What's Been Good: Mood Boosters, Quality Time, and Creative Choices

What's been good...

 

My art journal entry

updated 17 March 2021

C.S. Sherin

Today I want to pass on some shows and other odds and ends that have been good lately. Maybe they will be just what you are looking for! I really can't recommend them enough, and only because I enjoyed them so much.

The following items listed below have helped a lot through the cold, frigid nights and weekends of winter during a global pandemic (and other mayhem):

WELL WORTH YOUR TIME

• "My Octopus Teacher", a documentary on Netflix. This is a short and powerful documentary that leaves me with some important lessons to ponder and hold close. What it reveals is absolutely amazing and precious.
  
  
• "Finding Your Roots", a series that airs on Tuesday nights on PBS. This series never fails to have a dynamic impact on me. I have learned so much from it, and it brings me closer to a deeper understanding of our humanity in this country.
  
  
• "Surviving Death", a short series on Netflix. This documentary blends the esoteric with science, and it is so well done! It is nice to see science finally beginning to confirm and support these experiences in a bigger way. I specifically recommend episodes 1, 5, & 6, which focus on dying and coming back, and children with memories from/of reincarnation. The latter was especially interesting and meaningful for me, as I also told my family stories of my other lives at the age of three!
  
  
• "Dancing With Birds", a documentary on Netflix. This documentary shows how much unimaginable intelligence and uniqueness there is in the wilds of our world. It is so important to speak up for it and to protect it. The footage floored me, and I especially loved the last two birds featured. They were absolutely jaw-dropping amazing.
  
  
• "Feminists, What Were They Thinking?", a documentary on Netflix. Focusing on photographs of women of the 1970s taken by Cynthia McAdams, and with interviews 40 years later, this documentary is quite interesting and helpful in glimpsing into many aspects of the women's movement of the 70s. It is an interesting, and powerful perspective and approach to telling the stories.
  
  
• "Struggle", a documentary on Netflix. The subtitle is "The Life And Lost Art Of Szukalski". I don't want to give too much away, but this documentary has some real twists and turns. It is truly unique and interesting, and even surprising. The focus is on an elderly man living in LA who turns out to be a genius sculpture of another era. He has secrets, is eccentric, and maybe, has changed since his days of grandeur in Poland. Fascinating and unusual, to say the least.
  
  
• "The Midnight Gospel" is an animated short series on Netflix that is sci-fi and surreal melded with actual podcast-type worthwhile discussions. It is strange, at times disturbing, and also a bit silly, transcendent and philosophical. It is not religious.
  

TRIED AND TRUE

• "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episodes
• "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episodes
• The Lord of The Rings Trilogy by J.R. Tolkien (extended movies and book forms)
• "Adventure Time" (a sci-fi, fantasy, surreal animated series from Cartoon Network) on Hulu or DVD
• Ponyo (animated movie)
  
• Amelie (French movie)
  

What can I say? I will never tire of any of these. They are quality stories!

 

COMEDIC RELIEF

•  "Save Yourselves", a sci-fi comedy on Hulu. It is not a big budget show, and it didn't need to be. I still smile just thinking about it. It is the funny sci-fi movie we need just about now.
  
  
•  "Derry Girls", a 1990s Ireland based series on Netflix. We did have to watch this with subtitles on, due to the heavy Irish accents and lots of slang that we are not fluent in. It is a snapshot of time in a Catholic girls school and at home during trying times in Ireland in the 1990s. It is funny, for sure. But, it is also much more than that.
  
  
• "MEpearlA" on Youtube. Well, my mother was an only child, so I don't have any aunts or uncles. If I had an aunt, I would want this lady to be her. She is most certainly a really clever actress with impeccable humor. But, more than that, she has opossums who are beloved animal companions and sidekicks. And, she had a squirrel named Pearl who was also her companion. But, Pearl died, and so then, transitioned into the role of "spirit offering guidance from the other side". Oh my! :) There is nothing quite so fun and inspiring as this artist and her presentations. :)
  

THERAPEUTIC, CREATIVE OUTLETS

•  Watch the "Yellow Scream" painting being painted by Kim Beom, a South Korean artist. At first this may seem strange. But listening to his (incredibly varied) screams that infuse this painting becomes mesmerizingly amazing. It definitely has a cathartic effect for the listener as well. Mr. Beom has a depth of variety to his screams and has really thought this out. This performance made a strong positive contribution to my mental health!
  
  
• Drawing in the old art journal...memories, feelings...the good, bad, and ugly...it all gets transmuted into creative energy, into something else, with pens and markers. Often accompanied by music (from the last bullet in this list).
  
  
• Healthy baking and cooking. Baking is especially fun, creative, exciting, and delicious. Just remember to share or give some of the sweets away, if doable--so as to spread the joy.  ;) Though often, of course it is also right to ration out cookies for the week for one's self and immediate housemates only.
  
  
• WFMU.org is a great online streaming radio station that is located in New Jersey. When you go to their page, go to recent archives to see the schedule of shows each week. I personally recommend: "Surface Noise" with Joe McGasko, "Wake" with Clay Pigeon, "Sophisticated Boom Boom" with Sheila B., "Fool's Paradise" with Rex, "Travel Zone" with DJ Time Traveler, and "Dance With Me, Stanley" with Stashu. Thanks goes to our soul friends in Brooklyn for tuning us in to this gem.
  

Last of all, I would say that our peaceful fish community aquarium has been an ongoing source of what is good, along with: dancing to good music in the living room, the sunshine (when it is out), our other animal companions (3 cats and a dog), and talks with our daughter who is at college in another city (and with other friends and family) when there's time.

My planted aquarium. The peaceful residents are kind of hiding in this pic. 

Looking forward, what's good is that the weather is warming up here in the Driftless Area! I think everyone in the country has gone through so much this winter, and the punishing weather was on top of all of that. Even though the warm stint won't last, it is enough to recharge and get through to Spring. Each day is for counting blessings, and today mine is largely in joyful anticipation of time outside, each day now (as of this week), walking far and wide, with my husband and our magical dog. 

My husband and our doggy, on a night of dancing with fun freaky lights going. Photo by me (C.S. Sherin, 2021).

 

Am hoping that this list gives you some new fun/quality time options. And, I hope you are finding some moments each day to feed your soul, and to soothe and recharge your heart, body, and brain. 

Until next time, take good care of you! 

all my best,

Chandra

(C. S. Sherin)