by Raphael Joseph Francisco and Jerry Gomez, Chief Layout Artists
Photo by: Mark Daniel Pareño
With major restrictions closing down enterprises and entertainment before us, this universal infection has separated us from our usual pastimes which forced everyone to relegate to work or study from home. Despite the downside of our limitations, it has diverted our attention to the inexpressible freedom you once longed for. Along with overwhelming amounts of free time, the activities we’ve always wanted to do in developing the skills we’ve always wanted to possess can now be quite feasible. For there is no better time to pick yourself up from the bed and tread along the unexplored dimensions of your capabilities—so, go ahead and do it.
Reality in pages
English poet Joseph Addison once said, “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” Our ears and eyes can now go hand-in-hand, be it in fiction or nonfiction, with a physical copy, an ebook, or an audiobook for indulging with such make our mind think and enriches imagination. Holding the scenes of the pages in your hand by digesting every word of it, gives a diverse experience. It takes a creative vision, for you are presented with the significant points of the story and picturing everything else. You get to paint the setting by looking at each word on retracing the steps of the protagonist, padding all the void made by the restrictions imposed on going outside. You get to absorb new experiences and lessons in life without ever leaving your home.
Draft your dreams
As pages tell a story through words, a painting does the same with each stroke of the brush. A creative outlet using artistry can give you another way of expressing yourself more than words. Sometimes, terms are not enough to translate feelings that result in frustration. Artfulness and craftiness exist to carry out our strong thoughts and emotions into a tangible vision to mesmerize at. Vincent Van Gogh traced his early days on drawing by admiring the appealing scenery over his window as he writes for his brother. Unable to describe it in words, he drew it to share the picturesque scene to his recipient.
One does not have to be a renowned artist in order to tell the world how you feel about your work, nothing stops you from trying. Perfection is not what we create; our imperfections turn it into one masterpiece. As you stroke your passion more onto your canvas, the easier it becomes and the more rewarding it is in the end. Once you have mastered the basics, it's easier for you to open another door creatively. Remember, all great artists started like all of us—as students.
Venturing the virtual potential
During this time, many individuals try to take a chance on new possibilities, whether it be in the scope of science, literature, art, and the like; expecting them to be essential in the future. As hard it may seem, students endure the pang of the new frameup, grasping on to the knowledge they can acquire. Advantageously, with the ongoing online set-ups, many international universities offer short online courses available for everyone who wants to discover something new. Universities like Harvard and Yale University provide virtual courses in many fields like art and design, business, computer sciences, health and medicine, humanities, etc.
Harvard University, for example, delivers webinars that revolve around financial stewardship which introduces basic business courses; ensuring a guarded interest for those who want to advance in the corporate ladder. Other websites offer free trials of their video tutorials in making digital art and some alike such as SkillShare and Udemy; serving the same purpose of promoting learning at home. With such opportunities, you’ll realize how little you know and how much you can learn. So, allow yourself to expand your mind as you explore concepts and theories you’ve never heard of.
The art of doing nothing
As the new normal sets in, our usual routines have become scarce. It is no longer unusual to wake up exactly on the first hour of your wired session while eating breakfast in your pajamas. Within those hourly breaks, your eyes feast on your black screen instead of being one with the outside world. After that, the day repeats again, eventually, these unhealthy habits will stack up and make your life more miserable. Though there may be a disguised serenity in doing nothing. Just taking a day off from work and mesmerizing the genuine things around—feeling the natural breeze away from the virtual world. Give yourself permission to do things that can ease your pent up stress. Having that momentary pause is as productive as meeting your deadlines.
The above mentioned are just among the many examples to make your mind be free of the daily stress caused by the lockdown, but there are more things that can be done in any area of your daily life as anyone can relax in their own way.
Harvard University. (2020). Free online courses. Retrieved from: https://online-learning.harvard.edu/catalog/free.
Manning-Schaffnel, V. (2018). 5 or 50 minutes: What’s the right amount of time to work out?. Retrieved from: https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/do-5-minute-workouts-really-work-ncna895751