Where Bloggers Live: Fighting Boredom
Welcome to the monthly edition of Where Bloggers Live. It’s kind of like HGTV’s “Celebrities at Home,” but…Bloggers! Who doesn’t like to peek behind the scenes and see inside people’s homes, interests, and lives? Every month a group of six bloggers share their work-spaces, homes, towns, and thoughts, with posts based on specific prompts. It’s been so interesting over the years to see the different ways each of us interpret the topics.
First, a shout out to my “Where Bloggers Live” group. I’m so glad we’re all back to together again (since last month)…cuz that sort of (I guess?) means that everyone has their life at least a little bit together 😉 Mostly, I’m just happy to be able to read everyone’s stories again.
This month’s topic is “what I do when I’m bored.” Make sure to visit everyone’s posts (link below) to see their take on this topic.
“There are no uninteresting things, only uninterested people.”
Not to start this post off with WHY I LOVE MYSELF, but…one of the things I do love about myself is I am ENDLESSLY interested in new things. This has made my life an unending road with interesting detours, u-turns, some periods of being lost, and taking the road less traveled. I have gone from horse person (riding, mucking, teaching) to dog person (training, showing) to flower person (designing, decorating), to gardening person, to internet/desktop publishing person, to ebay seller/collector of amazing things and clothing, to photographer, to being captivated by Korea (language, culture, drama, music, landscape, people, style, etc), to world traveler (currently in Phase One).
And that endless interest means…When Left to My Own Devices I Am Never Bored.
Now, put me in an uninteresting job or class, or make me spend time with people who are *yawn,* and yes, then I’m bored and there’s not much you can do about that. Doodle. Make to-do lists. Etc.
BUT. Other than that, I am rarely bored. If nothing else, I always have my mind with me and I can talk to myself, or better yet, have conversations with other people – by myself. Ha ha.
However, one of the greatest “anti-boredom” skills is, to me, photography. And that starts from getting inspiration. Looking at sites like flickr, Instagram (in the old days…it’s a little hard to even find a still photograph there anymore!), Pinterest, or even just Google (pick a topic, any topic, then “images,” and boom, you’re off). It’s so fun to find an image that inspires you to recreate. Or a theme. Like “this weekend I will take pictures of things that are red.” And then you’re on a scavenger hunt looking for interesting things in that theme. I can spend an hour, day, a weekend, a lifetime adding to that theme. I have lists of themes I will never get through.
Then there’s the act of the photography itself. The never-ending learning, the “how to,” the books you’ll read, the courses you’ll take, the mentors you’ll find. No time for boredom there. There are so many free resources for learning (not just photography, but for anything), like Skillshare, Coursera, Udemy, CreativeLive, etc. Even if you’re not interested in photography, take a look at the classes available on sites like those and I bet something will catch your eye!
Learning is a combator (combatant?) of boredom. Learning is like a pebble in a pond…the ripples are endlessly far-reaching. You never know where you’ll end up!
Back to photography. Or any new interest, really. Find a club. Check your local (or online) library. Go to MeetUp.com. Find like-minded people. Or if you don’t want to go out and meet actual humans, find an online forum or Facebook group. Chatting with new people about your newfound interest or hobby is a path of exponential reward. They’ll know things you don’t know yet, have experiences and viewpoints to share, etc.
And then GO PLACES! Go to interesting places, uninteresting places, beautiful places, ugly places, popular places, unknown places…and find something worth shooting wherever you go. If you can’t go out in the world, find places in your home. Create little vignettes. Tell stories through pictures. Learn to do self-portraits.
Learn to edit – there is a literal infinate amount of editing practices as new techniques and tools are coming out all the time.
And for some, all the above is just the starting line! You can use your pictures for so many different types of art or crafts. Collage, layering, printing on things, making photo books, etc.
I know I’ve used the work “endlessly, well, endlessly in this post, but…really, that’s what a good hobby or interest is. It’s an endless source of endless activities, learning, practicing, sharing, etc.
