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I’ve been in the middle of a art and craft identity-crisis for awhile. I like to say I have “too many hobbies for my own good” and usually mean it jokingly. But it might be time for me to come to terms with the fact that it may be hindering me a little. In the past five years I have dabbled in….
- sewing
- papercraft/card making
- painting
- block printing
- screen printing
- embroidery
- jewelry – beaded, painted, wire, wood, PMC, etc.
- upholstery
- plush toys
- apparel
- graphic design/stationary
- quilting
- ceramics
- knitting
- photography
- …and so many more.
I have a ridiculous collection of craft and art supplies. I spend a couple of weeks learning everything I can about each of these genres and before I know it, I’m moving on to something new. I can’t say I’ve mastered anything on that list.
I want to be one of these people that finds their craft, hones their voice and masters it. But nothing has ‘stuck’. Maybe I just haven’t found the right craft. I love making things. I want to make that my someday career (or at least a small business to earn us some fun money).
Maybe I need a creative vacation. Or perhaps I need to keep exploring. Or maybe I just need to bite-the-bullet and pick something and stick to it. At this point I don’t know what direction to go. Has anyone gone through something like this? What did you do? Did you ever settle? Or are you a craft-hoarder too? Any book recommendations to work through it? Thoughts?
166 Responses to Reflection // Too many hobbies?
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It seems like everyday I see a new craft and think “OOH, I want to do that”! I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Like you, I have a closet full of craft “stuff” and sometimes I think my hubs will explode if I buy anymore, but I say, why limit yourself? Well, except if buying all the “stuff” makes you go broke :)
My problems exactly! I could probably get pretty good at one of my hobbies if I pared them down a bit. Instead, I choose to be mediocre at lots of stuff. Le sigh!
Maybe you are looking at it the wrong way. Lindsey and you have both found your hobby. It is “arts and crafts”. Why get more specific than that? If you think about it, you have stuck to your hobby of arts and crafts for years!
This is not exactly a problem… perhaps you jack of all trades….
Oh, me to! I am a craft/hobby horder – jack of all trades, master of none. I have all the same interest on your list plus a few more like wood working, gardening and now blogging. I’m sure I could find success if I could stick to just one or two and master them, but I blame it on a my ADD. If you ever find the answer to your questions, LET ME KNOW.
I always think of Grandma Moses, who died when she was 101, but didn’t become an accomplished artist until she was in her 80′s. That always gives me some hope. Sort of.
Perhaps in old age we’ll will find a hobby, stick to it and master it.
At list you are taking initiative to explore and apply your time catering your creativity you have made the leap from the dreamer to the doer if thats even a word :). If I were in your shoes I would pick on ideas from the diffrent hobbies and incorprate them to express your self and creat a signiture art or (routin)!
i have this problem too…….ive got so many tools and gadgets and materials stashed away in my shed that i have forgotten what i have and can never find what im looking for…., and so many interests….photography,hiking,camping,woodworking,veggie growing,pickling,making jerky,leatherwork,paintball,bow making,car rebuilding,reading,making clothing,model building,beer making,cheese making,….and i get new interests every time i go on the internet or open a book or go shopping……..looking into making and drying sausages at the moment …and starting a ginger beer plant……..my mind is way too over active for the amount of time i have…………i wanna know how to do …EVERYTHING.
I agree, this is a problem many of us have. ‘The need to want to know how to do everything’. Well elucidated.
Enjoy the simple life of a dedicated dilletante, you like the learning and the challenge, and of course the stocking up in craft supplies.You are most definitely not alone.
That’s an interesting issue you’ve got.
Most people are often too caught up with work and their frenzied lifestyles chasing datelines that they prolly don’t even remember the word “hobby” anymore.
Enjoy the happy predicament :P
I see that you love the craft things. So why don’t you make a craft shop?
First, you may try to display all your craft online? making an online shop is not a bad idea, isn’t it?
When someday, people love your craft and buying it, then you can find what people most love, then focusing on it.
Good luck ^^
I love do those things too! Well, I think you really don’t need to stick to one of those things but if you really want to become a master of one thing, I believe you just need to cool-off. Just a short break from all those things will do. And the first thing that comes into your mind, when you’re ready, is the one that your heart really beats into. Been there. Done that. Good luck in finding your true passion!
I also have a tendency to dabble. I suppose I fixate on what captures my imagination at the time. But I suspect that as soon as I discover what I’m truly passionate about I’ll lament the fact that I didn’t unearth it sooner.
I would say if it gets you busy and you do them so well, why bother about the number of crafts you know how to do? You are creative and that’s all that counts, at least with all these crafts, you might just be in the position to help a lot of people, like the old.
I feel exactly the same only it’s on a career scale as well. I still look in the mirror and wonder what I am going to do when I grow up.
I recently did a chart segregating my areas of interests. And it actually helped a little! It was broadly divided into performing arts, visual arts and literature. Under performing arts, I play the Tabla (hobby), dance contemporary (career-ish) and dance Kathak (hobby). Under visual arts there’s film-making (potential career) and photography (hobby). And under literature there’s studying and writing my blog (hobby) and freelance writing (career). I also practice Kalari Payattu to stay fit. And sketch. And sing. But my sketches and singing look and sound like shit(respectively) and are not meant for mortal eyes and ears(respectively). So I try invest more in the hobbies where my work can actually be presented. And where i feel like i can ”contribute”. =)
Variety is the spice of life. Does it do any harm to try completely new things even if it is only a fad? Worth being disciplined about putting paraphernalia from old hobbies on ebay!
I always see new things and think, ‘oh I could do that!’ It means I start lots of projects and mostly leave them unfinished. This summer I’ve got a plan to finish everything – only problem is I’ve started at least two new ones :D
I know the feeling too well! I’m not a craft but a language hoarder. I’ve taken so many language courses of the years and didn’t finish a single one, mostly due to the fact that I find evening school courses too crowded and too unstructured. So I know a little of quite a few languages but can’t really say I speak them, sadly.
Hi…im have gone thru something similar but of lesser intensity….rite now im dabbling with things i like….just exploring….suggestion for u is – since u have so many skills, is there a way of combining them to form prdts? Combining even sum of the above will lead to gud stuff, im sure….but how to is the bigger question….why dont u start from the end prdt u want to make n then see how some of the above skills can help u…. U can chk the following website/ blog – oneprettything, howjoyfull, thelongthread etc for more ideas…hope it helps!
