Ways to Enjoy Media

Usually it is the opposite- media has us bingewatching TV, checking our Instagram accounts, wasting money on stupid games. These are some ways we can make media work for us. 

1. Log every book you read. There is an innate satisfaction that comes when you finish a book and write it down, especially if you have spent a lot of time with this book. Last night I finished a book on the six wives of Henry the VIII. The book was roughly 600 pages and it was a very satisfying and educational read. The drama that went on in the Tudor court! Anyway I was very pleased to log it and rate it in my journal. I got a second book journal for my birthday because I am halfway done the first one. Even if you don’t have a book journal just open a word document on your computer. And if you aren’t reading….maybe you should be?

2. Genre jump at the movies. I have started going to the movies so much since I started dating Justin and I pleased to say we see a variety of movies. Justin likes superhero movies and any popular movie that might make a splash in the industry. I like horror movies, the creepier the trailer, the better. But we’ve seen movies that define genre. We’ve seen romantic comedies. We’ve seen Wicked. We’ve seen animated movies. We’re usually at the movies several times a month. Bottom line: if you only insist on seeing one type of movie you are probably missing out.

3. Read aloud to someone else. Of course you might not have anyone to read to. In which case you can’t really do this. But I’ve been reading to my mom since I could read myself. My mom is perfectly capable of reading to herself. But when reading to her is not only a bonding experience it helps me digest the book better by the words out loud. It is also a challenge to find a book we both enjoy equally. There is a lot of what my mom reads that I consider too dry and alot of what I read she considers unsettling. Right now we are reading Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill and we are both learning alot.

4. Try a new magazine. I have always preferred books over magazines but when i did have subscriptions I always looked forward to receiving them in the mail. I used to have subscriptions for Psychology Today and Writers Digest. I did end up cutting the Psychology Today for collages but my Writers Digest articles are still intact and they are very useful especially the ones stockpiled with the names of agents or magazines I can submit my writing to.

5. Listen to audiobooks while driving or cooking. Some people who don’t read claim it’s due to time restraints. And that’s a valid reason. But that’s why God invented audiobooks (or the person who actually invented them). I’m listening to a Stephen King book now as I do my crafting. My hands are busy. Now the book keeps my mind busy too. An audiobook can liven up meal prep or being stuck in traffic. You just need to find the right one with the right narrator.

6. Make a playlist for every emotion. I have happiness playlists, playlists for energy (these are usually the one I use at the gym), love playlists (songs that remind me of Justin or songs that I listen to when I’m writing a fictional love triangle), sad songs (if I need to wallow) and playlists that accompany an experience and which will always take  me back to that moment.

Bonus: If you loved or were really affected by a movie or a book I suggest making a collage or movie poster of your own. Movies usually do come with posters of their own but it’s more fun (and an exercise in creativity) to make your own. And it ensures you don’t forget the experience anytime soon.