recreational research (erin jean warde)
I find comfort in recreational research. It scratches the itch of my desire to grow in knowledge, plus it can be practically helpful. It fires up the creative, curious part of my brain.
recreational research
In a few weeks, I’ll be road tripping quite a ways to meet up with friends, which provides an opportunity to do something I’ve wanted to do for a while: car camping by myself. I got a new car in December and I specifically wanted a car I could turn into a sleeper for this reason.
On Saturday, it hit me my travels are only a few weeks away, so I started the process of picking my camp site, figuring out what I need, etc.
Y’all I spent THE WHOLE DAY planning this trip! And the best part — I loved it! I looked at the map between here and there, investigated what campgrounds are available close to the halfway point, then researched each campground to see which would be the best fit. Digging into one part would surface a new question, which would become the next focus of my exploration. All the while, I was pulling together lists of what I need to pack. The whole time, I became more excited about camping alone for the first time, more curious about the areas where I’ll be, and more hopeful about the possibility of a future with more travel (something I’ve been yearning for).
This is what I call “recreational research.” You see, when I was in the early stages of quitting drinking, one of the more daunting realities was the vast expanse of hours at the end of the day that I had to fill with not drinking. Regardless of whether or not you’re sober, you too might stare into an evening and think: what am I going to do? Or maybe you’re like me and want to try to find something a bit more nourishing than mindlessly marathoning something on Hulu (though Hulu has her place…).
I found, and still find, comfort in recreational research. One reason I love it is because I struggle with “hobbies,” but this is right up my nerdy alley. It scratches the itch of my desire to grow in knowledge, plus it can be practically helpful (like when you are, say, preparing for a trip!). That said, the desire to grow in knowledge isn’t focused on my “work life,” because this is for fun, and it fires up the creative, curious part of my brain. The practical help it offers typically feels more like self-care, because it nourishes me instead of depleting me, unlike when I need to research through a possibly stressful project.
But, there was a specific point of the research that is important. I originally found 4 possible camp sites, did all the research, had narrowed it down to my top 2, and I was trying to pick between them. (Y’all I now have a PROCESS, lol.) I was struggling with the overwhelm of picking one and I suddenly thought: Maybe I should find a few more campgrounds to research? But, because I know myself a little bit, I paused. I knew I was on the verge of tipping over into the type of research that is anxiety induced, not recreational.
I knew my mindset had shifted into being fear-based. I dug a little deeper and I could tell my mind was thinking: But what if neither of these camping spaces are perfect? And I was able to respond: You’re right, neither of these camping spaces are perfect. And whichever ones you add won’t be perfect either. I went back to my top 2, picked one, and made the reservation.
We can only research so much. Research will only reveal whatever it can. And when I pivoted to thinking I needed to start over, I abandoned the curiosity and creativity of spirit that made this research hopeful, exciting, and fun.
So, I love recreational research — and it doesn’t have to be about travel plans! There are lots of fun ways we can nerd out. (See ideas below.) But, there can also be a tipping point when I have to pause, notice what’s fueling the practice, and return to the “recreational” part.
I hope you’re able to go down some fun rabbit holes soon (whether they’re travel plans or not!), and that in doing so, it awakens a curiosity, creativity, and excitement you have long yearned for.
With love & care,
EJW
healing moment: recreationally research
Healing moments won’t always be connected to the day’s reflection, but today it is…
Find something to recreationally research! (Warning: This might sound like the worst thing ever and if that’s the case, you should not do this, lol. Take what works and leave the rest!)
How you research a topic can look lots of different ways! You could find books about it at the library, Google search it, listen to a podcast about the topic, find documentaries about it, crowdsource it with friends or online, get magazines with features on it, and more. And researching travel is a whole other beast, but one of my favorites!
Suggestion: Try not to let this be about work. We often want so, so desperately to be “productive,” but if our rest time is in service to work it will rarely help us heal exhaustion. Yes, if you’re a creative, even doing things that “aren’t work” can inspire an essay, sermon, what have you, but there’s a difference between how all of life can give us inspiration and picking a topic because it is explicitly focused around your work.
Example: When I researched and planned my trip, it was for the sole purpose of preparing to do something joyful. Only today did I realize it could be a fun essay topic.
Ideas for recreational research topics: upcoming travel plans (or a place you’d like to one day visit!), weather/natural disasters, an animal, the place where you live, a decade, your favorite musician/artist/writer/fashion designer, an era of literature, a societal movement, a type of philosophy/way of thinking, a way of doing art (like painting, sculpture, etc), a pop culture sensation, the history behind a show or movie you love, the history behind something you loved as a child (great for inner child work), and more.
You could also journey through a list of things as a personal project, like:
Watching AFI’s list of top 100 films of all time (and you could pair this with the Unspooled podcast)
Researching the most important global events to happen annually since 1920
Lots to explore through the 25 best documentaries of all time
Listening to the 500 greatest albums of all time
You get the idea! Comment below to let me know if you try this or if you already love to recreational research!
A Generous Path to Sobriety (The Living Church)
Grateful to see The Living Church featured Sober Spirituality in their TLC Book Club! I truly appreciate this review from Kelly Wilson.
Warde offers a succinct list of reasons to think more critically about alcohol, sketches a generous and forgiving path for sobriety, and provides practical advice for communities to better support those who wish to be more mindful about their drinking. There are some bumps along the road, which may cause discomfort for those who find their drinking culture challenged by the sobering statistics and stories here, but these challenges are delivered fairly and non-judgmentally.
What I’ve Been Reading (Radical Love Live)
TLC Reviewer Kelly Wilson also chats about Sober Spirituality on his podcast!
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