Shalini Shreyshkar
Dealing with pandemic and cultivating hobbies
When the year 2020 started, nobody in their wildest dreams would have guessed what havoc it was going to wreck. We had been planning our perfect not-so-teen coming of age moment. To leave 2019’s disappointments behind and embrace this year of energy, Olympics, and witness the beginning of the next decade.
But oh dear! One after the other, we had no break at all! Or should I say, all we have is a loooooong break.
The Coronavirus pandemic has brought about waves and waves of terror and imbalance – both on an individual and global scale. People have lost their sense of time; weeks and weekends being nothing but mere days to pass holed up in your room. The pandemic is attacking people indirectly as much as directly. Reports have shown a concerning increase in mental health issues among the masses. Depression, stress, anxiety, OCD and addiction to name a few. Apart from these, the cases of domestic violence, dissatisfaction in marital and filial relationships, and cyber-crimes are dramatically high. There’s a lot of rumours and mistrust among the public with no hope of returning to their daily lives anytime soon.
This is not the first disaster to shake the world, and I doubt it’ll be the last. Definitely not in 2020 with murder hornets roaming around and Australia burning in flames. So in these desperate times, you can only stay back at home to minimise the damage by self preservation and hoping for the best.
Now, what could you possibly do at home that you haven’t already done before?
Cleaning the house? Check. Playing checkers with Grandpa? Check. Feeding stray dogs behind your mum’s back? Check. Cooking food and acting like you are a YouTuber? Of course. Netflix and chill? Always.
So back to the question of what to do to keep your sanity intact? You cannot tell me hearing the pressure cooker scream like a banshee everyday and doing nothing but staring at the ceiling until sleep consumes you is a booster for sanity. Right? Right.
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Keeping yourself in check and alert is your best bet in coming out of this dreadful nightmare as unscathed as possible. You have to keep a hold and distract yourself from the bad vibes.
What’s the best distraction ever? They’ll tell you, hobbies.
That’s right. Your good old childhood fun times are the key to your problems. Singing, Dancing, Painting and whatnot.
Now you trail back the lane of nostalgia, find that thing you liked to do, and GO! Easy, right?
Perhaps not so much.
It’s so very easy to suggest that you just up and go pick up your playthings again. But what if you never had a ‘hobby’ to begin with?
Maybe you are not good at art. Or maybe you can’t afford supplies. Or maybe you have been busy with your life. Or maybe you don’t even know of the world of hobbies beyond singing, dancing, and painting. Whatever be the reason, now you’re stuck here, on the verge of giving up because you think it’s too late to filter your options and pick a brand new hobby for you.
Well, fret not. Because I have taken upon myself this tedious task of racking up my brain and coming up with some easy-peasy interesting things, which you may or may not call your hobbies in future. All you need is some patience and willingness. Forcing yourself to like something just for the sake of it defeats the whole purpose of cultivating a hobby. Just go with your instincts and see what catches your eye.
1. Mandala Art
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Mandala Art is a beautiful geomantic diagram comprised of intricate symbols and patterns. The art is not just some aesthetically pleasing chart; it is connected to spirituality, meditation, and trance induction- according to many religions.
It is so easy to learn! You could go buy yourself some stencils and begin practicing or you could download some from Google and get it printed. As you progress further, you will find yourself more concentrated and at peace. You can even learn to create stencils yourself! You can showcase your progress on social media and even add it to your CV!
Here’s a link to a helping guide for Mandala Art from Amazon! https://www.amazon.in/dp/938653861X/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_awdb_btf_t1_SUTIFbR90KHDE
2. Gardening
When I say gardening, I don’t exactly mean raising a whole garden. No. You should start with one single plant of your liking. It could be anything. Cactus, Feng Shui Bamboo, Petunias, or even a cabbage! Take baby steps. Learn all about that plant. Observe how it grows. Provide it with all it needs and weeks later you’ll see how you raised a living thing yourself! Let me tell you, you’ll be proud of yourself.
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You can also start noting the plants around you and learn their characteristics online. Google Lens is something that can aid you with that. It may seem vain, but you never know differentiating a poisonous plant from a non-poisonous one could come in handy!
