Quote: Boredom: the Desire for Desires

Pajamas. [Yawn.]

I’m never excited to shop for pajamas because they’re pretty much the same and they’re pretty much boring. There are only so many options for women: nightgowns or shorts/pants with tops. Usually I’m just looking at pajama pants; some are fairly nondescript, being a flat color or an unassuming plaid, but others are blatantly obnoxious. And I can’t help but wonder, who wears these garish colors or likes these tacky patterns? I don’t. And the fabric tends to be nothing special, mostly just jersey or cotton or flannel. 

I understand that pajamas are meant for sleeping in, so the biggest factor is whether or not they’re comfortable. No one wants to be in scratchy or too tight pajamas. However, it’d be nice if there was a tiny bit of design in there because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pair of pajama pants that I actually wanted. The design just isn’t there; there’s nothing special about any of it.

So I’m extremely lazy about buying pajama pants because I don’t find them interesting to look at, and therefore I almost never look at them in a store. Inevitably, I reach some sort of desperation point where I need new pajama pants and I just buy the least ugly pair I can find at a store for not much money. I’ve had coats, dresses, tops, skirt and shoes that I’ve loved, but I’ve never had pajama pants that I’ve loved.

I feel like pajama pants should be awesome. I spend a good third of my life in them, and there’s no reason that they should be such fashion rejects. So if I can’t find what I want in a store (and I don’t want to pay a ton for them either), then I’ll just make them myself. I’ve made pajama pants before (and they’re not hard to make), and I think can make a way cuter pair than the lackluster pants I’ve seen in the stores.

I’m Bored. Let’s Eat.

Eating tasty food is one of the most satisfying parts of any day. Some days I can’t wait to eat and I eagerly await my stomach to growl at me so I can fill it with delicious food. However when I’m busy working on something, sometimes it’s easy to forget to eat. If I’m in the middle of a project and really focused on it, then somehow eating becomes an afterthought—almost an annoyance. I don’t want to eat because then I have to stop what I’m doing and take a ten minute break to wolf down sustenance so I can continue on (and it seems like such a hassle). [Sigh.]

On the flip side, I may want to eat if I’m bored. I want to nibble, nosh, munch and taste something tasty. I know I’m not actually hungry, but I feel like eating something. I think this wanting to eat for the sake of eating is most apparent when watching TV (because who doesn’t want a little snack while watching TV?). Somehow popcorn seems to make just about any TV show a bit more palatable to watch.

Sometimes I’ll catch myself and realize that my hands just want to be busy, so instead of eating I ought to do something with my hands (e.g. knitting, drawing, crafting, etc.), which is infinitely better for my already full stomach. It’s excessively easy to mindlessly snack, so I just need to distract my hands so I don’t end up eating something I don’t really need.  

Shear Boredom is a Good Thing…Sometimes

I recently had plans to meet my mom for coffee, and while I got there on time, she was running late. That left me waiting alone with some extra time on my hands, so I plucked a notebook and pen from my bag and started sketching ideas.

Every so often I find great motivation in boredom. When I’m waiting for someone or something I’m given the (often unwanted) gift of time, and this can force me to think about projects without extraneous distractions. There are two routes I’ll consider when thinking about a project, the concept (or the “what's the overall idea?”) and the method (as in “how do I put this all together and make it work?”).

Concepts usually come to me in a sudden burst of inspiration—I may see something or remember something that sparks my imagination (like wanting to use my memory of the Estate Game to create something). It’s often more subconscious; I may be doing something mundane and then an idea just pops into my head. On the flip side, I often have to actively think about the methods I’ll use in a project; this tends to be a slower more methodical process (especially if there’s special construction issues to take into consideration).

So I generally try to use my waiting time wisely. It’s not that I’m excited to be bored, because I’m not. But sometimes boredom can make you want to do something; it can nudge you to think and create and to be productive.