Ha! I thought I was alone in this – keep experimenting, my plan is to find a clutch (the name for a collective of crafts!) that work well together in a shop/webshop environment and that I enjoy making. Don’t fence yourself in, even if you never make money from it I’m sure you give lots of fabulous handmade gifts :)
Shh, there is no such thing as too many hobbies. It’s like too much money, never happen
I have beat myself up about this for practically my entire life. Only recently have I been able to actually allow myself to do all sorts of things and not feel guilty for not forcing myself to sit down and work at something for a long time. I think that’s just how some people work. And in the past few weeks, after sloughing off the socially and self-imposed guilt about how I should do things and about what ‘successful’ people do, I’ve actually gotten a lot done by just doing a bunch of things for 10 or 20 or however many minutes each a day. I know I won’t feel awesome about it forever, and in a few days I’ll probably feel like shit about it again, but I’m livin’ it up while I can. It does get hard when I open my closet and 17 years of fabric scraps and cheap language learning books fall out on me. I just can’t seem to get rid of it all…
A great observation again. So true though. I can relate to the years and yards of fabric scraps as well as the language books.
A note on successful people: The ones you talk about are those who are consistently specializing in the one thing that captures their interest. Not the kind who get bored too easily I suppose. If it helps, Leonardo da Vinci dabbled in myriad hobbies as well.
Maybe that’s true, about the successful people. I think that the problem a lot of people have, or that I at least have had, is that I kid myself about what I am actually interested in. I WANT to want to be interested in some things, because I like the idea of being interested in them, but they’re not always things that I enjoy doing. It’s hard for me to discern sometimes.
i dont feel the need to be “successful” as “successful people” are”…..even if i fail i succeed in learning something………i seldom fail completely……being very creative i also never succeed completely as things tend to improve in design as you build them and the next one can always get closer to perfection………….creating is a syntehsis of ideas in many instances and sometimes the design just becomes so grand that it starts to become impractical………many projects get shelved for months whilst a certain technical detail is developed in my head…….ill never be able to specialize…i dont wish too……i love ad hocing and doing it the way i do…..i do it for relaxation mainly not to achieve as such………..
Or! Maybe you could combine all the skills you’ve picked up into one HUGE monster of a project. It could be brilliant. I’ve been thinking about picking up sewing too. But thinking about it is as far as I’ve gotten.
I have the exact same problem. I’ve come to the point where I’ve stopped thinking of it as a problem – as long as it’s fun while I’m doing it, I try not to let it bother me that I never stick with any one thing very long. Besides, I find that the things that really do matter to you will stick. As you say, maybe you just haven’t found the right one(s) yet. But I say continue to enjoy the dabbling until you find it!
ditto….could not have said it better myself………..
me, too..I’m sure lots of people have this affliction, and this is why there are so many articles and books on organizing your craft space.
Just keep plugging away. Eventually, you’ll find yourself plugging more and more at one particular thing that takes over on its own. Doing a craft can be pretty solitary. A local bar/restaurant where I live has a weekly craft night on Tuesdays, where just about anyone can sign up to lead. A bunch of us sit around making whatever the craft of the week is. It isn’t a rowdy bar (I don’t even drink) and it’s a lot of fun. Or maybe you like the idea of craftwork better than the actual doing of it. That’s fine. Maybe you’d be happier doing something with a group — building sets for a theater group, a chorus, a cause, whatever. You’re sure to find something if you keep seeking, so good luck!
I know exactly how you feel. I’ve tried many crafts and hobbies and so far have stuck to only one, while continuing to experiment with others. I think its a good thing to have many hobbies and skills it means you have a variety of interests. Don’t limit yourself its always fun to try new things, that being said try to be committed to at least one in the process. :)
Been in the same situation, never able to settle especially when i found bout new craft. i used to learn clay, knitting, papertole, pergamano, painting, and many more… never able to settle, my suggestion… Keep exploring till you find the right one.
I totally know what you mean. I have finally settled down with photography [mainly because I am now a part of a photo agency and it's my main source of income]. Just a few weeks back, I started itching to try my hand at illustration and guitars but have managed to control the urge so far. I know I’m going to end up getting registered for classes sometime this month! :)
I’d say that you keep trying things that interest you. It’s always good to expand horizons and there is no limit for someone with a naturally creative mind like yours. Good luck!
I was like that, too! I had so many interests in everything and I was devastated that I should choose one thing, find my niche and so on. Finally, I realised that you don’t have to choose something over the other if you feel good about creating different things. My way to combine all my passions is set a day aside of the week for that or set a week for every hobby, next week is for something else. One day I will sing, the next I will dance, the next I will learn languages, the next I will knit. Or maybe you may set aside an hour block – in the morning I will make jewellery, in the afternoon I will go out and photograph and so on. Also, you can try incorporating some meditation practice or the like so that you can focus your attention for at least a bit longer periods. What helped me was to try to pin-point what exactly is the thing that makes me happy and in my case when I knew that I want to help people all hobbies that didn’t fall into that category were no longer interesting to me. Or in the area of creativity and crafting – I wanted to see people using my art in some way, so I started to make things as presents and not just for the sake of creating something that I don’t know where to put after. I hope this helps :)
Remember, the “grands hommes” of the eighteenth century were serial dabblers.
indeed….internal combustion engines….periodic tables….aeroplanes…..and many other things were built in garden sheds………..a great age indeed.
Hmm, I’ve always been a big believer in the more you practise the better you get, so narrowing it down to a few choices and spending more time on them might really start to bring great results. Just an idea :)
Same here. I cannot focus on one hobbie. I have completely different hobbies than you but I can’t decide which one I like the most…:/ I always wanna try new things. Sometimes I’m jealous of people that have found what they really want to do with their lives, but then I think that we only live once so why not try everything and try doing different things.
I’ve had this issue and to some respect, still have it! What I’ve found recently is to get a particular story, or ‘artistic vision’ that I need to communicate and seems to fit one or perhaps two genres. That has forced me to, at least for the meantime, focus a lot of my work on learning two skills (at the moment, writing and drawing).
However, from reading about other artists, there often occurs a phase or era for particular work. Off the top of my head, I was looking at Terry Gilliam who started off as an animator. He mentioned in a video that really, the animation was the quickest way for him to get his message across at that particular time of his life.
