B.C.'s Southern Gulf Islands invite visitors to go offline, do nothing

A new tourism campaign for B.C.'s Southern Gulf Islands isn't promoting action-packed adventures or vacations jammed full of exciting activities.

Instead, it's encouraging visitors to Salt Spring, Pender, Saturna, Galiano and Mayne Islands to do nothing.

Jamie Sterling, marketing co-ordinator for the Southern Gulf Islands tourism board, says it's a philosophy that comes naturally to the people who live on the islands.

"'Nothing Is The New Something' is about taking a break from the to-do list. Disconnecting from devices and that frenetic pace of work life," she said in an interview, referring to the campaign's name.

"This campaign reflects the island values of creativity, free spiritedness, slowing down and connecting with the nature and the beauty all around us."

WATCH | Southern Gulf Islands Tourism promotes disconnecting and doing nothing

The website for the new campaign offers templates for out-of-office emails and social media status updates to inform friends and family that you'll be  offline for a while. 

Sterling says forgetting about work and leaving technology behind doesn't literally mean doing nothing during a visit to the islands.

She recommends more low-key activities, like visiting bakeries, forest bathing — soaking in the beauty of the trees — making art, or taking a cold plunge.

Local musician embraces life on the island

Lauren Mann, a musician who moved to Pender Island seven years ago, thinks the campaign sends a great message at a time when many people are caught up in the bustle of busy jobs, juggling side hustles, and other responsibilities.

She says people on the island keep pretty busy during the holidays, but not in the same way as those in more urban settings.

"There's lots of community events happening," she told All Points West host Rohit Joseph Thursday.

"But it's a different kind of busy than you'll find in the city: people getting together to have potlucks or go to a Christmas concert."

Mann says she was constantly on the move as a touring musician, something she describes as physically and emotionally draining, before she moved to Pender Island. 

Putting down roots there has improved her quality of life, she says.

"I think I've learned over the years the benefit of slowing down," she said. "The connection to the natural world really lends itself to inspiration and creativity. Because there's just less distractions the mind has more space to explore new ideas."

WATCH | Musician Lauren Mann's official music video for the song, Missing You

She says the island has given her a chance to explore other forms of art too, like pottery and baking bread.

And while burnout can still be a challenge, even in a more peaceful, natural setting, Mann's solution on Pender Island is to fall back on the simple things.

"You still have to work and just have regular life. But I love having that close connection with nature, and the close community of all the people around me," she said.

"Those things really keep me grounded."