Blog Post #8 

 

            Time is really flying by this semester and each week I find it moving even faster. My occupation is going well, and my pumpkin is pretty much done. I really want to begin a new project especially as time is coming to an end on this semester. Throwing is fairly hard, or at least I remember it to be difficult especially because I won’t have someone teaching me. Thinking about how I could make my experience more positive when I try to throw next week, I plan on watching some videos reminding me of the basic form and techniques. This way hopefully my pots wont fall apart on the wheel!

 

            My occupation is one that I find is congruent with my valued goals but also has low demand +low resources. This would put my occupation in the category of F: enjoyment (low boredom) (Westgate & Steidal, 2020, p. 6). Diving deeper into this and why I placed my occupation where I did on the scale I want to first address my valued goals. When picking my occupation I had certain goals in mind that I wanted to fulfill. I knew that I was missing an artistic part of my life that I have previously had when I was younger. I was already participating in activities that involved physical activity and learning so I chose to incorporate a new hobby more focused on the arts. I also had personal emotional ties to this occupation because of my grandmother and that I have previously felt joy and happiness from pottery. Moving to the second portion of the table I placed my occupation in Low-level engagement. Personally, I think I have low demand for this occupation currently because I am only participating in it once a week compared to some other occupations such as studying that I participate in every day. I also think it requires low resources because although I do go to the craft shop, the price is very low. I have the freedom to make as many pieces as often as I like, and this lets me enjoy my occupation in my own way and time frame. There is not much pressure to find a lot of resources and meet a high demand instead I can simply enjoy the act of practicing my new occupation. 

 

            The concept of boredom is one that I haven’t previously given much thought to yet after reflecting on times in my life when I have experienced boredom it is evident that this emotion plays a role in my actions and what I choose to occupy my time with. When I was younger and I was bored I think I often chose activities I would not have normally chosen and being bored perhaps made me more reckless and open to trying new things. In relation to my new occupation I think I have taken a slightly different approach to boredom and found something productive that I know has value to me. Hopefully in the future I can continue to find activities that will make me happy and improve my life when I am bored and I think being aware of the two options is a great start. 

Westgate EC, Steidle B. (2020). Lost by definition: Why boredom matters for psychology and society. Soc Personal Psychol Compass. 2020;14:e12562. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12562