I’m looking for websites/youtube channels, etc. that will push my boundaries a bit.
I do extensively: frugality websites, youtube, etc. Both in general and cooking. I watch some true crime.
But what I see is mostly just that. I am not engaged with the science fiction community anymore and have no interest in watching a lot of movies and/or getting into lots of discussions about SF or almost anything else.
I’m looking for ideas: ideas to explore and research on my own, not publishing, true crime, media (MCU, etc) or frugality.
I spent so many years in so much pain that all I wanted was to “not hurt.” When I got there, it was such a relief that I really didn’t want anything else except to go to ground.
I’m at the end of that. Not hurting is wonderful. But I don’t know if I should explore Chinese history, Irish politics, or ? And I have no idea what “sparks joy” because that was such a pipedream/impossible for decades.
What fascinates me is dark ages/neolithic technologies. How people got things done before metal: food, housing, etc. all those base layers of Maslow’s heirarchy. How people managed with less: during wartimes as well. Resourcefulness maybe?
There are a bunch of British reality shows like Victorian Farm that you might like. And I like Time team. The Noble Blood podcast is really fun. Reading romance and cozy mystery novels.
After I got divorced I did things like reading at the beach solo, long walks, listening to different kinds of music to see if I like it. Youtube music now has playlists from introducing Mozart to introducing Taylor Swift. Maybe an in person or virtual book club?
Beryl Shrewsky has a fun youtube show trying different foods. I tried some new standup comedians so now youtube and youtube shorts suggest those.
Brad Mondo gets you into different hair stuff
More food YouTubers: rainbow plant life, plant chompers, goodbye lupus
For new books I like using my library’s available now feature to limit my selection.
If you have kindle unlimited Emma Leech or Mark Dawson are wildly different fluff.
Newer platforms seem to have weirdly good algorithms. I hear people say tik tok figured out they were gay or autistic before they did by what content held their interest for linger so it could help you find new interests.
These are cool books i like. The primitive technology is based on a YouTube. There’s a reality tv series called Alone based on people surviving on primitive tech.
Along these lines I’ve had “How to Invent Everything” by Ryan North on my recommended/to read list for a long time.
On a different topic, there’s a fun documentary on Netflix, The History of Swear Words. I’m sure there’s other good documentaries on different topics but I’m sleepy and they escape me right now.
I enjoyed How to invent everything, but I think it was a little lighter/ more humorous than what I was hoping for, and less like…and actual practical guide (despite being a completely non outdoorsey nerdy kid I still had a weird obsession with Ray Mears and various survival books and I think I never quite lost that ).
Some of the Netflix “explained” episodes are fun little dives into stuff. Pretty broad range too so it could be a neat place to start with exploring interests.
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