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re: go fail at some hobbies

This post is inspired by (and somewhat of a response to) this post by Bruce.

I agree that it's so important to try out different things to see what sticks. And the good thing is: The more you get into hobbies, the more people you tend to attract who also have interesting hobbies, even very niche things you never even heard of; and you may join them in it.

My view on hobbies also changed. I admittedly didn't have that many as a teen because of missing resources, mental health issues and lacking self confidence. I was scared to fail, scared to start, scared to ask for help and had no energy. I was afraid of embarrassing myself in front of others. For example, I always wanted to enter a badminton club, but never did because I was afraid to interact with others there.
So when I was asked about hobbies, it was mostly (mindless) consumption or very standard things others would not see as a hobby, more as a pastime.

I guess that can be a sensitive and divisive topic in itself - when does it count as a hobby? Does "watching movies" only count if you are obsessed about directors, actors, know very niche movies, could rant endlessly about cinematography and keep a meticulous letterboxd? Or is it enough to just watch them casually? How many books a year do you have to read to make reading a hobby, when we read every day (Bruce also mentions this in his post). I know a lot of people also complain that others say their hobby is "meeting friends" when it "shouldn't be considered one".

I've tried for a while now to cultivate hobbies that aren't just about consumption to put a balance into this. I especially wanted to have hobbies that give me some sort of transferable skill - being good at gaming really doesn't give me any returns elsewhere in my life, but other creative hobbies may improve my ability to plan and follow through with projects, to research and teach myself new skills, or have their own specific advantages. For example, embroidery and sewing aren't just hobbies by itself in a bubble, they also have the nice side effect of being able to make my own clothes, adjust existing clothes, mend them or add to their design.

It's hard for me to be consistent with hobbies because of illness or simply becoming a little sick of it (ha!). I've also had the feeling of it being like a chore at times, something I feel like I have to do. And I guess that isn't always so bad; sometimes it isn't necessarily that the hobby is not a right fit, but that maybe you are encountering something difficult in it. Maybe it is frustrating. Or you're in a lull with it and it's not as exciting anymore. It can be worthwhile to push through these growing pains to progress in it and have some patience and persistence.

I am jealous of people who have found something they are consistently obsessed with and do not get sick of. It shows in their work. The passion, the love, the effort, and the skill level. Instead of becoming obsessed with a new thing every few years and being spotty with working on it, they've been consistent and have accumulated a ton of practice. It's something I hope to achieve as well. I hope one day I can find a hobby I am positively addicted to. I often tend to hyperfocus on something for a few months and then burn out on it.

Past hobbies I've dropped

Paused hobbies I will likely return to

Current hobbies

Hobbies I want to try out

Published 02 Sep, 2024, edited 2 days, 18 hours ago

#bestof #response