3. Body painting
This is something that can turn out either super fun or will trigger your OCD. We all used to be creative with our pens and color pencils when we were young. Although, some of us still haven’t let go of the habit of doodling on our hands, but hey! There’s nothing wrong with that.
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Body Painting, as the name suggests, is an art of using one’s own body as a canvas. It is a beautiful way to express yourself. The recent trend of making aesthetic imagery on eyelids with makeup is also a type of body painting.
You can pick some nice makeup or use some homemade colors to start. You can use your fingers or a makeup brush. However, be careful with your supplies and always do an allergy test first. You do not want to rush to a dermatologist in these times.
4. Short Films
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This one’s more of an alternative to the conventional movies and series. For those who’ve lost the patience to sit down and commit to long hours in front of the screen, here’s your way out! You can find these on YouTube for free.
According to The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a short film is, “an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits.”
These films are usually made by new and emerging talents and have a little less restriction on what they can portray. As such, they have the liberty to touch many sensitive topics and stories. In my personal opinion, they do not need to drag the storyline along with leaving the viewer much to contemplate and thirsty for more.
Birdie- A horror short film https://youtu.be/BMnxVo5I2z4
5. Jewellery Making
Now this is a tough one. Making new jewellery from the scraps of old jewelleries in your mom’s drawer is going to take a lot of painstaking effort, concentration and patience. You will have to arrange, bead by bead yourself and a small distraction will have your efforts going down the drain. But it will be worth it.
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The jewelleries that were collecting dust will now be usable once again. If you find yourself particularly motivated you could even make gifts out of them! Old looking and oxidised jewellery is what trends these days afterall. There are numerous YouTube videos to help you get started.
6. Magic Tricks
This one may seem silly but it’s pretty fun!
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Find some nice beginner videos on YouTube and start practicing. Next thing you’ll know, you’re the most popular person after the pandemic in a party!
7. Origami
Origami, in simple words, is the art of paper folding to make distinguishable figures. The word comes from Japan but the idea can be found in almost every culture. The objective of Origami is to fold a sheet of paper in a finished sculpture. The sculptures usually symbolise good omens and impermanence in life.
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You must have already made some paper boats and planes in your childhood. So you know the drill, a sheet of paper, glue, scissors and off you go.
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There are various other little things you could pick up as hobbies- Writing Fanfiction for your favourite fictional characters or maybe Scrapbooking your interests and beautiful moments. Yoga can be another hobby that will help you deal with mental and physical exhaustion. Stargazing pretty stars, learning about the constellations, wishing to a falling meteorite at night doesn’t sound like a bad idea either. Does it? You can also pursue your interest in capturing moments through Photography.
You can either stick to basics or delve deeper into your hobbies. Remember, your creations don’t have to be perfect. They’re there to express your inner self and ONLY for you. Take wherever you want to take them and do whatever helps you through this long journey.
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Amazing work
Thanks xoxo
I wish I had read this article earlier. I liked the part where you said it doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s just an expression from within. I always feel that I’m bad at everything and I never try so this lines inspired me. Thank you so much.
Beautifully Written
Thank you!
this was so nice, positive vibes all the way!
Thank you so much!
very important article! Thanks for this 🙂
thank you!
Well done. I liked the suggestions for hobbies. Much needed because of the pandemic situation.
Amazing work
I’m sure a lot of people who read this article will get motivated and finally find ways to keep them occupied during the pandemic. Ofcourse it doesn’t have to be perfect, as long as you enjoy it and it gives you joy, there should be no stopping you! Thank you so much for giving such wonderful ideas, even though I’m not great at drawing, I definitely want to try my hand in Mandela.
Thank you so much for your feedback!
I am sure this article really helped everyone who read it to a greater deal. I am sure everyone was going crazy sitting at home idle, not knowing what to do with their spare time. the above simple ideas that you came up with after racking up your brain was really interesting and a good way to spend your time. Looking forward to many of such ideas.
A very detailed read! Well done :))
Looking forward to more of your work!!
Great article!!
Amazing content