There is also that aspect that, when you focus on things as a job it ceases to be a hobby and instead becomes something else that you HAVE to focus on in a particular way. You cannot decide one day not to do it if you’ve already promised someone to deliver something. That way, your other hobbies are still there to be enjoyed in a more relaxed fashion when you’re not working. They also help to inform your main work, as you have to think differently when doing them.
Hope that made sense!
Don’t let go of all those supplies just yet LOL. I sold every bit of my scrap booking supplies twice. I don’t like scrap booking. But I have found that I love card making and smaller paper crafts. I’ve been enjoying these for three years now and find them most rewarding. I suspect that is because I have found a cause to support with my crafts that I love–operationwritehome.org. Having that drives me to do more and more.
Paper crafting in this way uses many of the same supplies that I already had and sold. Now I’ve bought them back and more. I also find that while I can’t finish anything in traditional crocheting, I do enjoy amigurumi. Now that I have a baby grand daughter I suspect I’ll be dabbling in a lot of things. “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
It also can be said that the more you learn about different crafting forms the wider variety of people you can carry on intelligent conversation with.
I’m the same way with knitting. It’s only one craft, true, but there are many elements and styles to it, and I can’t seem to settle down and master any one of them…my knitting bin is full of half finished mittens, socks, yarn cables….sigh. But like I always tell people, it’s not the finished product that matters, it’s the process! After a long day in Corporate World it just feels so good to come home and use that other, crafty part of your brain :-)
I can certainly identify with you. But I have finally found something that combines everything I love–fabric and textile crafts. I am even making money at it. I continually explore the ways fabric and textiles can be used. I think it is the creative challenge of making something unique that appeals to me. Maybe you can combine some of the skills into something you love that is uniquely yours. Take a look at redrockartisans.com to see what we do and maybe it will give you some ideas.
I have been an artist/crafter all my life and did much the same as you. Finally I realized that my love centered around fabric and textiles and have turned that into money. I think it is the challenge of creating something uniquely mine that is the appeal. I am constantly searching for ways to create with fabric or textiles. Take a look at redrockartisans.com and see what we do. Maybe it will inspire you to combine some of what you do to create something that is uniquely yours.
In any case, good luck and never stop learning and creating.
I can totally relate. I find myself doing the same thing. I have a giant box of candle making supplies that I used a couple of times, of course, I can’t get rid of it because of all the candle possibilities. Then there’s the guitar, the drums, and a box of scrapbooking supplies.
I think it comes down to a little bit of ADHD and a very creative mind. Maybe we should take one hobby a week and concentrate on that hobby alone. At least that way we have a specific intention rather than a sporadic one.
This entry describes me exactly. I wanted to be an art major for the first half of my life, so I have an entire closet full of leftover (and sometimes completely unused!) supplies for every angle I dabbled or considered dabbling in. I still find myself coming up with wild dreams of picking up a new skill and becoming amazing at it. However, over time it has become obvious to me which ones I have stuck with the longest and have the most potential to do well in.
My advice to you (and myself) is to pick five or [preferably] less ‘talents’ and push those further. That jewelry-making aisle in Hobby Lobby sure does look tantalizing, but I try to restrict myself to crochet/knitting, drawing with dreams of learning watercolor, and improving my life skills in sewing. And yes, I’ll admit it, I am still dabbling on and off with that random sandal-making craft used only in Japan… The supplies are collecting dust as we speak. But the point is that these pursuits are SO much more fun when you take them to the next level and are rewarded with better and better results. It’s a lot more financially rewarding that way, too…
Oh goodness, this sounds just like me! What I’ve been trying to do now that I feel overwhelmed by massive amounts of craft supplies is to organize them. I organize them by type of project I can do (wood, jewelry, collage odds and ends, etc). This has helped me get a clearer picture of my stock and the types of projects I can create.
I’ve also been keeping a running list of projects (it’s way long!). When I have free time, I try to get a move on at least one project. I need lists to help me focus and I feel like it gives me a plan of attack, or options at the very least, when I’m feeling crafty. And the organizing helps me with finding what I need quickly (instead of digging through bags, which can get frustrating!)
Take heart though. Having a lot of interests is really cool. It can feel like herding cats sometimes, but just do what you can when you have time. Remember, they are hobbies and should be fun and enjoyable. If it gets overwhelming, take a break. If you really want to craft…work on three projects at once if the mood should strike :)
I can totally relate to this – I’m desperately searching for my “passion.” Good luck on your search!
Yep, Craft ADD. Story of my life.
Total craft-hoarder. I love to try new things but haven’t found anything that sticks either. I was just thinking the other day that maybe I should circle back to some of the oldies. Or maybe it’s time to sell the crochet hooks and skeins of lovely yarn on ebay. Congrats on FP!
Julia Cameron. The Vein of Gold: A Journey to Your Creative Heart -This book helps me a lot…
Congrats on making freshly pressed!
I can TOTALLY relate to this. In fact, this was me until just recently. I finally settled on cooking and whatever kind of craft I feel like doing at the moment, though lately it’s been mostly photography and crocheting/knitting. My problem has always been FINISHING projects, which is what I’m working on now. :)
I have to join the chorus of me too! I joined a badminton club at my local community centre, and each week and i walked through the centre to get to the courts, I’d glimpse people dancing, doing arts & crafts etc in the other rooms, and I’d be thinking, I wan to do EVRY ONE of these, they look like so much fun!
I’ve labelled these intense desires “visions” rather than hobbies:
http://thenewcomer.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/visions/
Well, you have a blog that’s on Freshly Pressed. Ever consider doing writing, you know, like trying to get published? Even if you don’t make it big, you can maybe supplement your income a little.
“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, con a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” — Robert Heinlein
excellent comment…..
It’s like reading about myself. I’m learning to just go with it and follow my interests. Sometimes I find making things for other people keeps me focused. If I have an end project in mind I get to try something new. enjoy and love what you do!
a cool place…depicts the passion….as m a passionate cook and a writer…liked this one!
I definitely see myself in your position. Although I suppose this thirst for learning falls into different categories as well as art. I’m trying to read as many books as I can, learn new things… I love acquiring new knowledge, it’s how I’ve always been. I think you’re the type of person who is good at a range of things and so you’re not sure where to go now. If I were you, and I have learnt this from doing my textile A-level, I would get involved with mixed media; I find that this is what makes people original. All those things you are good at should be combined into something amazingly innovative! I hope this helps you. Good luck :)
I have dabbled but have stuck to some things long enough to know what I tend to be better at vs. other activities that get me nowhere/don’t inspire me.
