The Summer of Pleasure
How Doing Nothing Helps Our Minds
While the costs of mind wandering are apparent and easily quantifiable, the benefits seem less obvious and tangible. They require us to dig a bit deeper. —“Ode to Positive Constructive Daydreaming”
Hello, Pleasure-seekers. I’m back from a mini unplanned hiatus, during which I was out gathering more Pleasure — a reminder that Pleasure never stops, even when on holiday!
Over the last few months, we’ve talked about Susan Sontag’s Pleasure Lists, Salvador Dali’s, Roland Barthes, Ray Bradbury and more. This week, I’m going for a slightly different approach — the Pleasures that come from the inner depths of one’s own mind.
From Andre Breton’s 1924 Surrealist Manifesto to French feminist and literary theorist Hélène Cixous’ concept of “Écriture féminine,” or "women's writing," coined in her 1975 essay "The Laugh of the Medusa," there is no shortage of philosophy that looks to the subconscious as a way to unlock one’s creative powers.
And yet, in today’s day and age, it seems nearly impossible to simply do nothing. But daydreaming is essential for creativity:
Freud asserted that daydreaming is essential to creative writing — something a number of famous creators and theorists intuited in asserting that unconscious processing is essential to how creativity works. (via)
How luxurious it is to just be, without any agenda or guardrails — one that can also be a Pleasure. In today’s constant-productivity maximization, bio-hacking world, the luxury of choosing to loaf and switch off is a form of Pleasure-seeking resistance. A radical act of self-care.
So — when you let yourself switch off, what Pleasures will you find? Make a list and send it to me.
This Week’s Pleasurable Encounters
A very cute feature by yours truly on
’s :This book:
Highlights from Instagram you may have missed:
Pleasures, Curated
Each week a member from The Pleasure Lists community curates a selection of their Pleasures, along with a Q&A about what makes them tick. Become a paid subscriber so you don’t miss out!
In Case You Missed It:
Why submit a list?
Pleasure Lists are a summary of what you need, want, or have, or see at a particular moment in time. They are a survey, an overview, a summary of the crucial facts of the state of one aspect of your life. It’s a kind of blueprint that can be a guide to the future.
Mull it over and if you’re moved to, send me a list.
Questions? Comments? Send any recommendations or suggestions for what you’d like to see in these newsletters my way. I’d love to hear more about what you’re currently finding Pleasure in.
Please share this newsletter! The Pleasure Lists is meant to be a collaborative project that calls people from all over to write, read, and share their pleasures — a global community of artists, writers, and pondering minds alike.
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