Escapism is a loaded notion. It references the best of life: pleasure, rest, transcendence, fantasy. It also begs the question, what are you running from?

In the time of COVID-19 we find ourselves with a shortage of places to go. And with so much seriousness to consider, it’s easy to begrudge what seem like trivial distractions. But taking care requires energy. So, too, does adapting our thinking to this ever-shifting world.

Inspiration happens when we allow our minds to travel. So this week we’re setting an intention to give ourselves permission.

Perhaps it’s time we taught ourselves how to journey solo. To wake up every morning and decide what kind of person we’re going to be. In this new mode of existence we can live without the weight of inhibition. We can, quite literally, dance like no one’s watching (though from the looks of Instagram these days exhibitionism is still a strong preference – and that’s okay!)

For those of us fortunate enough to be biding time, rather than fighting for our lives, perhaps one lesson we can take from our present situation is that there is no time to wait, to waste. In our minds, we’re free to wander. To live. To seek pleasure. Free to be happy when it comes naturally. To learn; to experiment. To feel the sunshine when it’s safe. To follow our body’s intuition; rest when we need it. To be the kind of people we are on holiday.

We know from experience there won’t be an absence of darkness; we have no intention of ignoring it. But in order to stay well we’ve got to let a little light in, too.

This week - amidst our usual programming - we’ll be playing music that feels like dancing with our feet in the sand, reading books that take us to another world, indulging in nostalgia for a bright future.

And, well, it’s the Internet – so you’re welcome to join us. Pull your metaphorical beach towel next to ours. There’s plenty of warmth to go around.