Perhaps a great benchmark, would be an activity that continues to inspire, satisfy and rejuvenate you. My blog only overtly reflects one of several passions..cycling. I just haven’t shown any of my amateur artwork yet on the blog. I just interpet and share art that I see elsewhere so far on the blog.
Ah yes, blogging as another passion but one that can pull together multiple interests. If one only had enough time to explore and deep dive into stuff more thoroughly!
And yes, I have also accumulated a huge pile of new art supplies.
Good luck, and with a butterfly of patience sitting on your shoulder, go naturally to stick to some passions that you enjoy over and over again in new light each time!
I definitely know what you mean, I have far too many hobbies and I have a really hard time sticking to just one or two. I play music, write music, learn languages, make jewelry, dabble in photography, travel, write, do graphic design, web design… I am always adding new interests to the list. At some point I will have to narrow it down.
. . . not to be too harsh, but either you are or you’re not . . . in the unfeeling world of “art” you can’t be everything . . . just be a fan of the arts, buy things you like and appreciate the commitment that the person who created the object . . . “. . . try not Luke, DO . . . “
I have definitely settled on a few — music and yarny stuff. Everything else had to be jettisoned in the end, and it was not a pleasant process. Quilting took too much time and required that I have a loud, noisy, all-attention-absorbing machine set up and make a major time commitment for at least a few hours. It’s also not portable. Tatting and needlelace required monkline concentration due to their inability to pick back errors. Languages (this was a painful one since I am one of those people who can pick them up like colds) had to go since in order to get fluent, you NEED immersion, and I have neither the time nor the money to drop everything and go live in Iceland for a year. Mathematics — too time-consuming and not pragmatic enough. Letting go of group and graph theory was also painful.
In the end, yarny stuff allowed me to multi-task in a way that those other things didn’t, it’s QUIET, it allows for better recovery from error and more practical items, and music is just a language that allows for immersion no matter where you are. All you need is an instrument, time, and a thick head. No thousand-dollar international plane flights or fantasy six months off from work required to obtain mastery.
But I’m 46, and it was a long road getting here.
I’m the same way. I’m dealing with this right now. Should I stick with illustration? Photography? Or poetry? Oh but I want to get back into knitting… I have a lot of ideas and no sense of direction–a Jill of all trades and a master of none. Thanks for sharing. Good luck with what you decide on pursuing! Hey, it’s good you have passion. :)
Hi,
I am Nipa.I will dance, the next I will learn languages, the next I will knit. Or maybe you may set aside an hour block – in the morning I will make jewellery, in the afternoon I will go out and photograph and so on.
Thanks for share…
Muchas aficiones, pero muy buenas todas!!!:D
I coach artists, writers, singers and a whole range of creative types (including crafts). Firstly, well done for getting stuck in – and writing of your experience. I’m sure you have got a lot out of it. Mostly, I find that folk really get serious and stick with their particular creative expression when aligned to ‘purpose’. For example, painting a range of pictures for a particular occasion, Exhibition etc. Or designing cards to sell at a craft stall or to present to card publishers. Same with song writers; encourage them to have in mind an opportunity of singing them at the local ‘Open Mike’ evening in a Wine Bar or Pub! Someone suggested you open an online shop – GREAT. Treat it as a quest to accomplish, then you will be more fulfilled in your hobbies. Hope it goes well. Great idea post.
Thank you for the practical advice. Even my GPS can’t tell me when to turn until I plug in where I intend to go.
I agree! I’ve tried almost everything, and I hate spending money on things I could do myself.
I dare say I´m just the same. God knows how many hobbies I had! I have liked them all but I´m getting tired of everything I do after a couple of weeks even though I started the project with burning passion. Thats life, I suppose. Sweet little cosy blog you have! keep up the good work! // cLaRa
I have the same problem… I read your list and said YES, to most of them. Got with it. You are obviously a creative person with talent and that has to be expressed. Ride the wave!!!
My children say hoarder…I prefer the politically correct, ardent repurposer.
Same Story here! I draw comics like sop freakin good but then I just jumped to photography and then crafts and then Math?! each time I’m like so into something new. This sometimes bother me, though.
I think all artists are like that. The get bored easily, or at least that;s what personality tests tell us…
I think the more you know the better you get in the next thing…
For example, combing comics with photography which is what I’m planing to do.
Wish all luck…true artist
I think when you are naturally creative and inspired by everything around you it is hard not to want to use that creativity in everything you do and if like me you often find it preferable to bake a cake or make a card or sew a cushion and so on rather than buy one for the sheer pleasure it gives you – the problem lies in wanting to do this with everything and as you can see from all the comments you are not alone in finding it frustrating to end up with so many ‘hobbies’. I enjoy a wide range of crafts but have personally found it easier to do things when there are imposed limits which I find challenging such as creating something from off cuts and scraps of paper or fabric. I recently made a series of cards using a new daisy flower punch and some old glossy junk mail leaflets – (a great way of recycling that unwanted junk mail) and at Christmas I used my collection of little jars for presents of homemade lemon curd, I filled some cute Paperchase boxes with home made chocolates and turned some old white crepe paper into fun crackers for the family. Why not start an Etsy shop where you can stock it with a number of different items and you will probably find that you will make more of the things that sell the most and enjoy doing this just because other people want to buy them. Good luck and keep us all posted!
Ugh. I have the. same. problem! If you could just figure this little issue out and let me know what to do with my life, I’d be ever so grateful. Thanks in advance.
I’m a craft hoarder as well. My new endeavor, if I get around to it, is learning to knit. I tat, crochet, sew a bit, play around with tons of Martha Stewart crafts…. make jewelry and so many more. I don’t have time for any of it these days and i’m learning to not get carried away when i want to try something new.
Reblogged this on LadyLikeLace.
