From passive consumption to active leisure experiences

The new buzzword for more fun in leisure time is creativity. As the experts at the BAT Leisure Research Institute note, we are facing a change in how we spend our free time: the days of passive entertainment are over; what's needed is initiative, hands-on activity, and a willingness to experience new things.

Psychologists and educators are surprised to find that more and more people are rediscovering their own talents. Under the motto "back to creativity," a new lifestyle is emerging in leisure time.

One of the reasons for this trend is likely the growing creative impoverishment in schools, training programs, and professional life, where opportunities for personal creative expression are increasingly rare. Consequently, the desire for self-directed creative activities and personal avenues of expression is growing. What for years was practiced by only a small minority—working with handcrafted materials, such as pottery, painting, or weaving—is now finding more and more participants and individuals in amateur groups and hobby clubs.

This also fosters social contacts, avoids self-imposed isolation within one's own four walls, and provides self-affirmation and stimulation in games and leisure clubs. Leisure time only becomes attractive when it promotes creativity and activity.

The rediscovery of creativity is confirmed by a recent representative survey in which "creative activity" was already ranked second among personal leisure activities.

Idleness is the beginning of many leisure activities

Who would have thought it: simply doing nothing, being lazy, free from stress and hectic, from constant demands. And all without a twinge of conscience. In a word: idleness without causing offence?
In a success- and performance-oriented environment, this sounds like a contradiction in terms, but according to the latest psychological findings, what has been demonised for many generations is a necessary need in life.
The Hamburg-based BAT Leisure Research Institute, which is primarily concerned with qualitative studies on leisure behaviour, has identified a new concept of leisure. There is agreement that phases of activity and hard work should be followed by a phase of rest and leisure. Doing nothing during the rest period does not have to be filled with new activities just to fulfil traditional ideas.
On the contrary, there is even a demand to have the courage to be idle and thus to experience a new form of leisure time consciously and without a guilt complex. Those who only have professional skills but do not practise the art of being idle will automatically become bored if they suddenly have to be idle in their free time. Leisure time can then easily become problem time.
Leisure researchers point out that Paul Lafargue - Karl Marx's son-in-law - already propagated the right to creative laziness, a bold act at the time that is now being confirmed. One day, people may look at bumming around, which is usually misunderstood, with completely different eyes. Very few people are yet prepared for temporary idleness without feelings of guilt. However, the leisure time of the future will provide ample opportunity to practise idleness.