How to Be a Stay-at-Home Goth

All around the world, club nights are shutting down and we're being told to stay home and away from other people as much as possible in order to avoid worsening the spread of COVID-19. But it can be hard to feel like your true goth self when you have nothing to dress up for and nowhere to go. Here are some tips for how to entertain yourself and stay in touch with your goth side while practicing safe social distancing:

1. Discover New Music

You may not be going to concerts by your old favorites, but you can take this time to sit down and search for something new. Scroll through Youtube or Spotify to see what suggestions pop up. See if any of your favorite DJs have Spotify playlists you can follow. Ask your friends for recommendations. Take the time to look up the lyrics and really listen to those songs you always half pay attention to at the club. And when you find something new that you like, share it with your friends!

2. Practice New Makeup Looks

Have you always wanted to go bolder with your makeup, but you end up chickening out and just reverting to your same old look? Well, now is the time to experiment where not one will see if it turns out wrong. Look up some Youtube tutorials, or just lay out all your makeup and see what inspiration strikes. And feel free to share your successful looks on social media so that your friends can see.

3. Throw a Solo Dance Party

You don't need to be at the club to dance your heart out. Just turn the music up, turn the lights down and rock out in your own home. Dancing is a great way to get up and moving when you've been sitting at home all day. And now you can really dance like no one is watching!

4. Have a Horror Movie Marathon

Watching horror movies is a longstanding goth tradition that can always be done from the comfort of home. Catch up on some recent releases like Midsommar or Jordan Peele's Us. Or you can lean into the end-of-the-world vibe and watch some classic zombie apocalypse horror. You can even have a long-distance watch party with your friends and keep up a running stream of commentary or debrief afterward.

5. Read Some Gothic Literature

Get to the root of goth by checking out some of the literature that started it all. What better time to really sit down an ease your way through some of the hefty tomes you may have avoided in high school? If you've never read Dracula or Frankenstein, now's your chance! Or for some lighter reading, brush up on your Poe and Lovecraft. If you need some motivation, get a virtual book club going with your friends. Maybe even start a book blog, or just post about your readings on social media. If you need some recommendations, you can always head over to TheGothicLibrary.com.

Hope you all are holding up and staying safe out there!