Blackout Boredom Busters

It’s that time of the year again when Sweater Weather takes a dark twist. You find yourself wrapped up like a burrito, sitting in the dark, and desperately praying for WiFi and electricity. Boredom has never been this fatal. But worry no more! We’re here to save you. Here’s a list of things you can do to creatively pass the time.

Take Black and White Photos (minus the filters)
What’s a better excuse to B&W photos than a stormy day? Test your photography skills, and play with the (minimal) lighting. You can experiment with it too by using candles and flashlights at different angles. Shadow play, anyone?

Wax sculpting
You should never play with fire, but you can play with the warm (READ: not burning hot!) candle wax. Tap into your inert Michelangelo, and make tiny works of art out of it.

Have a Board Games Marathon
Isn’t it time for the long overdue rematch between you and your family members? Whip out those boxes of Monopoly and The Game of Life that are just gathering dust under your bed and let the games begin. To give it a fresh feel and to keep it interesting, try mashing up different games into one “ultra board game”.

Start a Happiness Jar
They say save a penny for a rainy day, but how about happy thoughts? Jot down happy memories or silly thoughts on post-its, and keep them in a jar for the next time the rainy weather's got you feeling blue.

Make Smores
To match your steaming cup of coffee, pull out those bags of marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate bars you’ve got stashed in your cupboards. Add sprinkles or other goodies you’ve got hidden in there, and you're good to go! Don't forget to sing The Campfire Song (Song) while you're at it!

Don’t have a working stove? Run your smores on top of a candle, just like in camp.

Find Poetry
Stuck on the lines of “say something I’m giving up on you"? We’ll I’ve got good news to all those who are at a loss for words: Found Poetry. Pick up some highlighters and markers, some newspapers, pamphlets, even receipts (!), and start “finding poems” by highlighting keywords and coloring out others.

Paint in the dark
Pick up an old paintbrush and those leftover bottles of paint from your last class project , and start dipping it into different colors and making different strokes—all the while without seeing which is which. You’d be surprise how artistic you can be without thinking too much.

Put up a Pillow Fortress
How long has it been since you last put up a Pillow Fortress? TOO LONG, that’s right. So gather all the pillows and blankets you can find (and even your stuffed animals, I know you still have them) and stack them up. Go inside and do everything BUT sleep. Don’t dare bat an eye and just revel in the moment that you’re in a PILLOW FORTRESS again after so many years.

Make Mixtapes
After hearing the latest news about the storm, why not tune into the daytime radio channels? With the last bar of energy on your phone, record songs and dialogues to make mixtapes.


We don’t always need to depend on our gadgets and internet connection for entertainment. Sometimes being left in the dark enlightens us to be creative.

Oh look! The electricity’s back on.

So what are your ideas? Post them in the comment box below!

Article by Isa A.

Art by Clar

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Isa is a 17-year-old who should be figuring things out and making them work but is procrastinating big time by watching Ancient Aliens, drinking caffeinated drinks and getting lost in her current obsessions.

Clar is a(n extremely) loud, nineteen year old Fine Arts student who swears a lot and takes pride in her horrible jokes and bad eyesight. No one believes her when she claims she’s shy, but she can’t really blame them – especially when she gets her foot stuck in her mouth so often. She enjoys reading angsty DHr fanfiction and talking passionately about the ASolaF universe once provoked. You can follow her on Twitter/IG: @clargorreon (WARNING: tweets in ALL CAPS 90% of the time)