Choosing Creation over Consumption

Constanza Bayod Carrasco takes the opportunity of a long holiday to rethink our relationship with boredom

Faced with a long summer, and conscious of this being my penultimate one before graduating from university, I decided to be very intentional in my free time. With a lack of deadlines and imminent purpose, I found myself succumbing to the instant gratification that is social media. However, filled with a sense of unease and disconnection when on my phone, I decided to reconnect with real life. I wanted to do all the things I cannot do during the year, but long for, acknowledging that my student life will soon come to an end. During this liminal, holiday period, I became increasingly eager to embrace a simpler and more meaningful way of living, inspired by thinkers such as Henry David Thoreau.

These things I often wish I could do, whilst not priorities during the term, are also productive, for personal formation, for the soul. In a world which emphasises the sciences, it is often forgotten that the humanities are just as important, only in a different manner. And so, I made the decision to be more conscious of my time, and use this unique moment between terms to keep my mind and spirit engaged and, hopefully, growing.