I think you can never have too many crafting hobbies :)
You might just be a creator first and the medium changes. I’m not quite as (cough) as bad as you but I do do a few different things and that means I have a lot that’s unfinished. :)
I have finally found the craft I love and have just completed a 2 year extended national diploma in jewellery design. After 40 years of life I have finally found my passion but it doesn’t stop me from looking in my local craft shop and thinking OOOOh I want to try that on every shelf. I can draw, knitt, crochet, cook, sew, embroider, tapestry, and cook and still want to learn more. But being a jewellery designer maker is still my passion. I think there is nothing wrong in exploring new creative out lets, your an artist and keep on being you.
I thought it was sweet that you asked for book recommendations about it because that could lead to a whole new hobby in itself – reading about dealing with too many hobbies :) Cool blog you have here!
I hear you, there is a lot of beautiful stuff in the art world but you can go crazy trying to master it all and it won’t be fun anymore. Me?? I like crochet and that’s a huge world so I’m just staying in a tiny corner …:-)
I, too, am a craft hoarder. I go through many, many craft stages and some of them have stuck, some haven’t. But, it is COMPLETELY natural for a creative person to dabble in different crafts. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find one that sticks. Or, maybe, you’re just the kind of person who has no particular craft. Just do what comes naturally.
I know the feeling.
And I am gonna follow the comment thread for some good suggestions! (:
Good luck, anyways!
If you consider blogging a sort of crafting, then that is basically my problem too. I hoard blogs to read and I can’t seem to find the time to read all of them. Then, I’ve created a handful of blogs and I don’t have all the time to post updates. Whew! But if we love what we do, we still go through them! Congrats on being Freshly Pressed. :=)
I’m down to one, playing guitar. That and reading. So make it two. Guitar, reading and fine dining. Okay, three. Can’t forget travel. Four, but we stop there. And of course now blogging about guitar licks, but we can keep that as part of number one, can’t we?!?
I started laughing my head off when I read your title! I was just lamenting with my sister the days before computers and you would go down to the library and get lost in books. Now I am a slave to the computer. I used to be an oil painter and do pastel portraits, now I can’t resist trying the latest mixed media toy for some creation, plus I sew and do tons of other things, so, that is why I laughed, I guess I can’t control myself very well!
I didn’t read all of the other comments, so I’m not sure if anyone’s mentioned this yet — but you sound like a “Renaissance Soul”… See this awesome review for what that means: http://www.clearmindedcreative.com/clearminded-classic-renaissance-soul/ ((not my blog — just a cool site I found that describes this personality type well)). I am one of these, too — constantly flitting from one thing to another. When I read Margaret Lobenstine’s book, “The Renaissance Soul“, I was so relieved to find out I’m not crazy — there are others out there JUST like me! :D
~MizB
A few years ago I took an inventory of my hobbies and hacked half of them. I now focus on what I truly love and am much happies. Although, my wife wishes I still played guitar but I was never going to be a professional musician. Find what you love, are good at, and gives you pleasure.
I’m the same way, what I do is put everything away for a while, only keep out stuff for one, maybe two projects, make them different, like knitting, and painting, so if you want to consumed in it, you paint, if you want to only work in small amounts of time, or while watching tv or something, you knit. When you get bored with it, put it up and get something else out for a while.
My problem is similar, but I cover a wide range of activities outside of crafting.. I do huge cross-stitch projects that take months/years, I cycle which I combine with ‘collecting’ various cultural sites via camera, want to learn proper photography. I hobby-write books and blog. I draw (paper and digital). I’m constantly learning new software for 3D modeling and animation to find which works best. I sew and… and…
Cycling and collecting churches, castles and runestones is probably the one thing I make the most progress in. :P
memememe!!! For the past um…13-15 years I have been crafting. REading instructions, watching my mom, trying to emulate her, be like people in interweave, vogue, vintage journals… but recently I just understood something…in all that time of practicing and learning, i really never gave myself a chance to play. It’s always under the disguise of playing, I have never tried to be myself with the tools I have learned. Just recently I have been playing, and I have to say I am quite surprise by what I have found! My stuff is good! Different, but good! and it’s for no one else besides me! So, my advice to you, put the books down. You already know all you need to know. Just try playing! That’s why you started crafting in the first place isn’t it? Nobody has to teach a five year old how to craft. They just do. Unfortunately adults just get in their own way :) Happy crafting. I look forward to seeing your crafting business flourish!
Andrea
I guess I know where you are coming from. I’ve been into oil paints (landscapes, seascapes and portraits), sketching (same), sculpture using extruded foam, needlepoint (gave up on), model railroading—nothing has run for YEARS—and related historical research and map collecting, writing (this last I’m doing…at OUR POETRY CORNER, via Word Press). Gave up on short story writing, but maybe it’s just on the “back burner” a while!
P.S.—Once you find the two or three “keepers”, THINK YARD SALE!!!!
I am definitely a craft-hoarder as well with endless supplies and tools… its terrible and fun all at once… I can practically open a supply store LOL. Congrats on making FP.
I’ve been thinking the same things lately. Wondering if I’m spreading myself a little too thin. I do craft sales, Etsy and wholesale. Every year I change up my items to what is new and exciting. Plus a full time job. The plus side is that when I see something new I want to try I usually already have the supplies I need! I probably could open my own store. Glad to hear I’m not the only one.
Creative people are naturally curious, and the next thing always seems more exciting than the one before. My personal list includes cooking, gardening, sewing, beading, crochet, paper making, silk painting, drawing, printmaking, acrylic painting, ceramics, jewelery, photography, digital art, glass fusing and most recently glass blowing- (talk about a challenging and expensive “hobby!”) It is easy to hoard the supplies (guilty here) because we paid good money for them and we never know when we will want to pick up an art form again. In other words, I completely know where you are coming from! Here are some things that have helped me. 1) Recognize that creativity and lifelong learning are good for us, but just like in a real garden thinning is sometimes necessary to make room for some of the plants to grow stronger- try selling or trading what you don’t use anymore and reward yourself by putting the proceeds into a new interest. 2)Check out books on new hobbies from the library, instead of trying to own them all. 3)Try reading a book on creativity (I love Julia Cameron’s the Artist’s Way) which can help you uncover what you REALLY want to do, and find the courage to do it. 4)Take a regular class or meet with a group…this is a good way to test the waters without buying all the supplies and can keep you going when you hit roadblocks and challenges! This has helped me become accomplished in things I enjoy greatly but may have given up on if left to my own devices. 5)Keep creating! Sometimes what you have learned in the past finds its way into new mediums in beautiful and unexpected ways!
