I would never have guessed that I had something…anything in common with Mariah Carey.
Talented songstress and chanteuse. Not my jam, but who can deny the upbeat, seasonal appeal of “All I Want for Christmas”? A holiday anthem – a toe-tapper according to my dad.
But last week I discovered that I do, indeed, have something in common with Mariah. Nope. Not related to music, fashion or anything pop culture related. Not about fancy homes or lavish lifestyles. Certainly not a mutual love of glitter and spangles and sparkle. Nope. Can you guess what it is?
During a time of hard-hitting and often loathsome news on the political front, I will admit I fell prey to click bait. An article about Mariah Carey’s venomous hatred. Not toward a person…but toward…wait for it…
Bad Lighting.
Yes, folks. Bad lighting. In all aspects – not just stage or performance related. Mariah hates overhead lighting and I’ve gotta say. I’m with her all the way.
If I’m ever in an overly lit room with you, you’ll see the proof as I fumble around, desperately seeking dimmer switches. Flipping anything ceiling mounted OFF, OFF, OFF. I’ll stumble in the dark and trip over my own feet in the process – without complaint – because the glare of squint-worthy lighting is an assault to my senses.
Consolation point? When I can, I wear my sunglasses – even if there’s only a smidgen of sunlight. A hold over from the pre-pandemic days when I needed to use my sunglasses as a shield for my contact lenses…that were always picking up debris of some sort, causing my eyes to be overly teary and itchy. My dear friend Kristen once pronounced the fate of contact lens wearers during allergy season thusly: “Like cornflakes on your corneas”. What a description, right?
I jest, but I don’t want to. The discomfort is real…and has psychological consequences for many people. Designers and architects will tell you how much lighting matters. Set designers and filmmakers, playwrights know, too. Photographers and painters, too. Light? It’s everything and I say we have a right to light…in whatever way it works best for us.
(BTW – look for my post this coming Wednesday on Heart of the Matter. I have another riff on lighting from an artistic perspective. With a possible genetic connection on hubby’s side of the family. Fun!) 😉
Neurodiverse folks? Florescent lights present challenges on several fronts from the incessant, disruptive buzzing to unnatural shadows cast by the harshness. Overstimulation might be the outcome – sensory overload.
Task lighting. Softer lighting. Thoughtful lighting… I’m on board. And for friends and colleagues who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, we’re just a couple of weeks away from the end of Daylight Savings Time in the U.S. The reduction in the amount of light we can glean from each day has impact on so many.
I appreciate what Dr. Richard Schwartz, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard has to say about self-care strategies:
…”an early morning walk can offer… light therapy benefits. A bright sunny day is about 50,000 lux, and a gray day is around 10,000 lux. Strolling outdoors soon after sunrise, even on a cloudy day, provides almost the same amount of light exposure as a light box.
On sunny days, the sun is bright enough to get a therapeutic effect even if you wear sunglasses (which protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation…if you walk for 30 minutes, you’ll also get a healthy dose of mood-boosting exercise. But if time or mobility constraints make that goal too challenging, sitting outside for just 15 minutes at any time of day may make a difference in your mood.”
Here’s hoping you’re taking good care of yourself, lighting related and otherwise. Please share any of your own strategies so I can learn from you…and let me know if you’re part of the “Mariah and Vicki” club.
Vicki 😎
Mood Changers: Why Lighting is The Most Important Design Feature | ArchDaily
Seasonal Affective Disorder | Psychology Today
Light therapy: Not just for seasonal depression? – Harvard Health
Victoria Ponders 
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