I HAVE often thought that October is a better time to take stock and ponder the kind of resolutions that more usually bombard us in January. The metaphorical sharpening of pencils for a new school year never quite loses its pointedness. And this year, even the least reflective among us have been forced to face up to a global transformation. People around the world are facing grief, redundancy, boredom and loneliness. There have been disturbing reports of increasing anxiety and depression.

And yet … “Out of darkness cometh light”, which sounds biblical, but is actually the motto of Wolverhampton. Or, in the words of a recent Wellcome Trust report on how people coped during Covid by writer and philosopher Jules Evans, “Let’s not waste a good crisis.”

A study of 70,000 adults’ mental health during the pandemic found that 22 per cent were engaging more with arts during the lockdown period than usual. Engaging in a creative activity – painting, gardening, reading fiction – has been the single most helpful way to maintain well-being.