We are so lucky to be living in a time when technology supports everything we do. Although it has its down falls, in a time like this it can be so amazing, with FaceTime and zoom calls being our saviour when it comes to keeping in touch recently. With so much on the web though, we’ve become spoilt and don’t even know where to start looking for things to do; some would say boredom has spread quicker than the virus itself *cue Tyga x Curtis Roach ‘Bored in the house’*. James Danckert, a psychologist who specializes in the psychology of boredom, mentioned in an interview for New Scientist Magazine that boredom prompts us to think about what matters to you, and that it’s vital for prompting new activity; a main reason why I think the lockdown will be good for us in igniting passions and getting our priorities – like downtime itself – straight. Boredom is our brain telling us it needs more stimulation, you just have to experiment and find what really interests you. And while it is totally okay to sit and binge Netflix all day everyday if that’s what feels right, if you’re looking for something a bit more and are out of inspiration, I gotchu with some of what I’ve been up to. I always say that situations are only ever as good or fun as what you make of them, and even though I’m sure we’d much rather all be on holiday somewhere, for now exploring from your sofa really can suffice.
First off, catch virtual flights not feelings with Google Earth. Endless Facebook and Instagram challenges have really taken us back to being 13, but what was better than sitting in school computer lessons soaring through Google Earth? Now advertised as ‘the worlds most detailed globe’ the site has only got better over the years and I love it. The voyager feature is amazing and recommends places to explore and things to see; exploring clouds from space, beach guides, and virtual hikes all included. And yes, flight simulator still exists (I know you were desperate to know) you just have to install the app for it if you’re keen.
Once you land somewhere, Google Arts and culture has got to be your next stop. This one is pretty self explanatory; it’s a mass of art and culture all in one place for you to explore. There’s so much on here to check out you could probably spend hours engrossed. I really like the ‘deep dives’ into cultural histories and themes, and checking out the featured daily selection of music and art, as well as ‘Nasa’s Visual Universe‘. City tours and over 2000 museums around the world, art collections and activities to do at home; along with space endeavours and deep sea dives to embark on, historical expeditions, music, and so much more, are all there at your fingertips.
Lots of London museums have gone online too. In particular The Tate has loads of stuff to check out, online displays as well as really interesting more in depth studies of works all in the ‘Art and Artists‘ section of the site. A couple of recommendations that I found most fascinating so far are ‘What was Andy Warhol thinking‘, ‘How Muholi is redefining beauty‘ and ‘How Olafur Eliasson is changing our perceptions‘ as well as a very impressive online-only dance performance by Faustin Linyekula. The Tate youtube page also has loads of content; ‘how tos’, more exhibition tours, and artist meets with the likes of Loyle Carner and BBZ. I highly recommend the ones with Billie Zangewa and Yayoi Kusama too. If that’s not enough, you can join the Tate Collective for free and get more content via email, as well as £5 access to all ticketed exhibitions (which are usually about £20) in the future.
Somerset House‘s ‘Motherland’ is a thought provoking podcast about what it’s like to be Black in Britain, celebrating Black culture and it’s influence on the UK along the way, that I recommend to everyone. Along with lots of other interesting blog posts exploring different issues and creative industries, listen to various playlists and dj sets they’ve shared or take a ‘trip’ around their latest exhibition mushrooms. Try out climatotherapy, an intense deep listening experience which ‘questions how the human body is conditioned by its environment in the time and space of cloudified body, mind, and information’; or even find out how you can be a part of and contribute to a fashion collection.
The Natural History Museum also share 12 ways to explore from home. Get a guided tour of the main hall with David Attenborough, hang out with scientists every Tuesday and Friday, or go on an archaeological dinosaur dig. I’m sure the Tate and NHM aren’t the only ones doing this too, find your favourite museum’s site or ones you were hoping to get to this spring/summer – for example the science gallery and its fantastic articles which I also love – and find out what they’ve got for you.
And for some extra thrills, adventure in abandoned mansions on youtube – Yes really. This is a thing. A thing you didn’t know you needed but you definitely did. A thing that I spent hours last weekend trawling through, waiting for some American Horror story shit to happen and a demon ghost baby to jump out from the basement. From old 60s party houses to a mansion supposedly used for trafficking and left full of stuff, this stuff sparks a new level of curiosity and is SO. Satisfying. Steve Ronin and Ethan Minnie have some great shit and if you literally search ‘abandoned mansion’ in youtube there are hundreds of videos to choose from. If you don’t believe me, try it out and we can talk at 5am when you finally dig yourself out of your YT-hole.
