The Guardian today offers up a big list of “cultural life hacks,” or ways that “the arts can slightly improve your life.” Some of them are completely ridiculous (“Give up your job, raid your children’s inheritance, and set yourself up as an artist in a town where no one knows you”). Lots are pretty banal, though are also perhaps things that are worth emphasizing as, you know, good things to do, such as:
Visit a museum for 20 minutes. Enjoy just a handful of works, absorbing enough beauty and power to give you a lift. A concentrated burst beats an exhausting trawl.
And:
Go to the movies alone on a Monday after work. If it’s a fancy cinema, treat yourself to a cocktail. Your attentiveness to the film will be all the better for not being confused with socialising. Communing with a big screen is a great way to start the week.
I would suggest that going to the movies alone on any day and at any time is good, and allows you to make the film your entire focus.
As for the Guardian’s more intriguing cultural life hacks, I very much concur with the suggestion to check out Radio Garden, which lets you listen live to radio stations all over the world. (“Spin [its globe] at random, or alight on a place you’ve always wanted to visit – and discover what their daily soundtrack involves.” Yes!)
What’s your favorite cultural life hack? Are there ways that you consume or play with music, movies, books, games, etc, that give you extra pleasure, and/or that you suspect may not have occurred to other people?
I find that I prefer certain books as audio books, especially if they have a good narrator. It seems the narrator can bring things or humour I wouldn’t necessarily noticed as I barrelled through the e-version or dead tree version.
I love to go to a museum and spend at least half an hour with one of my favorite works... in the Met in NY, it's a figure of Quan Yin on the Asian floor; it's so beautiful, peaceful and inspiring that i just feel refreshed for quite a while after looking at her.
Regal cinemas in the US have discount Tuesday nights, so not to shill them or anything but it's a cheap way to see a movie yourself, esp. if you do a matinee.
I also love to read the wiki for a film before I watch it. Also whenever I see a film for the first time, I often try to think what I would pair it with in a double feature; it helps me put what I find compelling about it into focus.
It's a silly one, but I'm forever diving into Wikipedia when I'm watching TV or movies to learn more about the actors, directors, writers, etc.
I do the same except with IMDb!
I find that I prefer certain books as audio books, especially if they have a good narrator. It seems the narrator can bring things or humour I wouldn’t necessarily noticed as I barrelled through the e-version or dead tree version.
I love to go to a museum and spend at least half an hour with one of my favorite works... in the Met in NY, it's a figure of Quan Yin on the Asian floor; it's so beautiful, peaceful and inspiring that i just feel refreshed for quite a while after looking at her.
Regal cinemas in the US have discount Tuesday nights, so not to shill them or anything but it's a cheap way to see a movie yourself, esp. if you do a matinee.
I also love to read the wiki for a film before I watch it. Also whenever I see a film for the first time, I often try to think what I would pair it with in a double feature; it helps me put what I find compelling about it into focus.