Pleasures and pastimes
![Black-and-white photo of three men smiling and holding a large inflatable globe in a small room with shelves.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/501316c6-7891-4cc2-94bc-ada2ccb1e87c/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Creativity
idea
A life of splendid uselessness is a life well lived
Like the fertile soil of a well-kept garden, a life of splendid, utter uselessness yields abundance beyond our immediate aims
by Joseph M Keegin
![A man sits on grass in a park with others around and a bridge in the background on a sunny day.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/46d285d3-2a02-48d9-8b57-b061f66f8ed7/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Thinking and intelligence
idea
Being alone with your thoughts is a skill you can practise
People go to extreme lengths to avoid time with their own thoughts. We’ve found some ways to make it more pleasurable
by Rémy Furrer
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/fd58f9b7-71c1-4177-9a42-ec108c484921/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Habits and routines
guide
How to read more books
Modern life can feel too frantic for books. Use these habit-building strategies to carve out time for the joy of reading
by Christian Jarrett
![A man sitting on a chair in a lush garden with blooming flowers, a cobbled path, and a red garden shed in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/362c7dc9-c370-4dd3-8f98-dd0d4f7135df/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Pleasures and pastimes
film
A club for ‘dull men’ may just inspire you to see the unremarkable anew
Directed by Andy Oxley
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/0cf97d0e-da5a-406b-9bab-3000aa6f0c13/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Pleasures and pastimes
idea
Feel free to stop striving: learn to relish being an amateur
When I rekindled my relationship with the piano and tapped into my inner amateur, I discovered a quiet room of my own
by Xenia Hanusiak
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/2f9bb8b0-2d8c-42d3-94c8-18ddd7bbf460/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Traditional arts
idea
Could the art of ‘sashiko’ help to mend our frayed world?
The Japanese art of ‘sashiko’ celebrates the rough edges of life. Could this be the patchwork solution for our frayed selves?
by Melanie McGrath
![Painting of a woman in black sleeping on a wood-frame bed, on a yellow textured coverlet and with her feet under an orange blanket.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/743d6f3b-f77b-43f9-bd6c-fe4a7a9c25dd/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Pleasures and pastimes
guide
How to rest well
Taking a break isn’t lazy – learning to recharge is a skill that will allow you to enjoy a more creative, sustainable life
by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
![Mountain biker in orange gear riding at sunset on a dirt trail in a desert landscape with sandstone cliffs in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8f728ff6-eda2-4e1e-b9ce-81a8db6ea968/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Freedom and choice
film
Meandering with purpose across the US, on his mountain bike, aged 71
Directed by Brandon Watts
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/c56da9a8-0825-4737-80bc-a06dcc0278ff/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Neuroscience
idea
The fascinating science of pleasure goes way beyond dopamine
Pleasure and happiness are too important for our mental health to be reduced to the single brain chemical dopamine
by Dean Burnett
![A surfer rides a large blue wave, with white spray and foam around them under a dark, dramatic sky.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/ece5c5a6-9687-4009-8760-fe0a4bd9e8a7/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Meaning and the good life
idea
What surfing says about the importance of serendipity in life
What surfers call the elated state of ‘stoke’ is really a celebration of life and the meaningful serendipities it brings
by Aaron James
![A group of people in vibrant green and floral costumes, laughing and celebrating with flowers and horns, next to a stone wall and window.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/335838fe-6120-4a59-8718-c57fd366b1a5/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Joy
guide
How to start having more fun
Fun isn’t frivolous – it’s vital for your wellbeing. Here’s a step-by-step plan to bring more pleasure into your busy life
by Mike Rucker
![A knitted grey toy mouse holds a needle and repairs its own dress. Three balls of yarn lie nearby, alongside a small blue open book.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/3c1bf35e-c897-4ab4-9833-fcb77a47c43d/visible-mending-landscape-1.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Pleasures and pastimes
film
A whimsical ode to the reparative power of knitting, rendered in wool
Directed by Samantha Moore