The biggest realization I had when quarantine started was that I didn't have any hobbies outside of hanging out with my friends and spending money. When both were essentially taken away, I had to have a heart-to-heart with myself. I had to find something new that interested me to avoid going crazy during social distancing. For a while, I was able to avoid my self-exploration with minute distractions; Tiger King had just dropped on Netflix, Hulu had taken away their ads, Zoom meetings were all the rage, and of course, I still had finals to deal with.
But after March fell into April, and April to May, I realized there were only so many hours in the day I could spend on my couch. I scrolled on social media and saw post after post of all the quarantine projects people were picking up, and quite frankly, I was jealous. I knew I couldn't 'Netflix and Chill' my life away, and during my journey to find new activities, I found the cold, hard facts about hobbies that no one told me before hand.
One of the hobbies I picked up was Photoshop. Thankfully, I already had the software on my computer for classwork, and during quarantine, I sat down and created art that was meaningful to me. Of course, it was frustrating; I knew the bare minimum of the program, and I was having the worst time making the images I had in my head come alive on the screen, but we are so fortunate to live in a time where anything we could want to learn is a click away on YouTube. The online world became my best friend during my quest to find new hobbies.
Here are 4 truths that I learned along the way that serve as a great reminder.
You don't have to be good at a hobby to consider it as such.
This can be a daunting theory to engrave in your mind. People love to post the pictures of themselves thriving at their hobbies. I can't tell you how many banana bread posts I saw that discouraged my hobby adventure, but the true definition of a hobby is 'an activity you partake in that makes you feel alive.'
Notice, I didn't say a hobby is something that makes you feel good. To feel alive is to feel challenges and setbacks, along with happiness and enlightenment.
Hobbies don't have to become your identity.
I have started reading more books, but I wouldn't call myself a bookworm. I have started to do more yoga, but I'm not about to open my own practice. Hobbies don't have to take over every aspect of your life. If you enjoy spending time partaking in these activities, even if you do not partake in these activities often, you have a hobby.
Your hobby doesn't have to become your side hustle.
This is another thing I have seen on social media over quarantine; people will try to make money off their talents online. Don't get me wrong, I think side hustles are great, and if your hobby allows you to make money, then more power to you. Still, I feel as though some people get in the mindset that if they are not good enough to make money off their hobbies, then it is not a hobby. You do not have to make money with every aspect of your life. You are allowed to enjoy things without thinking about money.
Hobbies can be small too.
Running is a popular but often daunting hobby to start. There is all the gear necessary to run, the time out of your day you need to put aside for your run, the communities of people to connect with, the mental barriers to endure and the soreness after the run. If you are new to running, it might be hard to overcome so many obstacles at once. If hobbies are too big, it might be too scary to start trying.
For a while, I wanted one of my hobbies to be rock climbing. It would've been super cool to backpack out to the mountains, grab some rope and climb, but I learned quickly there are many, many obstacles to overcome as a first time climber. I had no idea where to start. Instead of being discouraged, I decided to adjust my hobby. I've started hiking more. I have the benefits of being outside, usually in the mountains, and I get the sense of adventure I imagine I would've gotten while rock climbing. I have the goal to make rock climbing a hobby of mine in the future, but for now, hiking has become one of my past times.
Some smaller hobbies that people often overlook as hobbies include playing Animal Crossing, painting rocks, taking care of your succulents, going on bike rides, gossiping with your mom, having water balloon fights with your brother, painting your dog's nails, organizing your room, volunteering, making shorts out of jeans, the list can go on and on.
Hobbies give you a chance to explore the things that set your soul on fire. Do not be discouraged if you don't like the first hobby you try out, or if things didn't go as planned. Like most things in life, hobbies take some time to develop, too.
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