I know the feeling. Lucky for me I have known that I lost interest very easily too so unless I can convince myself that I would be able to do it, I won’t start. Self discipline, it was not easy at first but I am getting good at it.
Right now the hobby that I am continuing is gardening, veranda gardening to be exact and cooking.
So true, when my parents sold our old house they discovered several boxes in my cupboard labelled “Research” of what looked like furry stuff- all items of my “hobbies” which included but not limited to leaves, flowers, petals and what not. I say why limit your imagination to one hobby when you can practice so many :-)
You are not alone! :) I am in the exact same situation. I should be banned from Michael’s Craft store! I go through craft anxiety all the time. Follow your creative impulse and enjoy the journey. I worry that I don’t stick to one thing too but maybe we just need to go with the flow… Have fun!! :)
I think you can never have too many crafting hobbies :)
i think too
I think you can never have too many crafting hobbies :)
i think too, hehe
I have asked the same question many times, and I know how frustrating it can be. I’m often told by friends that I need to focus. But I can’t. When something inspires me, it inspires me in a specific form. Lately, I’ve been combining crafts (for two plushies, I combined sewing, metalsmithing and clay). What I decided a few months ago was that if I wanted to really continue with the amount of things I do (metalsmithing, sewing-ish, plushies, clay, painting, paper crafting/bookbinding, and writing), I needed to become much more organized. I decided to set up a calendar. Every day has a type of craft or project I will work on, and every day it’s something different; for example, I spend Mondays on writing poetry, Tuesdays are for a plushie I’m creating for a friend, Wednesdays are a day off/ whatever day, Thursdays are jewelry, etc. This keeps me from getting bored, and guarantees that I will work on all the projects I’ve started.
I have a hard time keeping to the schedule, since I work a lot, but I’ve noticed that I’m a lot happier and much less stressed in my daily life now that I’ve started a rhythm. Some days it doesn’t work out like I planned, but that’s ok. The calendar is just a starting point.
As an idea, maybe pick a theme or topic and go with that for a month or two, and then move on. It would be a great way to keep your work from looking too hodgepodged or jumbled. Also, if you’re planning on opening an online store, making your work consistent through a theme will make it easier to offer a wider variety of crafted items.
Best of luck, and happy crafting!
Just do the things you love the most… whatever it is..follow your heart! Have a nice day. :)
———
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i have and additional problem….if you can call it a problem……i think its a blessing……i am a master scrounger….this comes from my work in the freight industry……i am blessed with having access to tons and tons of free used packaging material……mainly timber and pallets but including plastics,taxtile,paper and other materials…….many times the free materials determine what the project will be…….i have a corner of my garden full of wood,hessian bags,plastic sheeting and various other items …all free as my raw materials………great resource indeed…………
I was just about to write about the same problem! I have so much “stuff” and am very near to becoming an episode of “Hoarders” if I’m not careful. I’m currently reading “The Renaissance Soul: Life Design For People With Too Many Passions To Pick Just One” by Margaret Lobenstine. It’s not helping yet…but at least I know there’s enough of us out there that someone wrote a book about us!
lol…i really wouldn’t worry…iit happens to the best of us…i suggest u go with what your heart feels like doing, a lot more fun that way..narrowing things down always seems a little too organised and planned for my liking..the randomness in just engaging yourself with your hobbies is a lot of fun!!
I think you need to keep doing all of those to ensure you never get bored/tired of any of those. Mastery is good but how long do you want to keep doing the same thing. The world is also looking for multi-functional people.
What if….under all of this or that, a pile of shoulds live hidden? You should do this, you should do that. You should NOT do this, you should NOT do that. What if we grab onto things to alleviate anxiety about our enoughness? Our read someone else’s life directions from a book because we believe marketing, that we are not enough, that we do not know what is right and good for self? Each person, I suppose has a line with each thing they choose. They truly know inside what is unmanageable and what is not.
I can also say, that for me, coming up with a business idea or a plan is NOT the same as the joy that I get when i do a thing simply to please me. There is a strict line between work and not work. If I get peaceful calming and grounding joy by feeling scissors cutting paper it’s the tactile sensation that does it for me, not a product nor end result.
I don’t always know what to do with supplies or the end products of my endeavors. What was joy in one moment, is discarded clutter in the next. I argue with my insides over what is waste, in money and in product. This made some things unfun. Fortunately, I stuck with photography and poetry and other writing, and all of these things have a ‘home’ that I can live with and express myself freely. Good Luck working it out!
an example of how my mind works or creates……i aquired a sustainable supply of good quality ,broken down packaging cases……easily adaptable into boxes with limited effort….pre manufactured boxes…..so i chose to make toy boxes….and many other themed boxes….which i am busy with……im also busy making and imitation antique pirates chest with brass and leather fittings…….but leather is way expensive so im experimenting with artificial textile type leathers…….which has lead me to experimenting with stencils…….which has led me to researching carving and base relief and inlays……..which has lead to further speciality themed boxes…ie games box with inlaid chess and backgammon boards and pieces…….sewing machine and paraphinalia boxes…..tool boxes…….booze cabinet boxes complete with booze,glasses etc…..first aid boxes….gift boxes…………my mind just permanently outstrips my ability to manufacture…………….and i cant help myself……….
Why don’t you open a small business with all the different things you created?? they don’t need to be all just sewed or all just photographs…I love when people are able to mix different things, creating a new harmony! and that might be your case. ^^
Don’t feel bad about going in too many directions. If you’re anything like me, I tend to get bored if I try to hone one process or art form. I have to dabble in many processes and usually come full circle to work with the original process again or I end up just letting projects go unfinished. Getting bored with one process holds the potential for you to not finish anything. So continue to let your creativity run and try random things….its just might make you more creative and better at some of the other art works :)
It’s better than not having any hobbies like a lot of people seem to. In their free time they’ll just turn to TV or social media. At least you have something of interest, bet conversations are never boring, and do you ever sit around twiddling your thumbs with nothing to do…?
Long live actually having nice things to do :-)
Very cool! Have you ever tried making music? That’s a craft, too! Looking forward to the next post!
Some many people share your little ‘crisis’. For all it’s worth, I’d just say… keep going. You don’t have to absolutely master something to really enjoy yourself, and if moving from one thing to another can make you happy, why stop? Then you can say you’re able to make so many different and interesting things!
