguous term ‘the new normal’ circulates, along with figures showing the huge swathes of society who don’t want to return to ‘normal’, who are tired of living for the weekend and framing their lives around work. It has of course also been a trying time for those of us without work financially and mentally, without the structure of a working day to motivate and direct. Coming out of lockdown however could be our opportunity to actively shape that new status quo; where we step back and take stock of what we really value. A shift towards considering ‘lifestyle' with as much importance as we do our working lives.

When I graduated from the Glasgow School of Art almost all of my friendship group moved down to London to pursue creative careers. We'd all already felt the pressure of working for free during internships (fashion as an industry continues to be unapologetically elitist and exploitative). The fact remained though if you wanted to work in fashion or the creative industries you needed to be in London. Despite this I chose to stay in Scotland and after a few years working in Glasgow I moved back up to the Highlands. I knew that career opportunities in the city, as fantastic as I imagined them to be, wouldn't make me as happy as living close to the hills, the sea and my family would. Looking back I’m pretty sure I felt slighthly ashamed at that decision, as if I was lacking in ambition. It definitely felt at odds with the fast paced nature of the world and the pressure to 'succeed'.

My ambition was not lacking. It was just matched by my desire to live the lifestyle I now have, and it looks like I'm not the only one. There have been numerous articles recently on the real possibility of the London centric bubble bursting now that working from home has become acceptable - maybe even preferable. We’re starting to see ‘a huge shift in aspirations’. Given the choice, if it didn’t affect your work, where would you choose to live? The freedom working from home has given us is potentially transformative on both a personal and national level.

No more does living outwith London mean we must merely ‘observe’ what’s going on creatively. Thanks to people like Alannah our voices are a little clearer and our work more seen. Moving back to a village of 5 houses (genuinely) was the best decision I made, and for the first time ever seems a little more in line with the values of our generation, and what could be the new status quo.