Now, I know I’m fortunate. I have a good friend who struggles to find things to be interested in…at least to the degree that I do. I tend to go so deep into new interests that they are, quite literally, life-changing (#livinginkoreanow). And I guess there are others who maybe have a hard time to find things to be interested in. I don’t know why I’m this way. Is it innate? Is it a skill I learned? I don’t know. But it’s just an action. Pick something. Anything. Learn about it. Try it. Practice it. Lather Rinse Repeat. If that thing doesn’t float your boat, try another thing. There is SOMETHING. There is something for everyone. I’m convinced of that.
And…honestly, sometimes I’d be happy to be a little bored, ha ha. Let me just lay here and stare at the ceiling. That actually sounds kind of lovely…and not boring at all. I think I’ma go do that for a little bit, bye.
PS: I shared these particular photographs to show that you don’t need fancy equipment or expensive lighting…you don’t need to go to exotic places or have a partner…you can “see” things everywhere you go (or don’t go).
Please make a visit to these other wonderful ladies and see what keeps them going in times of boredom.
Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Em at Dust and Doghair
Iris’ Original Ramblings
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style
Once Upon a Time Happily Ever After
Sally at Within a World of My Own
Lisa
I love that you are interested in so many things. I chuckled when I read your title because I wrote a talk yesterday and in that talk, I tell about a woman who taught me that there is never a reason to be bored. I may use the talk as a blog post after Sunday.
bettyewp
You have a blog? Did I know this? How did I not know this? Did I know it and forget? What is the URL?
Lisa
I’m not a good writer or photographer like you nor are my experiences nearly as exciting! My most recent post is about a few things over the last few days and they are a snooze compared to Korea! I’m living vicariously through you and we don’t even really know each other hahaha! This is my blog link
https://lisa-musingsofamiddle-agedmom.blogspot.com
Em D
Great… now I want to go become a photographer!
Oh, Bettye, the eye you have! Your photos are the story starters of a million blog posts. I could go back and study each one for how they truly inspired me just while reading your post. They are art.
Like you, I am never bored and have interest in sooo many things. I think we’re blessed to have vast sources of knowledge at our fingertips to pursue whatever pops into our heads. And then there are adventurers like you who let there interests lead them to the other side of the world. How cool is that!? My nephew loves hiking…and last month he began a 5-month hike on the Pacific Trail. So here’s to the people taking “not bored” to a whole new level! Just amazing!
Also… This sentence: “Not to start this post off with WHY I LOVE MYSELF, but…one of the things I do love about myself is …” has to be one of the healthiest thing I’ve read in ages! I LOVE THAT! My daughter and I have been talking about being too hard on yourself… what a grace it is to love yourself, and how that is NOT the opposite of being humble, but rather is grateful. Think I’m going to have to borrow that sentence for us to use as a day starter!
bettyewp
Your home is RICH with photo opps! You could totally do a photo a day and never run out of things, big and small, to photograph!
Wow, a 5-month hike? That’s amazing!
Maybe “Why I Love Myself: should be a future WBL post theme 🙂
Ashley
Photography is such a beautiful way to manage boredom (and capture beautiful things!) because there is so much beauty in the mundane and the ordinary! Thanks for sharing with us, Bettye!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
bettyewp
Hey, Ashley! Yeah, it’s easy to walk through life passing right by so many wonderful “pictures.” Photography reminds you to slow down and really look for them. And when you look for something, you can find something interesting or beautiful.
jodie
Seriously your photography is truly spectacular. You take photos of the most mundane things and make it look special.
And how did you come up with this prompt then?? It seemed so unusual , LOL
XOOX
Jodie
bettyewp
Well, everyone submitted post ideas a few years back, I no longer remember which topics go to which person, I just scheduled them out. And as far as the boredom one, just because I don’t get bored doesn’t mean others don’t or that I (or others) don’t have a perspective on it 😊
Daenel T.
