I launched six magazine brands in lockdown. Amazing, huh? 

They were. 

Except I didn’t launch them. They were created by the next generation of magazine makers. A generation of magazine makers who faced the pandemic square on. Who, when lockdown hit, raised their game.  And then some. 

We set up virtual magazine teams in different countries across different time zones. Hectic days were filled with virtual conferences, virtual design sessions, virtual copy clinics. 

Despite obvious challenges, all six magazines were brought to life. A triumph of journalistic creativity. 

Our industry will survive Covid and it will be in safe hands.

Organisation is my strong suit.

I’d stir checklists and spreadsheets into my morning coffee if I could, and top it off with a well-rehearsed PowerPoint. But planning and delegating and managing without leaving the flat, much less grabbing a team lunch before the next editorial meeting, is awfully anticlimactic.

And so although my forte is deflated somewhat, I can’t think of anything more rewarding than flicking through the pages of our first magazine. We made that. Along the way, we became nocturnal, we became Zoom experts, and we watched hours of YouTube tutorials. I’m still hungry for an old-fashioned brainstorming session.

Working from home with young kids has been a delight.

I hope you can sense the sarcasm in this statement. Following the closure of the schools, nurseries and all the parks, I did wonder how I would manage to get a magazine to print every four weeks.

Many of my coveted team were furloughed, and it’s not as easy bouncing ideas off my, now slightly feral, children, although some of their actions have inspired articles.

I work in 37 second increments during the day between refereeing fights, but I have still managed to meet deadlines despite their best efforts to stop this.

Four walls. Two screens. One window. Four months. Four bloody months! No chit chat, no water cooler, no casual conversation. No flying. No hotels. No meetings. 

Hang on – no bloody meetings! 

And the four walls covered with notes – post-its, flip charts, print outs and diagrams. And the two screens filled with people, on Zoom, Houseparty and webinars. And yes, meetings. No time.

We’re not stuck inside the walls forever. New normal will be old normal and a bit more. Eventually.

And the window? The mountains, the city, the sea, the sky. They’ll all still be there when we emerge.

Strangely, the pandemic has made the digital publication I edit even more relevant.

It’s aimed at people with diabetes, all of whom are encouraged to shield, and has become a core support, able to disseminate relevant info quickly and in a manner that is informative without scare-mongering.

Last issue carried a very reassuring feature on how companies in the sector have adapted to keep vital supplies in stock.

The fact that I was set up to work from home and with other freelancers who could do the same meant that it has been business as usual.

Busier than ever really.