Escaped anywhere nice recently?

It’s the time of year when people naturally turn to thoughts of hotter climes or snow capped mountains smothered in sun as we try to shake off the winter blues. But there are so many other ways of escaping the doom and gloom.

To those of us in the know, it comes as no surprise that computer based experiences such as Second Life provide an escape route for many of today’s ‘modern’ men and women, but some of us prefer something a little more traditional don’t we? Enough of this new-fangled ‘avatar’ nonsense, what they are really doing is creating a dolly in cyber space, why not make one for real?  Physically making something with your own two hands quiets the whirring brain and increases creativity, imagination and even resourcefulness as bottle caps and plastic tubs take on new leases of life. Your body is also given a rest as you relax into the hobby and forget to feel tense or upset about the events of the day and those who have experienced the hobby of dolls’ houses and miniatures will stand as testament to the absorbing,  even seductive, effect it has on the mind (and let’s be honest, the wallet too!). We’ve all drifted off into our own 1:12, 1:24 or even 1:48th scale dreams and come back refreshed and revitalised, ready to take on those tough challenges in the real world once more.

So escapism, whether it’s of the sand and surf variety, the 2 dimensional computer variety or the fantastical world of miniatures, is an important part of the human experience, you might even say that it’s good for the soul.