best recs for getting out of a funk? both personal or creative

Question

Catherine Davis · Answer

Toss Your Phone Into the Sea: A girl can dream

Soleil · Answer

Romanticism - Hana Vu: i listen to this album while in the throes of a funk. specifically look alive, hammer, care, and dreams

Dylan · Answer

Somatics: Learning about and practising somatics has truly changed my mind-body connection. There are so many simple movements you can do to help release stagnant energy, ground yourself, and regulate your nervous system.

This is my friend & teacher's website, but there are many offerings out there to explore, both in person and from your home.

Sending so much love <3

Dylan · Answer

Depression Ending Bear: Let me tell you, much like Shakira's hips, the reviews don't lie! this big boy currently has over a thousand 5-star reviews on IKEA website (go read some of them for comedy gold - you're WELCOME).

my cats love this one. dolly spends her nights licking it obsessively til it's saturated, then she falls asleep. cute or disgusting? a little from column A, a little from column B.

Space Camp · Answer

Cardinal Beginner Cross Stitch Kit: Whenever I'm in a funk I make art with my hands. Cross stitch is my drug of choice. Putting my phone down and making something real and tangible usually is the first step towards feeling the light again.

Kaylan · Answer

100 days of…: For creative blocks or exploration, I like to force myself to commit to 100 days of drawing (or watercoloring, or collaging, or whatever strikes you).

It’s easier to work small given the time constraints certain days inherently have, but the most amazing and unexpected things bloom as your mind is pushed into corners it wouldn’t normally go to.

You have to put in the work, but I can guarantee you will surprise yourself.

Analisa Burns · Answer

Tim Robinson skateboard team sketch (2022): peak Tim, if you like any of I Think You Should Leave at all you'll love

Grier · Answer

Calming Ragas: I’m so glad you asked. These were all things that helped me emerge from a funk. I hope they help you!

1. Calming ragas + incense in the morning.

2. Processing while listening to live classical or ambient music. LA’s Living Earth series has some of the best programming for this. Tree People is also a great spot for having a deep think in a quiet space around other ppl. I’m often restored by being in public places where there’s a shared appreciation of something else.

3. Prepping your coffee the night before. This is like a little gift to yourself when you wake up and simply press a button.

4. Doing the dishes in your sink. A clean kitchen is helpful when you’re facing a new day while in a funk.

5. Eating very spicy food. Time to get some Sichuan in the SGV. Shock the senses.

6. Getting in water like @Evan McAvenia said! Some laps at the Rosebowl could be a nice alt.

7. Walking up a very steep hill.

8. Taking one Advil PM before bed. My doctor friend always says “all the tools you need are inside you.” Your body and mind are very good at processing hard emotions and recovering, so set them up for success: stay hydrated and ensure good sleep.

9. Drive to the west side! It’s shocking how driving across town is like taking a field trip to a different city. I’d wake up early and get breakfast at Gjusta before the crowds arrive.

10. Going out to lunch and wearing a nice outfit.

And finally, remembering that this too shall pass.

Dylan · Answer

Silly little mental health walks in nature: Just left the house for the first time in 9 days to go for a silly lil mental health walk in nature and found myself bawling my eyes out at this rainbow lorikeet just hanging outside his lil tree stump house. We stared into each other's eyes for a good 10 mins until he decided that was enough and retreated back inside his lil tree hole.

D · Answer

flip the table ; be in the wind : There are two phrases I find useful when I want to move in a new direction, whether out of a funk or some flavor of stuckness. They have a specific order.

First, I think about flipping the table. This could mean to completely upend or just gently rotate elements of my life to see a new refraction. It can mean changing my schedule slightly to wake up a little earlier to fold a new ritual into the everyday; to build some beauty into the hours before time accelerates. Or, it can mean to throw all of the contents of the bag of my life on the ground, literally or metaphorically speaking, and do some sorting: what’s working, what’s broken, what’s stale, what do I need to release, what do I want to keep close.

Then, after the table has been flipped (or turned, or even undramatically reoriented), I allow myself enough levity (fearlessness? foolishness?) to be in the wind. The wind could take one to a new place, or just a nearby tree, or a new upside-down way of being with material. After all the clearing, there’s more room. Space becomes open for some whimsy, play, breath, and then something unexpected comes. A vapor.

That’s my process, for what it’s worth. Sometimes this relationship to desirous change can be chaotic or even painful, but it does render more surprises and unexpected beauty in my life and work. Grain of salt in a breeze.

Here's some Remedios Varo (“Cazadora de astros”) magic for mercurial inspiration.

Evan McAvenia · Answer

taking a dip at the beach: is there anything better? get your hair wet! jump straight into a wave and just float. you’ll never regret it.