Or explore your own limits with Skillshare. Personally I haven’t actually tried anything out on here yet but I’ve heard great things from friends who have been learning new skills. From coding, to new languages, to origami, as far as I can see you can pretty much search anything and there’ll be some kind of tutorial or masterclass on it. With the first two months free it’s definitely worth having a browse through.
And for some human interaction and nights ‘out’ you have Fever. You may or may not have come across this one when booking events in the past, but recently they’ve been doing some great online stuff via zoom. Quizzes, themed bingo, cooking and cocktail classes, and Sherlock/Egyptian/Jack the ripper/Big cat(did someone say Carol Baskin?)/etc murder mysteries. These are the on thing on this list that isn’t free, but as far as I’ve seen events are never more than a tenner – worth it if you’ve got the spare cash and want something different to do. I’ve ‘attended’ a few science talks with them now and they’ve always been really interesting and well put together – these happen pretty often too and new and unexpected topics are always coming up, so keep a look out if you’re interested in anything in particular. I also did try out one of the murder mysteries – this of course had its limitations being online, but it was fun nevertheless and a new way of challenging myself – you could even get your friends on FaceTime at the same time and do them together. And if you don’t have friends or want some more likeminded ones, this is a great place for it too. From discussing the speakers points on the chat function in one talk, I somehow ended up in a group chat with 12 others sharing certain thoughts and experiences, as well as further resources to read and watch. It sounds lame in a society that never talks to strangers, but I think it’s so great being able to interact and hear stories from new people; it’s refreshing that covid has allowed this to happen in such an unexpected way.
So there you go. Yes I know I’m late to this as uni deadlines were taking up all my time and creative energy – as well as a technical difficulty where this whole post got deleted (it’s okay I’ll just sit here and smile through the pain) and other more important issues taking centre stage (see below). But boredom and wanting a break from reality are symptoms that pan worlds and times and, especially as we probably won’t be allowed to travel any time soon, I’m sure it’ll be relevant for someone at some point regardless. Especially if like me, you’ve just finished university and are overwhelmed with what to do with all your new found freedom, you might find solace in my list. Even though the lockdown is basically over, ya girl is here now and she’s helping those of you still heroically sticking it out through these last couple of weeks with some boredom inspo.
In fear of but also despite it sounding like a cliche brand saving tool, I wanted to address the racial struggles being fought against over the past couple of weeks. I want to take a moment to sincerely send my love and support to everyone who is hurting and frustrated by years and years of this bs – you have every right to be angry – we all should be angry in fact – and I’m with you every step of the way. This feels like it really was the final straw and I have so much hope and faith in our collective strengths. I hope, before anything else, everyone reading this – especially those of us who are not black – is taking the necessary time to learn and to unlearn, and at the very least but most importantly: to LISTEN. I hope we’re all doing our bit to spread awareness, share resources, sign petitions, donate, protest. We must keep having difficult conversations and putting in work to dismantle the prejudiced systems that have been upheld for too long. For anyone looking for further resources on anti-racism (or even if you’re not – remember we’re never really finished our self education), a few masters students at my uni have started to put together an extensive list to facilitate growth and allyship which includes podcasts, articles, books and videos and which I highlyyy recommend taking a look at and bookmarking to come back to as it gets updated.
Vitally, I thought I should acknowledge how uneasy I felt posting, as it feels like all our attention should be on protesting and spreading awareness etc. I’ve had this post saved in my drafts for the last two weeks, unsure and unable to finish it off. But at the same time, I recognise that everyone needs to recharge. While the guilt of taking a break from your efforts can be overwhelming, how can you truly put your energy into something if you’re not looking after yourself and charging back up too? It’s important to look after your mental so that you can be in the best position to do your part, whatever that may be. In any case, I hope you might find something in my suggestions to help you restore yourself. Although we must not forget or become complacent, taking short breaks from social media and redirecting your attention to something you enjoy/stimulating other interests for a bit can be the best self care. And self care is a form of resistance in itself to the capitalist system which has built itself on systemic racism.
This is a heavy issue for all, but we especially have to acknowledge the sheer impact in so many ways on black people. If you’re struggling, Black minds matter (@blackmindsmatter.uk on instagram) have access to free resources and therapy that I’d like to refer you to check out (I ALSO IMPLORE YOU WHOEVER YOU ARE TO DONATE TO THEM IF YOU CAN!) and I’m also aware that @wafaaa_at (insta) has compiled a list of mental health resources for anyone who needs it. I’d also like to extend my own ear if anyone would like to vent or hear a kind word from a stranger or feel a bit of support and positivity when you’re feeling deflated. Sending hope and light to all. Because Black lives matter, you matter.
LIFE OF JACKO 
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