Whilst we may think that reading books or watching TV offer a good form of escapism, the truth is that we are still being asked to think and being challenged on our opinions. Sometimes you just want a hobby which allows you to get away, to stop thinking and to offer you a form of release. Some of the best ways in which you can do that is to try out some art-based hobbies. I have never been much of an artist but I watched an interview with the brilliant Roger Wolfson, where he was talking about how everyone has an artistic bone, and that they just needed to find it. I took that as inspiration and these are the hobbies which I have found to work best in terms of escapism.
Coloring In
When a friend of mine first suggested coloring in I though that they were having a joke with me, until they bought me an adult coloring in book. As soon as I started this I couldn’t stop and before I knew t I had been coloring in for almost 2 hours. This is a great way to focus the mind on something and it is really something which I found to help me just float away from reality. I also enjoy listening to music whilst doing so, this is the truest form of escapology which I have found.
Painting
I am no good at painting or drawing and so I have always stayed away from it. After watching that interview with Roger Wolfson however I realized that I don’t have to be good at it in order to enjoy doing it. In fact I could paint 20 paintings and they could all be terrible, yet as long as I have enjoyed painting them and found away in which I could escape or focus on something different, then it was very much no harm no foul. I have actually found that my drawing in particular has improved since I began painting, and that has encouraged me to do more of it.
Writing Short Stories
I have always enjoyed writing yet in my adult years I have stopped writing silly short stories like I used to in my youth. This was something that I would always do when I was bored and it would give me a real feeling of release, not to mention feeling that buzz of having a blank page in front of me with the opportunities that it presents. I decided that I would kickstart this part of my brain and once again got back to writing some short stories and I have absolutely loved it, there is just so much expression which you find when you sit down and write feverishly like this. There are clear benefits of this too, you feel mentally sharper and you bring out all of these thoughts in your writing that you hadn’t realized were there.
If you are feeling bored or frustrated, these arty hobbies could help you to escape.