Hello hello, and welcome to Episode 88 of Life On the Brink, and a special season finale!
I do hope you’ve been enjoying the start of this glorious spring season. I find this time of year to be so invigorating after the long winter and I start to get inspired to try new things. Thinking on this has inspired today’s episode, as I’m going to speak on the importance of that wonderful thing called *hobbies*. Here at Life On the Brink, I try to help celebrate the beauty of our daily lives, and discovering and enjoying hobbies are one lovely way to cultivate our individual day-to-days. Not only that, but I’ve also filled this episode with lots and lots of ideas to get you started so you can find just the right hobby for you.
What’s in my teacup? I've begun to enjoy a bit of iced green tea as the weather warms.
What is a hobby exactly? According to Oxford, it’s simply “an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure.” I love that the word “activity” is in that definition, as I feel it denotes a bit of intentionality. In our age it’s so, so simple to scroll through social media (no judgment, this is something I continue to work at) without ever really choosing to. While, of course, technology can help foster relationships and provide inspiration, I think it’s best used as an aide, rather than the activity itself.
“If man is to be liberated to enjoy more leisure, he must also be prepared to enjoy this leisure fully and creatively.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
What if your time off, your “leisure time” was more fulfilling? What if it allowed your brain to really relax, or let you be more creative without any pressure? Enter: hobbies.
Hobbies are wonderful things because they allow us to make a regular practice of something simply for the enjoyment of it. They remind us that we are more than our job descriptions, though hopefully we can take satisfaction or pride from work as well, and that we have more facets than even the most thrilling career can appreciate. On that same note, I’ll speak more about this later, but it is so freeing to be able to simply try or enjoy something without the pressure to monetize it. Something can be worth your time if it doesn’t earn money but does feed your soul.
As someone who does have several creative jobs (I’m a musician by trade), I love to sing the praises of learning and participating in something creative just because I like doing it. I also recommend exploring several hobbies, even during the same time of the year or time of your life, as I’ve found that allowing for variety in your leisure time is more fun overall.
“To be really happy and really safe, one ought to have at least two or three hobbies, and they must all be real.” -Winston Churchill
Now, before I jump into my lists of different hobby ideas, let’s briefly touch on what a hobby is NOT.
1.Something you “should” do. Certainly it will enrich your life, but don’t let it become a “must-do.” These days, leisure and self-care can sometimes become a list of things to do in order to “optimize” your life, but remember that this is for fun!
2. Something stressful by its nature. This will be different for everyone. True, there have been times that I’ve tried a complex baking project and it’s become stressful or emotional, but the essence of baking is still joyful for me. Sometimes it takes a while to know whether you really enjoy something, and that’s ok too!
*a note: If you’re like me, you may have difficulty enjoying something that you’re “bad at.” Just remember that this doesn’t have to be for anyone but you, and that skill is something that comes with time. If that’s the reason you’re stressed by a particular hobby, maybe it calls for some self-examination, rather than a change in activity.*
3. Something you do for work (sometimes). This comes back to the notion that something can be worthwhile just because you like it, not because it makes money. I put a caveat there, because there can certainly be overlap if you really enjoy your job or if you do sell some pieces or services that have grown out of a hobby. Whatever the case, it’s nice to make sure to keep some hobbies out of the pressure that comes with professionalism.
So with that, here are some ideas to help you find a hobby you enjoy.
Always Hobbies: all-year, whenever you have the time.
-YARN: knitting, crocheting, and macrame. I put this at the top of the list just because I so enjoy crocheting.
-Gardening or enjoying houseplants. Everyone thinks they have a “black thumb” until they find the plant that works for them. It doesn’t have to be a huge cottage garden to be refreshing and enjoyable.
-Reading! Same goes for books- I feel confident that there’s a genre or series out there for everyone. If you like, check out one of the many podcast episodes I’ve done about books.
-Photography. This never needs to become a profession to be wonderful.
-Scrapbooking. Even recording a season of your life (rather than needing to document every year forever) is a nice way to start.
-Cooking and baking. There are so many recipes out there, so when you have the time, why not try something new?
-Pottery and ceramics. This is one that I hope to get into soon, as I love the tactile nature of it, as well as the practicality of using finished pieces afterward.
-Sports. Whether solo or with a team, this can be a wonderful way to get out of your head after a long day.
-Exercising and hiking. If you’re someone (like my husband, can’t relate) who enjoys going to the gym, make time for it! Personally, I love long walks outside, and now that the weather is nice I plan to take many around my new neighborhood.
-Birdwatching, horseback riding, or caring for animals. This could be through volunteering, or simply by observing and learning about the natural world.
-Playing, writing, and collecting music. I feel like there’s a fear when it comes to playing an instrument of not reaching virtuosity or a professional level. I still feel that! But music is something that feeds the soul, and while learning to play a difficult piece is a challenge, it can be so enjoyable. Lately I’ve been returning to classical piano, something that’s now quite outside my wheelhouse, as a way to reacquaint myself with my instrument.
Sometimes Hobbies: can be isolated events or much more sporadic.
-Party planning. The experience of throwing a party is a hobby in itself for me (as was heavily detailed in Podcast 87), but I also love that it isn’t a constant hobby.