Sounds all too familiar.I’ve had the same problem for so many years dabbling mostly in music and literature. I find that if one hobby will improve the other in some way then it is beneficial to the other hobbies, i.e. I played guitar for many years and I found the manual dexterity and knowledge of music has helped me with my current venture in DJ’ing and electronic music production. I am also trying to forge a career in journalism, hence the advent of my blog http://littlenaggingvoice.wordpress.com/ My advice would be as all your hobbies seem to link in some for or another, pick the ones that will benefit each other the most and maybe drop the ones you’re not interested in. Nothing wrong with having too many hobbies if you enjoy them and the idea is not to further yourself too much in any of them.
Great post. It is also fun to see the feedback from other readers. I was the master crafter…I made gifts and things for my house. I made lavish holiday and party decorations – because I’m a professional artist it was sort of expected of me. But I had so much stuff. Bags and boxes of crafting stuff. It was too much to deal with. I got it all out of my system when my daughter was born. I gave away boxes and car loads of fabric, wreath making supplies, paints, doll making supplies and the list goes on and on. I can’t tell you how good it was to get rid of all of that stuff. Now I have art supplies for drawing and painting which is the only thing I really love to do. I’ve replaced craft projects with other activities (gardening, reading, writing, parenting). Don’t get me wrong – I love craft projects. I love being creative and the thrill of finishing a project! But now if I do want to make that perfect Halloween wreath, or a doll, birdhouse or whatever – I get supplies for that ONE project and only THAT ONE project. And of course with school age children in the house there are always the dreaded school projects and costumes to help with.
This sounds a lot like my mum, I wouldn’t share the same love of arts and crafts as all of you. But she loves it. At the minute it’s needle felting! I think it’s great fun! And relatively inexpensive. Give it a go! It’s quite a relaxing and fascinating hobby. And you can make nearly anything you want! Brilliant!
I totally understand. I always see new crafts I want to try. And now I take part in soo many… I get overwhelmed. Jewelry making, duck tape wallets, pins, sewing, bow making…
persevere there is something out there just for you … or maybe you are like me always wanting something new
That’s my problem too. I have many creative ideasin my mind. One day I want to play my guitar, another paint, another make bread, writing a book, work as an doctor, make collage… But I only think that I have to said thank You God for all the wonderful talents that you gave me.
From one who does the same, I don’t think that dabbling in all sorts of crafts is a bad thing at all! Dabblers are experienced in many different areas and you never feel like you are limited on the project that you can tackle. So, embrace it! After saying all of this I do understand the desire to find your niche, but in the mean time, don’t stop doing a little bit of everything. (:
- Brittany Rose
Poetry blog: http://eastcoastinsomnia.wordpress.com/
Are you a Gemini?
Nope, a Cancer.
So it’s not an Astrological genetic trait. I’m a twin and I can’t do one thing for too long without moving on… But I usually move back… then onto something else again. I think it’s know as – I blame terminal boredom!
Maybe you just need more time?
This would solve SO many problems, wouldn’t it?
no it would not……it would just increase the amount of hobbies.
I totally feel your pain. I’ve had the similar problem with hobbies, crafts and projects. But I think it also happens in work for me, too. I get so excited about the next thing that I have a collection of half-finished projects sitting around. “Discipline! Finish what you started!” I tell myself. Doesn’t help, though.
I like to know how to do many different things so I can incorporate them into one piece, if needed. It’s always good to learn and explore!
I have this same problem, though it’s not narrowed down to crafts. I do it with style, fashion, hobbies, careers, writing topics, you name it!! Great blog!
Dont worry. Your not alone. I have to much hobbys as well and the problem is they all are creative hobbys which can be time consuming, sometimes expansive and so on. :) But well… I believe Hobbys are importend and make you smarter then any school could archieve. Hobbys give you satisfaction and make you wise. Have you ever talked with someone who dont has any hobbys? I have a friend and he dont have any hobbys. He is constantly depressive and bored. I noticed he is without hobbys and I told him how importend they are. But he seems to be uninterested for everything. I am pretty happy that I dont know this problem of constant boredom. If I would live like my friend is doing, then I would be pretty unhappy and thats what I told him. I see his Problems exactly there.
I used to be a big scrap booker and card maker, but stopped and then picked up jewellery making… and stopped… Now I just have drawers upon drawers of crafting supplies and I don’t know what to do. I do miss scrap booking, but nothing really calls on me either. I say take a break and do nothing for a week or two and see what you miss most.
I totally understand you. I find myself in a similar position right now, however I have managed to deal with it. The problem is the lack of direction since you don’t really know what you like. Take your time before starting a new think even though you really want to do it. Consequences can be disastrous.
New hobbies can broaden your outlook and introduce you to people you would otherwise not have met so I think it is good to give whatever you fancy a go, as long as you enjoy what you do. The next one might just be your thing…
I’ve always had a creative thread, and have gone through many hobbies, stay for a few years with each before moving on to another area.
This current interest has been with me for over 10 years now.
Humor is good for the soul.
Don’t take a break, just keep exploring until one day you’ll realize you’ve had a particular interest for many years, and that must be the hobby for you.
Renaissance Soul or Scanner; this sounds like many of you here. I’m the same; I learn what I want to learn about whatever it is and move on. I would highly recommend Barbara Sher’s book “Refuse to Choose”. She talks about people like us and how we can live our lives by following all of our passions at once. I learned a lot from her book, and one of the biggest is I am not a failure because I don’t stick with just one thing. To me, being in the same field all my life would have been sooo boring! So I switched my careers and/or specialties several times as well as my ‘hobbies’. There are some hobbies I keep going back to, like writing and photography, so those I will probably keep. There are others I tried, learned what I wanted, and went on to other things, like embroidery, crochet, tapestry, tatting, and several others. So here’s to we Scanners, wherever we may be! :-)
I definately understand you! I always discover new “hobbies” and start doing new things.. At times is bad because I can give enough time for all of them but well, I just can’t be always doing the same :)
Seeing as how I’ve always been known as a “jack-of-all-trades” myself, I can definitely commiserate with your situation. Thankfully my list isn’t quite as long as yours! :-D There are times, though, when my husband will politely suggest that maybe I don’t need to take on any more interests/hobbies, reminding me that I have enough trouble keeping up with the ones I already have.
