Jamie Fingal: Freedom While Wearing a Mask

By Contemporary Art Quilt Journal

In February 2021, as the world continued to navigate the realities of pandemic life, textile artist Jamie Fingal shared her reflections from within The 100 Day Project — a global creative challenge encouraging participants to commit to a daily artistic practice. Her blog post, titled “Freedom While Wearing a Mask”, offered a snapshot of creative resilience during a time defined by restrictions and adaptation.

Art in Unexpected Directions

In this entry, Fingal revealed that a recent piece she was working on had taken an unexpected turn — diverging from its original plan and evolving into something entirely new. Rather than resisting the shift, she welcomed it, allowing the piece to grow into an abstract narrative of liberation within constraint — a fitting metaphor for life behind a mask.

Her creative process mirrored the broader moment: navigating limited space, shifting boundaries, and finding joy in spontaneity. The finished work combined expressive colors and playful composition, subtly reflecting the tension and optimism of the time.

Freedom Within the Frame

For Fingal, “freedom” was not defined by the absence of rules, but by the ability to flourish within them. In the literal sense, the piece was made during a time when mask-wearing was a necessity — a visual theme that she wove into the emotional tone of the artwork.

This layering of theme and context added richness to the piece and invited viewers to reflect on their own experiences of movement, restriction, and creativity during the pandemic.

A Daily Practice of Meaning

The 100 Day Project served as more than a prompt — it became a source of grounding and joy for Fingal. Her daily commitment to making helped her stay connected to her artistic instincts, even when the outside world felt unpredictable.

With each post, she encouraged others to lean into their own creative practices — not for perfection, but for process. Not for product, but for peace.

Explore More

To view Jamie Fingal’s artwork and her reflections on The 100 Day Project, visit:
Jamie Fingal Designs