Comforting Things, Vol. 1 – Olivia Gündüz-Willemin

When we first launched The Attic on Eighth in the spring of 2017, we wanted to find comfort in creation and expression. Time and again through the years, we’ve tried to channel that intent into our articles and our photography, hoping not necessarily to create a refuge but to at least create a space where writers could come together to share their passions and interests at a difficult time in the world. We live in a society after all, and never have we been more aware of that than now, as it feels like the entire world has come to a halt to fight an aggressive virus and keep one another as safe as possible, in the wake of an unprecedented situation. “Comforting Things” is a series we started the weekend of the Kavanaugh hearings as 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 fave – 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. To kick off (the revival of) the series, Editor-in-Chief Olivia Gündüz-Willemin shares her comforts of the moment. 

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For so long, comfort to me meant my surroundings. Nice cushions, soft blankets, taking the time to light a candle, and likely sitting down to read. I have a chronic anxiety disorder that despite its persistence responds well to anchorage – sounds, smells, and feelings. Cocooning. (Thus the cushions and blankets, and for many, the phenomenon of the weighted blanket.) All of that has been thrown out the window in the past couple of weeks, because unaware of the sudden and severe crisis that was going to hit our society, my husband and I signed a lease and committed to moving into a new home in March. We were deep into packed boxes of books when our country announced that it was closing its schools, and basically stepping onto the moving truck when stay-at-home measures were announced. And so we moved and have spent the past three weeks of quarantine unpacking, assembling furniture, and trying to settle into a new space. My scented candles didn’t emerge for almost ten days. Laundry needed to be done but we couldn’t access our new building’s laundry room for just as long (thankfully now also long-resolved). Ordered sets of pots and pans did not arrive. Plants could not be acquired. 

And so in the midst of chaos and fear and society-wide grief, I needed to quickly find sources of comfort away from my long-established physical routines and safety nets. 

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Cooking

Is food not always at the top of the list? I’m not someone who can easily sit back and meditate. I know how to breathe in a relaxing way, but trying to clear my mind? Impossible. The next best thing for me is to be active with my hands and to make something that is going to bring me comfort and joy in the aftermath of its completion. With cooking, I let myself be absorbed into its various tasks for long periods of time and then get to eat some of my favorite foods afterwards. The best of both worlds. Favorites this week have been guided by many journeys into the pages of Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat, a return to my go-to comforting soup, Smitten Kitchen’s spiced cauliflower, and fresh salads where I can integrate herbs from my new hanging herb garden.

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Spending Time with my Dog

The author’s dog, Dodo.

Pets make everything better. You look at them, and the world slows down. Playing with them triggers instant joy. Cuddling with them makes you both happy. Walking with them gives you both the fresh air and exercise you need to stay sane. My dog has been one of my best friends for the past ten years, and being able to constantly spend time with him over the past month has been a gift. Walks and games and cuddles have been the highlights of so many days. And other pets? Exchanging pet photos and memes and videos of baby lambs has been the best part of being online this month.

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Comedy

John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch (Netflix)

Something my therapist now says weekly is to make sure you find something that makes you laugh. No matter the circumstances, laughter is good for the brain and for the body. Even if you don’t feel like laughing, it releases stress and in these very tense and scary times, it’s more important than ever, not just to keep you going mentally but because stress also drags down your immune system.* Thankfully, John Mulaney exists in this world so my husband and I have been watching (and really, rewatching) his various comedy specials. Other favorites this week have been Ladies Up – a short series featuring stand up comics from India, as well as the comedy series Feel Good by Canadian comedian Mae Martin. 

Still from Feel Good (Netflix). And yes, that’s Lisa Kudrow on the left.

*not a medical professional 

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Needlepointing

“I’ve always had the aesthetic sense of a grandmother”

I’ve always had the aesthetic sense of a grandmother, and so it should come as no surprise that I have re-upped my needlepointing habit over the past couple of months. I got to a point where I felt I needed to stab something with a needle to relieve tension and thought I might as well get pretty things out of it, so going back to needlepointing seemed like the only logical way to go. Like cooking, it allows me to rest and clear my mind through the meditative actions required and consequently, it’s brought me lots of calm, and even a joyful feeling of accomplishment in a time where it feels like giving your mind to a task is quasi-impossible. I’m happy to have rediscovered the craft and know that it’s going to be one that I keep up… with hopes that it also finally leads me to other types of embroidery.

Favorite sources of inspiration: Lycette Designs, Thörn Alexander Needlepoint, Pip and Roo Needleworks, Eva Howard Designs, Silver Stitch Needlepoint, The Plum Stitchery, AudreyWu Designs, and Elizabeth Bradley Design.   

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Redecorating

Frames trying to find their places.

A bookcase waiting to be assembled.

Having just moved, “redecorating” may sound like something of an obvious activity to include on this list, but it is actually something that has been a calming activity for me as long as I can remember. I like things to be organized, and I also like for them to be as pretty as possible. I have memories of being unable to sleep at the age of thirteen and deciding at 1 am one night that I needed to move all of my very heavy bedroom furniture around. I got up, did it, and went to sleep happy with the fact that the room looked the way I not wanted but needed it to. Consequently, a move just before a quarantine proved beneficial  because it’s given me endless opportunities to organize and decorate and get my mind off of current events. This doesn’t necessarily mean doing big things – nothing makes me happier than redoing a bookshelf to put spotlights on different covers or bibelots or to switch out the prints on a gallery wall. A little refresh can do wonders for the soul! And if you can’t make any physical changes, then I also find spending hours looking at interior design online to be extremely soothing.  

Some favorite sources of inspiration: Deborah Needleman’s The Perfectly Imperfect Home (also her instagram), Meta Coleman, Matilda Goad, Bridie Hall, Fallon Elizabeth, Duncan Campbell, John Derian, La 5e Genève, Perrotine, and of course Kate Spade’s Occasions. (Bonus: my Pinterest design board.) 

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Olivia Gündüz-Willemin is Editor-in-Chief of The Attic on Eighth. She is dedicated to reading her way through the world and trying to stay as calm as possible.