Comforting Things, Vol. 10: Eliza Campbell

“Comforting Things” is a series we started when we all reached out to each other, too angry and sad to do much of anything, and thought about what we could do to make each other feel better. We’ve kept on with variations of the series – “Comforting Films” being a favorite – and we’ve decided to bring it back now, as we’re all confined to our homes and facing times that are not only destructive to physical health but to mental health, as well. Twice a week for the next few weeks, Attic writers and editors will take turns sharing what it is that they’re finding comforting in the time of COVID, hoping to create a better sense of community but also, in hope that you may find something that is comforting to you as well. Continuing the series, The Attic Culture Editor Eliza Campbell shares the things that have been soothing her soul in lockdown.

All photography courtesy of Eliza Campbell.

Spring may be verging on summer right now in the northern hemisphere, but due to lockdown I’m inside like it’s a rainy afternoon in November. Due to this seemingly eternal plod of days, life feels like a bit of a blur right now. I keep waking up and feeling perplexed at the day my phone tells me it is (another Wednesday??). For me, the daily rhythm seems to gravitate a little too much towards Twitter and getting worked up at the many horrible things happening in the world. As a result, I’m trying to concentrate a little more on the things I know will calm me down and drown out the background anxiety around the pandemic.Fortunately, I come prepared from a lifetime of seeking comfort and burrowing myself into little nests of good books and good TV/film. 

I hope you’re also surrounding yourself with media, objects, and activities that make you happy, and finding some solace in comforting things.

When Harry Met Sally

Nostalgic viewing

These last few months, all I’ve wanted to do has been to watch comforting shows, actively avoiding anything that’s going to throw me off with emotional pain. With this in mind, I’m rewatching one of the last good American sitcoms: New Girl. I was relatively obsessed with this show in 2013 (inevitable after being in love with Zooey Deschanel since (500) Days of Summer) and it’s as good as I remember, but seems outdated now in its political references (the first few seasons are loaded with allusions to the 2008 financial crash, which seems like an extremely distant memory in our current situation). It’s funny and silly and just the kind of candy floss viewing I need right now. I’m also slowly making my way through some of my favourite 80s and 90s classics: When Harry Met Sally (my love for which is well-documented), Sleepless in Seattle, Mystic Pizza, The Princess Bride, and My Best Friend’s Wedding, to name a few. 

A beloved copy of The Hunger Games.

Nostalgic reading

Again, I’m going all-in on reverting to my 2013-self, and this time I’m rereading The Hunger Games. This is mainly so I can get my bearings before the prequel comes out, but also because these books are genuinely strokes of Young Adult genius. There’s nothing quite like powering through a book you used to love and getting to see it through fresh, slightly older eyes.

A successful slice of sourdough.

Sourdough

Anyone who follows me on Instagram will know that I’ve been a little obsessed with sourdough over the last month (along with what seems like the rest of the locked down world). I’ve made four attempts so far (and only had one disaster!) and I can’t recommend sourdough enough if you’re a fan of bread and patiently watching a little jar of flour and water become a source of magic. I’ve used The Boy Who Bakes’ method to get my starter off the ground and this method to get some lovely, airy bread. If you have any questions about sourdough, or any bread-based questions in general I’d recommend checking out King Arthur Flour.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

After pining for Animal Crossing: New Horizons since its release, I finally bit the bullet and bought the thing, and it’s just as cosy and sweet as I thought it would be! If you’ve been living under a rock as well as being in lockdown, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a game by Nintendo that involves you and a raccoon called Tom Nook trying to set up a town on a deserted island. It involves a lot of fun little quests, and you make various animal friends as you run around collecting the many fish, bugs, and fossils supposedly native to your island. I love it, and it’s so nice to sit down and tune out the noise of a pandemic for an hour or so, concentrating on collecting enough iron nuggets to make a bench in a sweet fantasy land.

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Eliza Campbell is Culture Editor at the Attic on Eighth. When she’s not reading, writing, or in a rehearsal room she loves to sit in galleries, libraries, and coffee shops listening to period drama soundtracks and watching the world go by.