-Creating scavenger hunts. I added this to the list because my husband and I have enjoyed doing this ever since we started dating. We would make little scavenger hunts for each other, and last year we teamed up to make our biggest project yet for my brother-in-law Christian- it took over 4 hours to complete! Writing the riddles, potentially hiding clues, and watching it all play out is so much fun.
-Researching (even a research project). Now, hear me out. “Research” may bring up memories of dreaded group projects back in school, but in this case I’m simply referring to learning, in particular something new about a topic that interests you. Podcasts and books tend to be my favorite resources, and it’s surprising how quickly something you enjoy learning about clicks in your brain.
-Exploring your own town. This is great for those weekends when you have nothing going on. Why not explore a new café in your area, or look up seasonal festivals? Becoming a connoisseur of your area keeps me curious and open to new things.
-Travelling. I think this could be considered a hobby, as it calls to some of us more than others. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with “researching,” as I just love looking ahead to a future trip and learning as much as I can about it in advance. It builds the anticipation for months, and helps me feel prepared when I finally get to go there.
Seasonal Hobbies: things you can enjoy every year, but only during that time of year.
-Baking Christmas cookies. Or insert any seasonal baked good here! There are certain times of the year, like Christmas, when I enjoy baking something that takes a bit of time. I also have friends that make a point to have a “baking day” during Christmastime in order to try out new sweet recipes.
-Personal or family traditions. Perhaps you’d like to plan a summer barbecue, a weekend at the beach, or a personal birthday tradition. Finding out ways to celebrate each season, I believe, can be treated as a hobby instead of an obligatory task.
-Berry or apple picking in the spring/fall. There are short windows in which we can enjoy the best of seasonal produce, and there’s no better place to get it than from the plant itself. I also enjoy visiting rose gardens in the late spring, lavender farms in the summer, and so on. Make a point to enjoy these seasonal delights.
-Swimming or summer sports. It’s perfectly fine to enjoy a particular sport, even if you can only participate in it for a few months of the year. Some sports have a short season, which makes it more manageable and enjoyable.
While my list was in now way exhaustive, I hope that something caught your eye! You may be thinking now, though, where to begin? A certain hobby may sound nice, but how do you actually start doing it?
WAYS TO GET STARTED:
1. Youtube- the simplest answer. You can find a tutorial for everything, so if you’re wanting to try a new recipe, learn to crochet, or see how to plant herbs together, start with a search!
2. Join a club. You’d be surprised how many hobbies have small communities, maybe in your area! Ask around, especially if you know someone who already enjoys the hobby in question. If not, maybe you can make a group yourself.
I’ve mentioned before how the women in my family have a little crochet meeting once a week, and it’s truly one of the best parts of my week! We take turns hosting, and we always enjoy a few hours of tea or coffee (with a few snacks, of course) while we talk and work our yarn. A few ladies will sometimes knit, and my sister Sarah does neither, so she brings either cross stitch, watercolors, or her scrapbook. It’s very informal, but it’s a great way to gain experience and have a place to show off our finished projects.
3. Take a class or find a teacher. This is perhaps a great way to start learning an instrument or playing a sport. Personally, I have my eye on a local pottery studio and hope to take a beginner class sometime this year.
4. Find creators or projects that inspire you on Pinterest or Instagram. This is where technology can help! When I wanted to get back into reading as an adult, I was greatly inspired by creators on Youtube who have lots of recommendations for different tastes. Likewise, I have an entire Pinterest board full of crochet patterns. Remember, none of this is here to pressure you, simply to inspire you and open your eyes to the possibilities!
“The finest thing about a hobby is that you can't do any pretending about it. You either like it or you don't.” Dorothy Draper
Having a creative outlet for oneself is an ongoing delight. With all pressure and expectation to be “good” taken away, it’s a wonderful opportunity to try new things and to consistently return to a practice that enriches your day-to-day life. May those moments between work and your various obligations feed your soul and body and bring you a little bit of joy.
Happy Hobbying, my friend, and if you enjoyed this episode, feel free to check out these previous podcast episodes:
This Week’s Little Joy: We had the most perfect spring weather last Saturday, and I spent the whole morning working in our new garden. As I was pruning our large butterfly bush, I turned around to face the back of our yard when I saw, perched on our low Japanese maple tree, an owl. We’ve been observing a few owls since moving here, but never had one landed so close. As this one was cleaning its wings, I crept over to that side of the yard and ultimately stood within about 6 feet of this large bird. It looked directly at me for several seconds (we had full-on eye contact) before flying to a tree a few properties away. It was a very magical moment, with the dogwood petals falling like snow around me and everything, and just reinforced just how thankful I am to live in a home near nature.
What I’m Listening To: Every year around this time, there’s only one album that I listen to. It’s “To Be Loved” by Michael Bublé, released in April 2013 just before my 17th birthday. Since then it’s become sort of my own “birthday album,” and I only really listen to it during the later part of April. As my birthday is this Monday, the 24th, it’s in full swing (literally). Always a joy to listen to, I highly recommend a listen.
Thank you so much for listening! As I did last year, I’ll be taking a break from the podcast during the month of May as the school year wraps up for me. Feel free to send me thoughts and episode suggestions in the email box at the bottom of this page, and I’ll be back June 1st with Season Four of Life On the Brink!