My friend Jami likes to paint on top of old New York Times newspapers and then make little collages. My husband decided last year to start a garden on a whim, which he filled with fruits and vegetables, just to see what might grow and what wouldn’t in our backyard. My sister-in-law, who happens to be excellent at sourcing cool clothes from thrift stores, asked for a sewing machine at Christmas so she could learn how to make her own clothing. My mom likes to buy little gifts and knickknacks for people when she’s out and about, so when they need a pick-me-up, she has something on hand to send over right away. My dad meets a group of retired fellow police officers every morning to drink cheap coffee and shoot the bull over The Andy Griffith Show. Me? I like to soak in the tub a few nights a week with overpriced bubble bath and a magazine.
Too often people think about hobbies and immediately stress about the amount of time, money, or energy involved to get started. But the truth is that a hobby can be anything. It doesn’t have to be productive or make sense. You can explore one at any age, whenever you feel like it. At its core, it’s just an activity that makes you happy. It’s fun. And that’s why it’s worth doing.
So what would you love to do, simply for your own enjoyment, if you had all the time and money in the world? What are you curious about? It doesn’t have to be related to your career, match what people expect of you, or even be something you liked five years ago. Pick one or two things that come to mind, and give them a try. If you’ve always wanted to learn a second language, get a book from the library and make flash cards. If you wish you were a better cook, find a recipe you’d love to master, purchase the ingredients, and give it a go. If you always wanted to knit a scarf, look up some YouTube videos and head to a fabric store. Whatever sounds fun to you is worth exploring.