We asked artist, Maz Hawes, to tell us about the wonderful things she has been doing during these hard times to retain her loving relationship with her mother, who lives in a care home.

Maz turned her creative genius to making some really charming and affectionate YouTube videos, allowing her to take the seaside, the garden, trees, flowers and the woods to her mother – a perfect time of year for admiring nature. In these, together with two indoor activities – looking at a photo album of her childhood in Hong Kong and reading a favourite children’s book of her son, Maz has made some gentle, intimate and connecting one-way conversations to share with her mother through the care staff.

Her love shines out.

Maz writes: “Hi Sarah, yes of course I’d love my ideas to be spread about if it helps even just one person. The main thing I’ve been doing is making a couple of videos a week for the staff to share with mum – see links to them below. They are public on YouTube so you should be able to share them.

Although we FaceTime a couple of times a week, to be honest, I find it really hard. She just seems confused at the technology and also cannot understand why I can’t be there in person.

I’m finding the additional connection of the videos helps a lot.

• The first one I did was a walk along the beach in Cornwall which she has always loved. I did not talk on it, so she could soak up the atmosphere: You can watch here >
• The next one was a walk around the garden: You can watch here >
• Then we read a favourite book together (I sent the book into the home so she could follow along to the pics) You can watch here >
• Looking at a photo album You can watch here >
• And a walk in the woods You can watch here >

The staff say she loves them. Of course, I wish they could find time to replay them to her a bit more often (I can tell because YouTube tells me 😂) but I know they are doing their best in difficult circumstances.”

Thank you for sharing Maz!