While stuck inside with so little to do, it feels important that we keep our minds stimulated, so that they don't turn to jelly.
And while most of us have been casting aside Monopoly for newer games like Exploding Kittens or digging out 1000 piece jigsaws, I recently stumbled across a YouTube channel from 'The Skin Deep', and subsequently across a card game that they have produced. And let me tell you, once you know about this, it might just change your life...or at least your lockdown.
The Skin Deep is an Emmy award-winning creative studio and publisher, with a purpose to explore human emotion and intimacy in the digital age. And their YouTube channel really packs a punch.
Read Next
Pioneering a concept called {THE AND}, the studio sets two people with an intense connection face to face, pushing them to ask the sorts of poignant questions that draw important, emotional responses. The sorts of questions that have typically gone unsaid; that people might have been too scared to ask but desperate to know the answers to.
And now, The Skin Deep have also formulated {THE AND} as a card game, so after you've spent countless hours poring over some of these incredible videos, you too have the chance to recreate some of the scenes by embarking on a question time of your own.
Split into eight categories: Couples, Friends, Family, Strangers, Self-Edition, Co-workers, Long term couples and Dating, the game has an edition for every sort of relationship you might be in.
Each version comes with 199 cards, prompting questions. I recently tried out the Friends Edition over Zoom with my BFF and it was an eye opening experience. To give you some insight into what we experienced, a few of the questions that came up were: 'What do you think I want most from life? What's something I really need to hear? When do you feel most secure in our friendship?'
Hearing my friend telling me that I’m stronger than I think I am had a profound impact. As a person who naturally tends to overthink things and who suffers from self-doubt, it's affected me in both my personal and work lives, preventing me from celebrating my accomplishments, so she made me consider giving myself more credit, more often.
But the thing that really surprised me was in answer to the question: 'What’s the last thing you learned that changed you?'
To which she replied: 'No matter the time you invest in people, they still don’t owe you anything, as connections with people shouldn’t be transactional.'
And it's made me think about other relationships in my life. I've been of the firm belief that what you give, you should see in return, but I think I understand her point that this isn't always the case. Sometimes what someone else feels they can give might not match what you feel you've delivered to the relationship but that's O.K. People go through different things at different times.
So, if you're in the mood for deepening your relationships, these cards might provide you the perfect avenue. You might even learn something about yourself in the process.
The Skin Deep have also chosen to give back during this time, with 5% of all net proceeds being donated to the following organisations - The CDC foundation, COVID-19 Solidarity Response fund for the world health organisation and Heart to Heart International.
Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.
In need of more inspiration, thoughtful journalism and at-home beauty tips? Subscribe to ELLE's print magazine now and pay just £6 for 6 issues. SUBSCRIBE HERE
