Spotlight - Kerry Lockwood for The Lockdown Interviews

Kerry is just one of these people I was destined to meet - I first met her in COS and then she just kept appearing in my life! Chats with Kerry are animated and passionate and there’s never enough time to cover everything we want to talk about when we meet up.

I adore the way Kerry writes on her posts - she has such a beautiful way with words. And then the clothes! Oh the clothes. I really hope you enjoy reading Kerry’s answers as much as I did .

Hey Kerry! We’ve known each other for a while - both of us having highs and lows and it’s fair to say we both love a putting the world to rights session! Recently you have been killing it on IG - the colours, the vibe. Can you tell us a little about your Instagram, what it means to you and how you see it as a platform? 

I love a good session with you! It’s so rewarding to talk to someone who is open with their vulnerabilities. So many people cover their wounds and ‘ugly bits’ but those are where the real interesting stuff grows from! 

My Instagram initially was a supplement to a now-defunct blog that I ran, when blogging was still a new thing and the term ‘influencer’ hadn’t even been coined. 

It’s always been a visual diary of sorts, but within the last year or so I see it much more as a community that I’m part of and contribute towards. As I’m on no other social media, it’s great to be a part of something where I can feel inspired, talk to like-minded people and frankly – learn a lot. Like most people (I think!) I rely on Instagram for not just the social, news and entertainment aspect, but also as a window to different lives and perspectives, which help me to better empathise and support those who need it. 

Clothing in beautiful colour is your bag - how did you find yourself with this particular aesthetic?

This is going to be a much more poignant and weighty answer than is probably required, but I think I found my way back to colour. In 2019 I endured one of the hardest years I’d ever personally experienced and felt very much on my knees mentally at times. 
Coming back to colour was like returning to the core of myself, a truer incarnation of myself. 

I had somewhere along the line lost sight of who I feel I really am, in trying so hard to keep others happy, be taken seriously, tick the boxes and be where I thought I should be in the great race of life. 

It’s only with the gift of hindsight that I realise that in actuality I was shrinking down parts of myself to suit the whims and plans of others, and my sartorial style of that time certainly reflects that. 

I recently found a suitcase of old disposable camera photos and saw teenage, and early-twenties versions of me, beaming back at the camera wearing bright and bold clashing prints and colours, with messy peachy-pink coloured hair and theatre make up on my eyelids! I thought, well yeah – this makes much more sense. 

I have always loved colour and print and texture and novelty. These things bring me great joy and lift my spirits immeasurably. It feels right to be back in this place.

You have a definite style that works so well for you - is it something that you considered or do you wear what feels good day by day? 

When I was at Uni, my best friend and I used to do a thing we called ‘frock-rocking’ which essentially was donning vintage dresses of varying ridiculousness and wearing them out with chunky gold chains, converse trainers and brightly coloured make up. 

I remember being so pissed when Lily Allen (well her stylist) made this look go ‘mainstream’ though with hindsight, I can now categorically say we weren’t the only people doing this. 

It just started as a way for us to make more of an effort when we went out and it’s a principle I still agree with today! 

I know that not everybody puts such great value on their clothing, but for me it really can set the mood for the day, and by making that pinch more of effort, it tends to lend itself to a happier day for me. 

What would you say to people who would love to make their own clothes but don’t know where to start?

I would begin by looking at what you already have and enjoy wearing. For example I make a lot of dresses because I love how easy to wear and adaptable they are. It sounds simple but it means you’ll make things that you will actually want to wear. 

I would start with a cotton, non-stretch fabric and find a pattern that is graded ‘Easy’ or ‘Beginner’.  There are so many classes, online tutorials and Youtube videos available nowadays for people to learn remotely, which is obviously ideal for lockdown. 

I would also say work with what you’ve got. I might have a good machine set up nowadays but as a teenager I hand sewed everything I made, and whilst I wouldn’t recommend it (it’s very time consuming!) it just shows anything can be done! 

How does your day compare before and during lockdown and is there any big ways you’ve had to adapt? 

I’ve been really fortunate in that I’ve been able to work from home since day one, and so in many ways my routine hasn’t changed. That said, I can go days without leaving the house right now, and whilst I wouldn’t ever say I’m an exercise buff, I definitely like being active, so I’ve missed that side of things. 

Working from home has come with its challenges, but I think I’ve found my rhythm with it now – the Pomodoro Method is really good if I’m having a day where I’m struggling to concentrate, and I try to make sure I stay hydrated and move around a lot.

I think another big change as with many people, has been the way I’m food-shopping and cooking. I definitely plan for the week more now and try to use every ingredient I have before going for another food shop.

Have you had any moments of clarity during this pandemic either on a creatives or personal level and if so, do you mind sharing them with us? 

It’s funny how life plays out. I think had this happened a couple of years ago I would have probably been struggling in some way. But a year of therapy and soul searching, and rising out of grief and depression has definitely given me the tools to know that all things pass. That this isn’t forever, which is a perspective that helps me when I’m missing the comforts of normality.

I also didn’t realise I was a hug-initiator! It sounds so funny, but I always thought I just went with the flow of social niceties. Now if I happen to bump into a friend, I feel so sad I can’t hug them! I can't wait to squeeze my people! 

I LOVE your open but gentle writing - you have such a beautiful way of weaving your thoughts into your posts. Is this something you have a process around of do the words just flow? 

It’s funny because I used to think I couldn’t write, because I’d so often read that the most crucial part of being a good writer is the re-writes. Whereas my own writing just flows out, oftentimes in the order that is required, and with very few amendments or edits.  

Then eventually I realised, that whatever it was I was doing, was working for me. People seemed to respond to my words and identify with the feelings I tried to share with them. 

In many ways what I write, and share is very personal, but I do think I have my limits on what I will and won’t put out in the public sphere. 
I have learnt though, the more uncomfortable and anxious I feel about sharing something – the more the likelihood is it will touch and resonate with more people. 

On a personal level - is there anything that you are finding is particularly nourishing you through lockdown? 

I’ve enjoyed reading books that I’ve had sat on my shelves, and sorting through things that have needed it for a long time. I’ve really enjoyed long walks that don’t have a purpose other than being outside and having fresh air.

It’s amazing that at a time when the whole world was grinding to a halt, Spring was bringing everything to life in swathes of colour. I know I’m not alone when I say I’ve been listening to the birds more, observing at the sunlight through the trees, gazing up at clear night skies, and appreciating every blossom and bloom I’d see whilst out and about.

I think most of all, I feel lucky to be living by the sea right now. Walking with your feet in the shallows and remembering the vastness of everything is the most grounding experience. 

Finally, if you could see one permanent change come out of this pandemic what would it be? 

It sounds so twee, but I think if everyone continued to move through the world with a little more kindness, empathy and patience, the change would be so enormous. 

I hope that when life resumes, it is a slower pace. That maybe we don’t all need to fly abroad for a holiday every year, especially when there are so many beautiful places here at home to hold in wonderment. 

Find Kerry here.