OK….Y’all were way more thoughtful and helpful in your post than I was. I honestly didn’t think of photography as a boredom buster, but it makes so much sense. It’s something I enjoy and it’s a creative outlet. I also like that you suggested meeting with people, except for the whole meeting with people part. People, especially ones I don’t know, make me anxious. I’m so not good at the small talk.Anyway, tangent over, such creative ideas for combating boredom.
bettyewp
Yeah, peopling is generally not my favorite either, cuz, as you aid, SMALL TALK UGH…but…at least with photography meetups you don’t really HAVE to talk to anybody. You can just take pictures. Or if you want to talk, there are built in conversation starters, “what lens is that? what shutter speed are you shooting at?” etc.
Iris
I’d be surprised if you were bored Bettye! You’ve been so active in so many things during the time I’ve known you that you’re always an interesting person. Loved reading your post.
Iris
Leslie Susan Clingan
I have admired your photography since I first ‘met’ you!! And Korea seems to provide you with ample subject matter to capture. A few years ago, I bought a DSLR camera and promised I would learn to use it. But after just a little experimentation, I felt very intimidated and set it aside. Need to play with the PRO options on my phone camera and learn more about editing. I really like participating in photo challenges because they make me really LOOK at the world. I think you should challenge us with a photo challenge.
I treasure the silver mirror I bought from your eBay store and have wanted to create a little vignette with other old hand mirrors in my bathroom. Just not sure how to hang them on the wall.
I love CreativeLive courses. Have enjoyed several about writing and toyed with trying a photography class. Is there one you would recommend?
Thank you for your encouraging words for anyone who might not be sure how to dive into a new interest. You dive in head first and I love that about you.
bettyewp
Oh gosh, Leslie! I totally forgot about the silver hand mirror! I’m so glad you have that! From time to time I think about some of my belongings that I’ve lugged around with me for most of my adult life and wonder where they are now and if someone’s loving them and appreciate them. So I’m glad to know that is.
Yes, a big part of the excitement about coming to Korea with all the photography potential here and I’ve barely been able to do any of that since I’ve been here due to one thing or another kidney stones in school and brutal cold winter and my phone that wouldn’t take me anywhere without getting me lost and then my knee, it’s been of errors since I’ve been here and not very funny. But I do feel like things are picking up now. I’m moving around more and my phone is somehow cooperating all of a sudden I don’t really know what changed, but I’m glad it did because
Now I can go out exploring on my own a little bit with without always having to find someone wanting to do the same thing I wanna do.
Oh, I want you to love your camera! Even if you don’t use it on the pro settings and just put it in automatic and leave everything up to the camera, it should still get you some decent shots if you pay attention to your focal point. That’s the little red flashy thing that you put on something to make sure that’s the thing in focus. That’s my biggest gripe with automatic mode, it usually does a pretty good job of getting exposure right, but it will decide what to put in focus and will usually select whatever is closest to the camera, so just keep that in mind when you’re taking pictures. That would be fun to do a photo challenge if others are up for it. We certainly all take pictures on our phones at least for the blogs.
The only thing I can think of for hanging the hand mirror on the wall as well as other things and I know it’s a more time intensive or potentially costly option, but to put them in frames or like shadowboxes and then those can hang easily on the wall. I don’t really know how you would…oh wait! Maybe a plate holder! You know there’s little wiry spring loaded things you use to hang dishes decoratively on the wall? I mean, I always had 1 million of them lying around because I loved hanging dishes on the wall when I had my houses, but maybe not everyone’s so familiar. Google plate hanger, the relatively inexpensive and I think because the hand mirror has a round mirror part maybe that would work.
Ill have to look back in my creative live history to see what photography ones I’ve watched, usually went with more specific niches like family Street photography or something like that, but let me take a look, and I’ll let you know.
Oh, i do dive in head-first, haha, often to detriment, but… I guess I would rather have diving with detriment than no diving and no detriment haha.
xoxo Bettye
Sally in St Paul
I like how you emphasized the “keep learning” aspect of this! Photography is a fascinating creative activity because you really do see the world differently through a camera lens.
bettyewp
Ooh, I’m an interesting person?? Haha. It never feels that way to me out in the world with real people, so thanks for that! Xoxo