How do you mark the anniversary of a global pandemic? Our March logo takes a jab at it

Every month, we feature a new take on the CBC Arts logo created by a Canadian artist. Check out our previous logos!

It's been a year. A whole darned year of this. And if making it to the 365th day of the pandemic era isn't something to celebrate exactly, at least we can say that we're still here, sense of humour intact. That's true of Sacha Stephan, anyway, the illustrator who created this month's logo design. She's not afraid of messing around with dark and twisty themes, but she always keeps things fun. "Sometimes that [means] an image that literally says 'Mopey sack of s***,'" she writes, "sometimes it's a Shania Twain pun. Basically, I love to make things that people can relate to, but also (hopefully) get a giggle out of." We'll let her take it from here.

Name: Sacha Stephan

Age: 29

Homebase: Halifax (by way of Melbourne, Australia)

Let's talk about your design! What inspired the concept?

March 2021 marks one year of quarantine/isolation life, so the concept is really an ode to the entire yikes vibe of the past year, and all the seemingly random, previously inconsequential items that have become almost like an inside joke between everyone in the modern world.

Tell me a bit about the icons you chose. (I love them all, but my three personal faves are probably the jigsaw puzzle, the "oh no" calendar and the ominous flames around the edges.)

It's funny because if you were to have shown these icons to someone two years ago and asked them to find the common link, they'd be like, "um ... things you can find at Canadian Tire?" But now, these things have become so synonymous with Pandemic Life. The Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020? Iconic. Traumatic. Somehow still a little silly? Imagine going a full day without using hand sanitizer! In this economy? The "One Year / Oh no" calendars are a bit of an homage to the sweet naivety of the early days when we thought this was all gonna "blow over" in a couple of weeks, and then suddenly it's been a year. It feels like a month and a lifetime all at once. 

What was going on with you last March when the pandemic was declared? How did it immediately impact your day-to-day as an artist?

I went into 2020 with very much a "clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose" attitude, and had a bunch of super exciting events and projects lined up. The pandemic status of the virus (and the consequent shutdowns and lockdowns) were announced almost exactly a week before I was due to be doing my first in-person art event ever, and all those other exciting things I had scheduled were cancelled in pretty quick succession shortly after. I spent a lot of time mourning the loss of that. 

The mental stress of attempting to simply exist as a functioning human being while living through a literal pandemic is, um, a lot! My productivity and motivation took a huge hit, and honestly it took a long time to just feel OK with that, and to not beat myself up about it. As someone who feels like they always have to be doing something and judges a lot of their self-worth on their ability to be productive, this was challenging! I basically spent a good four or five months not making any art at all and instead getting very emotionally invested in completing every possible side quest in Breath of the Wild before I felt like I had the mental capacity and the inspirational drive to even think about making art again.

If you were to have shown these icons to someone two years ago and asked them to find the common link, they'd be like, 'um ... things you can find at Canadian Tire?'- Sacha Stephan, artist

I also have to say here that I'm incredibly fortunate and privileged. Illustration is not my full-time job (at least not yet, although a girl can dream) and I was lucky enough to avoid any layoffs at my day job, so I was able to take a break from the "sidegig hustle" and not be stressed about finances on top of everything else, which I do not take lightly! Sorry for the essay, but it's been A Year (TM).

One year later, how have you adapted? 

The phrase "adapting to the new normal" has been said so much at this point it's probably printed on a pillow you can buy at Homesense, but that's pretty much it — after a year of this whole situation, I've developed new routines and practices for how I live out my days to ensure I make enough space for creating art, but also I can allow myself to be flexible enough to spend time watching 4,000 Drag Race commentary videos on YouTube in a row if that's more my speed that day. I've learned to be more patient with the process (god, another pillow! Hire me, Homesense!) and to not beat myself up if I don't have any ideas or motivation. It also helps that I have a very supportive partner and the cutest cat in the world (do NOT @ me, she is my muse) to keep me sane!

What's the project you're most proud of?

Is it dumb to say this one? Because this is a big one for me! I also did a limited run of custom pet portrait commissions late last year and donated all the money — 25 per cent to the Bide Awhile Animal Shelter here in Nova Scotia, and 75 per cent to the Sipekne'katik First Nations fund in support of the Mi'kmaq fishers. It felt really good to be able to make my goofy-ass art and to use those means to give back to the community, especially after such a turbulent year. 

Who's the last artist you discovered online?

I'm probably one of the last people to the party here, but a good friend gifted me an Anna May Henry print for Christmas last year and I am truly smitten. I hold a special place in my heart for artists who are able to take the banal objects of everyday life and transform them into objects of beauty (or humour! Or both!).

What work of art do you wish you owned?

Lorien Stern (a ceramicist and artist based in the Mojave Desert in California) makes these ceramic shark head wall hangings that are so fun and goofy and perfect. They sell out incredibly quickly whenever she makes them, and at the moment they're a little out of my attainable price range, but someday it's a dream to be able to purchase one for myself. 

What's next for you?

I spend a lot of time staring at screens, since all my illustrations are created digitally. This year I really want to push myself to play around more with tactile forms of artistic production — making pennants, sewing patches by hand and getting back into screen printing and experimenting more with that. I also have a mural project coming up in the summer that I'm very excited about!

Where can we see more from you?

Instagram, baby! I'm a slave to the algorithm. I also have a website that I update relatively infrequently (and mostly with just things I've already posted to the 'gram).

This conversation has been edited and condensed.