Every year I throw in a single monthly update dedicated to touching grass. Well, what if I changed things up this year and told you to go touch anything that isn’t a screen? It’s a simple request from one human being to another. I may have a lot of things invested into my time online (including this website) as I’m sure you all do. But I always make sure to divert, create, and manage free time for other endeavors that don’t include a phone, laptop, tablet, headset or computer. Technology is supposed to be there for us to enhance our lives, but lately it seems to be working as a substitution. I have a lot of life stories and experiences that I love sharing with all of you, and that comes from being able to have time to do something rather than observe someone (or something) else. So, please go make time for yourselves and stop letting others steal it away.

“But Box, I hate going outside! I also have a medical condition that makes me allergic to human beings and red tree squirrels!”

Well, you’re in luck dear visitor. May I humbly suggest you go pick up some Lego kits and start building them from scratch? What if I told you, it’s even easier since someone can show you step by step how to build things along the way! Getting into the habit of starting a hands-on crafting project can be daunting at first, but we all need to take our first steps somehow. Thankfully there are a lot of folks out there ahead of the curve, and willing to show you how it’s done so you’re not horribly frustrated on your first time. Top Brick Builder has a lot of “build along with me” type videos and most of their sets are “nerdy” enough that I think a lot of you will like for your first build.

Lego not your thing? There are a lot of miniature DIY kits available on many online stores today, and they’ve really gotten a lot more sophisticated than way back when I started talking about them. These kits are fairly straightforward to build, but still require a lot of patience and (more importantly) the right set of crafting tools. Having all you need before you begin will lessen the frustration of situations where you need something that you may not have on hand. Offset tweezers and fast drying craft glue are a must if you’re diving into this hobby. Even if you don’t decide to build anything, the YouTube videos of folks building these things is relaxing in its own right, but remember we’re trying our best not to stick our faces to screens.

Alright I’ll level with your hardcore nerds out there. Taking you away cold turkey from a screen is probably the worst thing I may suggest. I really just want all of you to do something productive with your time than just simply ingesting media passively. Perhaps I could recommend you all to get into 3D printing? You’ll still be looking at a screen, but you’ll also be getting into the hobby of crafting something into the 3D space, and I heard it’s an extremely addicting hobby to get into to. And yes, I have no experience with 3D printers either, but I’ve heard it’s quite dangerous (in terms of being addicted) once you get started. So, get out there and print stuff so you can teach me when I ask you down the road about it. You’ll still be touching screens, but at least you’ll also be touching something else.

Ending off the month with an extremely old school talented artist Ni0 (Nishi) who has worked on a ton of IP’s over the years. Pretty low-key artist too (not much about them online) but believe me when I say that they’ve been very successful and prolific back in the day. Definitely deserve the artist of the month spot, and I hope you enjoy their work. They also have a printed copy of their work over the years titled Ni0 Art Works: Nishi’s Alluring Figures. You can try and find it locally in your area of the world, or import it if it’s not available. That’s it for May, go out there and start touching some stuff!