Social distancing doesn’t have to be just staring longingly out your window for the entire day

by Marco Ovies, Arts Editor

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been social distancing for a little bit now. For me this means going for walks around the local park and playing Pokémon for extended periods of time. But after a day or two of the same routine, you might be looking to try something new. Well, look no further because I’ve come up with suggestions to help your self-isolation be the most fun it can be!

Bob Ross Wine and Paint Night

There’s nothing like sitting down with some snacks, a glass of wine, painting, and the smooth voice of Bob Ross to help you relax. If you have the supplies kicking around your house then why not give this fun activity a try? Netflix and YouTube have plenty of his videos available so there’s nothing stopping you from grabbing your paint supplies and getting to work.

Warning: Bob Ross paint tutorials are harder than they seem, so try not to give up right away.

Make a mixtape

Now this doesn’t have to be made on an actual tape — this can just be a digital playlist to send to your significant other or friends while you’re stuck in your house. Not only is finding the perfect music a great way to pass the time and potentially discover new artists, but it can also show someone how much you care about them. Remember, social distancing does not mean completely cutting yourself off from everyone else. Find new ways to connect with your loved ones.

Not feeling the love? No worries, you can make the theme of your playlist whatever you want. My favourite one I’ve come across so far is Madeleine’s playlist “Songs to dismantle the establishment to.”

Learn that musical instrument that’s been collecting dust for the last couple of years

I know plenty of people who have gone out and bought a keyboard or guitar with the intention of learning it, only to have it become more of a decoration than anything. Take this time to finally learn how to play it, even if you learn just one song. You’ll also find that the time will pass by super quickly while you’re jamming out. If you’re feeling confident enough, you can even host one of those Instagram Live concerts that other musicians (like John Legend, Coldplay, and Charlie Puth) are doing right now. For newcomers to the music world, I recommend starting out with a ukulele. Plus, by the time summer rolls around, you’ll be ready for those summer bonfire jam sessions.

Yousician is a great resource to help you learn lots of instruments and they offer a free seven-day trial. You can also find tutorials pretty much anywhere on the internet.

Macaroni art

What are you going to do with those 20 boxes of pasta that you panic bought last week? You can channel your inner kid and make some first class macaroni art. Now there is no guarantee that this will look better than the one you made in kindergarten; this is a fun activity that you can do with whoever you’re isolated with. All you need is pasta (personally I enjoy bowties but feel free to go crazy), glue, and construction paper.

Read The Peak

Have you heard of SFU’s student paper, The Peak? It can be a real hoot and there is a new crossword and sudoku you can do every week.

“But Marco, how can I get the paper if I’m stuck at home?” you might ask.

Well lucky for you, you can check out all previous issues of The Peak on our Issuu site (issuu.com/peaksfu) or by checking out our own website at the-peak.ca. I particularly like the arts section the most, but I’m sure you’ll find something interesting to read regardless.

Looking for more to do? Check out these links for more resources.