The Art of Flaneuring (2019)
2021-07-15
by Erika Owen.
A short lifestyle guide to a subject associated with historic Parisian men in top hats or the contemporary psychogeographer stereotype of a white male with walking boots, shorts and hiking bag prowling urban spaces. The author sidesteps esotericism and repackages the flaneur pursuit as a laid back hygge-equivalent lifestyle to aid wellbeing.
Flaneurism as a lifestyle is not an outlandish proposal. Think back to when Instagram was fun and engaging. I know it was a long time ago, but content synonymous with the Flâneur like food, drink and travel was popular. The app at one time seemed like a plug for a spontaneous-engaging lifestyle. A more relevant simile is the conventional and contemporary domestic tourist navigating the city by foot from tourist attraction to hospitality.
Notes on The Art of Flaneuring:
Art:
Beginner tips:
- Have good shoes.
- Break.
- Be playful -fight boredom.
- Journal
- Research new spaces
Creative:
- Put a line or circle through a map. Follow it.
- Trade walking journals.
Feminist interpretation:
- The 19th-century flaneur: "drunken, syphilitic men wandering around and allowing themselves to find romanticism or excitement or perversity."
- Lack of acknowledged historic and contemporary female flaneurs.
- Walking is freedom. No delays, no traffic, more personal space. Bypass designated travel methods and zones for your own route.
- Book: Flaneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice and London by Lauren Elkin
- Elkin: ...tune in to your surroundings, no matter what they are, urban or not. And no matter who you are, just look around you and ask, "How is this world put together?" "How is it made easier for some people to navigate than others?" "What is my responsibility in this place where I spend every day, how am I a part of it, and how do I affect other people's experiences of it?"
Health:
Outside of France :
- Italy: passeggiata -an after-dinner stroll.
- Australia: the walkabout.
- Germany: geocaching remains popular.
- The UK
- Roamers (?) are a British equivalent, wandering and appreciating tiny details. Does the author mean Ramblers? Perhaps urban or radical ramblers.
- Ramblers don't lose your way campaign to save paths
Race: