What can I do for visual stimulation while listening to audio books?
May 26, 2023 7:14 AM Subscribe
I'm interested in ways to keep my eyes busy while I listen to audiobooks/podcasts. Where can I find interesting photos and video (or maybe even games on my phone) that don't involve any words or sounds, which would distract me from the audio I'm listening to?
I get some quality audiobook time while driving, doing chores, and/or exercising, but sometimes I want to listen AND look at stuff while I am just hanging at home. Instagram seems like it'd be obvious, but I find there are a lot of interrupting reels, captions, and comments that pull me away from the audio in my ears. I would love to find a way to look at cool images that aren't polluted with words, or even fidget around with color/shapes/designs in a game or art app while I am listening to stuff. Where can I go to meet this need for visual stimulation? It doesn't have to be digital; I am open to analog visual stimulation or even tactile stuff. Anything where I can kind of scroll or flip or fidget and enjoy aesthetically pleasing content (or make my own!) would be awesome. Thank you!
I get some quality audiobook time while driving, doing chores, and/or exercising, but sometimes I want to listen AND look at stuff while I am just hanging at home. Instagram seems like it'd be obvious, but I find there are a lot of interrupting reels, captions, and comments that pull me away from the audio in my ears. I would love to find a way to look at cool images that aren't polluted with words, or even fidget around with color/shapes/designs in a game or art app while I am listening to stuff. Where can I go to meet this need for visual stimulation? It doesn't have to be digital; I am open to analog visual stimulation or even tactile stuff. Anything where I can kind of scroll or flip or fidget and enjoy aesthetically pleasing content (or make my own!) would be awesome. Thank you!
Also, maybe window swap will hit the sweet spot.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 7:25 AM on May 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 7:25 AM on May 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My go-to is Korean camping videos on youtube, which mostly fall in the "visual asmr" genre though some of them do talk or voiceover occasionally. I just mute them.
My favorites: CampingG, JoJo Camping, Mari Life, and RYUCAMP.
There's also a ton of no-voiceover low-caption travel videos, and my favorite are Japanese train and ferry trips. Kuga's Travel, Solo Solo Travel.
You can also find various kinds of "slow travel" videos, like real-time train trips. One of my favorite narrowboat vloggers has a playlist of realtime narrowboat trips, generally running about 2 hours (at about 2mph) each.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:25 AM on May 26, 2023
My favorites: CampingG, JoJo Camping, Mari Life, and RYUCAMP.
There's also a ton of no-voiceover low-caption travel videos, and my favorite are Japanese train and ferry trips. Kuga's Travel, Solo Solo Travel.
You can also find various kinds of "slow travel" videos, like real-time train trips. One of my favorite narrowboat vloggers has a playlist of realtime narrowboat trips, generally running about 2 hours (at about 2mph) each.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:25 AM on May 26, 2023
I do jigsaw puzzles while listening to books and podcasts. It’s kind of neat because if I re-listen to something later I get a visual flashback of the exact part of the puzzle I was working on during that time.
posted by lovableiago at 7:42 AM on May 26, 2023 [10 favorites]
posted by lovableiago at 7:42 AM on May 26, 2023 [10 favorites]
Android or iOS?
posted by foxfirefey at 7:43 AM on May 26, 2023
posted by foxfirefey at 7:43 AM on May 26, 2023
I like to play the game Color Tiles or do jigsaw puzzles online. If I didn't have bad cats I would do real-life jigsaw puzzles.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 7:44 AM on May 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 7:44 AM on May 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Nthing puzzles. Audiobook + puzzle + light edible is a dream combo for a rainy day.
posted by greta simone at 8:17 AM on May 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by greta simone at 8:17 AM on May 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
Tetris and solitaire are my go-tos for music listening (or being on a call with someone). Sometimes I’ll draw, or just doodle shapes and patterns. It sounds like knitting, crochet, or sewing might also suit you, I’ve been meaning to learn one of those.
posted by wheatlets at 8:19 AM on May 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by wheatlets at 8:19 AM on May 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
Collage from magazines/old books. Cut out pictures, sort them into colors, glue them into a sketchbook.
posted by lizard music at 8:22 AM on May 26, 2023
posted by lizard music at 8:22 AM on May 26, 2023
Meditative doodling (where you just draw patterns) might work. Just get a pen and paper and draw repeating shapes then fill them in with lines or dots. (I've been doing this using a free sketch app on an iPad and an apple pencil.)
posted by misskaz at 8:46 AM on May 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by misskaz at 8:46 AM on May 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: There's an app called Binky that's just picture after picture after picture to scroll through. It's billed as stress-free social media... there's no actual social aspect to it, hence, no stress.
Each bink has a very short caption - "Griffin" or "Amaranth" or "Red Hot Chili Peppers". You can star one if you like; it plays a soft sound and does a quick starburst animation, but you can't actually see your starred binks anywhere, it's just a fun little interaction. You can write a comment... well, kind of... but nobody will see it but you. You can "re-bink" something; as it says when you click to do that, "This doesn't do anything".
Maybe it would suit?
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 9:03 AM on May 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Each bink has a very short caption - "Griffin" or "Amaranth" or "Red Hot Chili Peppers". You can star one if you like; it plays a soft sound and does a quick starburst animation, but you can't actually see your starred binks anywhere, it's just a fun little interaction. You can write a comment... well, kind of... but nobody will see it but you. You can "re-bink" something; as it says when you click to do that, "This doesn't do anything".
Maybe it would suit?
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 9:03 AM on May 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: These are all such great suggestions so far! Thank you! I never watch YouTube and wouldn't have thought of trying soundless videos there. I love those ideas. @foxfirefey - I'm iOS. Keep 'em coming!
posted by luzdeluna at 9:04 AM on May 26, 2023
posted by luzdeluna at 9:04 AM on May 26, 2023
I play TwoDots, Noodles and Noodles 2, and I Love Hue. I paid ~$10 for I Love Hue's package that gives you a million points and generally refuse to give TwoDots money. I can't remember if Noodles cost money but if it did, it was worth it.
posted by dame at 9:10 AM on May 26, 2023
posted by dame at 9:10 AM on May 26, 2023
Color Puzzle is my favorite of the color-sorting apps (I've tried several because I love playing them while listening to podcasts).
posted by omnie at 9:21 AM on May 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by omnie at 9:21 AM on May 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
I like making things while listening to audiobooks — like knitting, embroidery, small handheld weaving projects and I recently bought a small punch needle kit to try as well. I also like to do simple bead projects like making summer bracelets or necklaces like these or simple woven bracelets like these.
posted by blacktshirtandjeans at 9:44 AM on May 26, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by blacktshirtandjeans at 9:44 AM on May 26, 2023 [3 favorites]
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posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 7:24 AM on May 26, 2023