On May 27, The Arts Desk featured an op ed article by Esther Yoo titled, “Tuning the focus inward: violinist Esther Yoo on performers facing their demons in a crisis.”

In this article, Esther wrote candidly about anxiety brought on by unanticipated time away from performing, and how this time has become a double-edged sword. “All the freed-up mental space I had acquired was beginning to be invaded by concerns, doubts and fears,” Esther noted. “The mental strain from scrambling to find a ‘new normal’ and redefining our purpose in life, combined with the constant bombardment and fluctuation of news, should not be neglected.” The article ended with an encouragement to not forget about the importance of mental health in a time when the world is focused on physical wellbeing more than ever. “Telling ourselves that we are well because relatively speaking we are physically healthy… is not sustainable mental health…we should incorporate new methods of preserving and nurturing our mental health under these unprecedented circumstances…reevaluate our priorities, clearly define our purpose and, especially as artists, translate these complex sentiments into our art.”

Click here to read the full op ed feature on The Arts Desk.