Building New Worlds

Dress AD PR product made to measure by the dreamy DOWK

I have never been a gamer. Growing up it was a world that passed me by. I had a Wii, on which I played the Wall-e game, Mario Kart, and Monopoly to death. Outside of that, it was never really my thing. 

Fast forward to today, and my toe has been dipped into the waters of gaming - nothing fast-paced or even advanced - but one that has stuck with me oddly enough is the Sims. As always with me, it has struck a chord, in profound ways. 

Building the home, world, and activities of a human is incredibly satisfying. The gameplay is less my forte, I leave that to more capable hands, but the design of the house, garden, and wardrobe is my bag. Honestly, if I could use motherlode in this world, it would be OVER for everyone. 

What started as an exercise of filling time, has become something more to me, as I see the beauty of what a game like the Sims can offer. Being in charge of an environment, shaping the way it looks, and having the freedom to create what you want to see, is the opposite of what marginalised people get in this life. 

Playing the Sims, creating a world, and being in charge, has been freeing and such a pleasure. It is remarkable how such a simple concept, can lead to hours of joy, and even respite. 

There are times when I forget how much pressure there is on our shoulders, especially if we’re marginalised. However, this year has been so heavy for the trans community, that my job has been harder than ever, and staying healthy mentally has been a pretty big priority for me. 

Having a space and place to retreat too, has been the unexpected tonic that I never knew I needed until it showed its face at the right time. Especially as so many of the problems we are facing are seemingly too big for us to fix immediately - or in the case of transphobes - ever. It seems fitting that we find places, spaces, and activities that offer us respite from this hostile world. 

So if you feel like things have been getting too much, or on top of you, maybe finding a perfect distraction can be the tonic you needed. So perhaps it is time to say sul sul to The Sims…