Josh says that he can't imagine having this time if he didn't like reading. I do like reading, but there are so many other things that I like that are time intensive. My whole life, I've become obsessed by things and gone into hyperfocus – currently baking, academic work, exercise, yoga, but in the past, it's been writing, coding, theater, playing music, creating playlists, tap dancing, a million other interests and passions.
I can't imagine having this time and not having hyperfocus or interests served well by being alone.
I had 5 glorious weeks off this summer, and I was the busiest unemployed person: I did a lot of cathartic writing that I didn't expect or want to go anywhere, took a lot of swims and hikes and bikerides, read 10 books. I drank alone, ate ice cream most days, took two solo road trips, I forced myself to draw (I am not good at drawing, but I aspire). I do best with mornings that are calm, where I can recline on the couch and read every morning. I can do my thing and then start working, (or in this case "working") when I want to.
I worked from home for almost 4 years, and I completely burnt out on it, but my garden never looked better. I made the bed every morning, kept the house clean, and gained 10 pounds from procrasticooking. I also became increasingly alienated from my colleagues and anxious. We're social people, I'm a social person, routine is crucial to our well-being. I lost my routine at some point.
Now, the only thing I have to procrastinate on is things I enjoy (and the LSAT because I fetishize going back to school), so I am not sure if that counts truly as procrastinating.
My last thought for this morning is how much I'm enjoying having no need to spend money outside of the grocery store. I am in my house, surrounded by books and art supplies. I have enough, I am enough. When the virus strikes, at least I have that.
Lofi photo of a drawing I did this morning. The yellow didn't show up well enough on the page, but I didn't want to start over so I just drew over it:
I really relate to this! In Germany I felt similarly to your experience over the summer -- tons of free time, few people to talk with, and a half-routine. I'm worried now about similar things. Your situation with art supplies and books sounds good, and I hope that you can find some new experiments of one kind or another during this hard time. I'm searching for some myself!!
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