Shooting with (Patreon)

Aleksander Stojanov

My beloved went to Texas to earn money for my future dresses, meanwhile I decided to run experiments on myself instead - psychological ones)))

Research topic: Self-structuring time without digital entertainment: an autoethnographic study

Objective: To explore how everyday leisure can be structured and filled when digital entertainment is removed.

Hypothesis: I assume my brain will eventually come up with activities on its own. I also do not rule out the possibility of a complete relapse.

I’ve already shared my thoughts about constantly collapsing onto the couch in the evenings with movies or video games, and how differently I used to spend my evenings when I was younger. So while I’m alone, I decided to try something radical - to completely cut out digital entertainment.

I kept online communication with friends and family. I allow myself a bit of laptop work - photo editing, sharing my thoughts with you, studying Spanish. And that’s it. And only if I actually want to do it. Because if there’s one thing I’m consistently lazy about, it’s “productive” tasks)))

From the very first day of the experiment, I realized how difficult it is to invent activities for myself. My brain resisted everything. The maximum I managed was finishing a puzzle, cooking food for a few days, meditating - and even that felt like I was negotiating with myself very intensely. Not because I wanted to, but because I needed to keep myself busy.

The second day was quite similar to the first, except I spent a lot of time just staring at the ocean or the palm trees. Let’s call it intentional zoning out. Very slow. Very aesthetic. Very unproductive.

Only on the third day did my imagination finally start waking up)))

Suddenly, my Spanish studies moved forward way more than usual. Turns out, when you actually have time and concentration, learning new words and doing homework before the lesson works much better than five minutes before class. I even found time to review old material, practice speaking Spanish with myself - and yes, occasionally with ChatGPT. Judge me later)))

Somewhere along the way, I also magically found time for face fitness. Apparently, when you’re bored enough, even facial muscles start feeling important.

After my morning routine and Spanish practice, my eyes landed on a book I had abandoned halfway through - Tarot. 40 Degrees of Wisdom. Five minutes later, I was already sitting on my mat, carefully sorting tarot cards from all my decks by type, preparing a tea ceremony, and slowly reading every page while studying each card.

Later, during a late lunch, I caught myself staring at the ocean again. Ten minutes after that, I was already in shorts and a tank top, walking to the beach to watch the sunset)))

And then everything became a blur. I finally reached for the pencils, charcoal, and paints I had asked Gary to bring me a long time ago because I supposedly wanted to start drawing. I had touched them once before. This time - it was the second)))

I also looked up new cake recipes. And instead of saving them to Instagram like I usually do, I actually made one. I won’t brag - but it turned out very good.

What I realized during this time is that the brain constantly craves something new. And when you give it space instead of endless stimulation, it starts charging itself from curiosity. That curiosity slowly pushes you beyond the walls of your home, beyond your usual routine - and that’s exactly where inspiration begins to appear.

Conclusion: Out of boredom, the brain starts inventing activities on its own. It just needs space. And if nothing comes to mind - simply walk slowly around your apartment. Your brain will find something to latch onto, and you’ll suddenly fall into a world of long-forgotten desires and plans.

At first, it will be difficult.

And then - it will be very, very fun.