The way I cope with spreading myself so thin: I try not to feel guilty about hobbies that I occasionally set aside for a while (maybe even months at a time). What’s the rush?! As years go by, I’m noticing a pattern with my hobbies and they seem to correspond with the seasons. For instance, when it’s cold outside and the daylight hours are so short in the winter, I usually find myself hunkered down in the sewing room quilting and designing more quilting projects and practicing my various musical instruments. But, when the weather warms up and the garden calls, I don’t give myself a hard time for putting away the quilting and slacking up on the piano practice.
That old saying, “It’s just like riding a bike”? I think it’s true if it refers to something you love doing. You might need to warm up a bit when you pick it back up, but you’ll never really forget what you’re passionate about. Then again, sometimes our ambitions are bigger than our capacity for free time and maybe it doesn’t hurt to sometimes admit that — while a subject area interests you — it doesn’t mean that the only way to truly appreciate it is to master it. There’s a lot to be said for being an avid fan or spectator!
(My list (in no particular order): cooking, writing/blogging, hiking, photography, gardening, music composition, piano, saxophone, lever harp, and quilting.)
The more Talents you have the better lol. Maybe your not going to settle for just one maybe you’ll end up doing all of them or some of them no need to worry eventually they will come to you and I’m sure you’ll have great skill but you have to keep looking if your ever going to find them or maybe you have already found it but dont know it, just keep doing what you love to do :)
and you forgot blogging on your list lol
I totally get your dilemma. Unlike you however, my projects (and therefore the investment in time and money) never materializes. Perhaps you’re trying to hard too find that one elusive hobby? The simpler truth may be that you are a person who needs lots of different creative outlets. I make beaded accessories and I can’t honestly say that I absolutely love it, but there are times when it just feels really good to make something yourself and say “I did this!”
I understand what you’re saying. There are times it can feel very depressing to see one once-thrilling prospect turn into dull, boring blandness. It makes me wonder if I’ll ever find anything exciting. In those times, I tend to just try something new! Eventually, we will both want to go back to this project or that. For me, I love to read, write, cook, explore, and garden. Crafting is more of a way of expression. Regardless of whatever I have stashed away, I always pull it out again for some new project.
Really, why bother sticking to just one thing? Are you just one identity? It is great to be an expert, but for now, let’s just focus on being and expressing ourselves.
Hmm, that’s an interesting problem; what I usually try to do is do as much as I can to not spend money. Stick to tools that I already own (paper, pencil, laptop, camera) and that way its like insta-clutter free life and you hinder yourself from over stretching yourself :)
I feel your pain, I sew, knit, cross-stitch, calligraph, photograph, and all sort of stuff all over the place. I even make jewelry occasionally. To many hobbies too little time.
Glad I am not the only one, keep searching and just enjoy the crafting adventure!
I don’t find anything wrong with having too many hobbies. I am the same way! I become interested in things, then I move on. My mom claims it’s a waste of money. I don’t think it’s a waste if I enjoy each & every minute of each hobby while I’m doing it. I praise you for having a lot of hobbies! It’s a good thing to know about a variety of topics.
Hahah, I’m exactly the same! I have so many hobbies that I want to try and carry on with, as well as all the usual responsibilities, that I barely have any time to focus on actually getting better.
I always wanted a device that slowed down time, just so I’d have enough to do all the things I wanted to do :)
I think you have natural curiosity, and that can only be good! The comment on Da Vinci is so true. :)
When it comes to activities, it is the same. Here, it is so easy to get involved in everything that is going on! Many people `complain´about having many activities at some point! It´s so good though.
(Whoa, with all the comments you might not get to mine! lol… but that’s o.k.)
I’m the same. But I’ve come to realize I don’t have a favourite of anything… no favourite movie, colour, book, etc. None. And I’ve been like this since I was a kid. Are you also like this? And recently I found out there is a name for this ( I think it applies), a “generalist”.
I too have tried MANY different crafts since I love learning how to make things. I think the fun is in the learning though, and I want to be creative and try so many things.
I’ve wondered the exact same thing – can I settle on one? Can I make a hobby/small business out of it? My answer for now is no. I’ve narrowed the search in some directions, but there’s always that next “gateway” craft that will lead me to so many others! ha ha.
My advice is: don’t settle on one and also try to resist the urge to spend too much money (if that’s a concern) on a new hobby at first.
Variety is the spice of life! Enjoy! : )
I think we need a support group! I’ve worked in so many media and materials that I could supply a store. It’s always interesting to find new challenges and explore.
Just when you think you nailed it, things change. All those supplies will come in handy, I had an art supply store and I still bought from other shops. You can never have enough supplies. I envy writers – they have their thoughts as tools. Cheers
I think it’s always good to learn something new everyday. Really. Try picking just a few on your list to master and spend lots of time practicing and creating. Maybe after mastering one thing, you could teach others and make money? I’ve spent most of my life playing music and began teaching almost 2 years ago and I’m grateful I’ve come this far doing what I love. I spend my days mostly focusing on playing guitar, piano, singing and teaching music. Then writing, photography, film, dance and some drawing and painting come next. Take one little step at a time. Finding your inner artist is a journey, so keep exploring! I’m still on that path, too. Hope this helps a little bit! :)
I’m definitely a craft-holic. Like yourself, I’ve got supplies for so many different kinds of crafts… I’m practically swimming in the stuff. The to-do list of things to accomplish is probably longer than the list of supplies I have!! But you know what? That’s what I love about it. I have so many options that I’m never bored. I can’t imagine JUST having a sewing machine, or JUST doing paper-craft.
I don’t think this life needs to be based around 1 talent. I am just like you–a dabbler. But I’ve decided that dabbling is what I am good at. So I am trying out one new thing a week myself–check out my blog for some other hobby suggestions : )
I guess it all depends on your motivations. You clearly have a creative side in you. No doubt here. Then some people know from a very young age what they like to do, like drawing. Kids that start drawing from a very young age and develop a real passion for it all through their childhood will probably end up making their way up and even become popular. But here is the thing about art, you don’t do it for others, you do it for yourself so if you enjoy doing what you do then that is the most important thing.
Now I am exactly like you, I tried many things. Took many classes of many different things. I was always going back to drawing even though I am not born and loved drawing straight off. But I had these creative crush that needed to be fulfilled. Never been through the crafting phase though. I was more towards graphic design, digital design, visuals, prints and photography. After classes of drawings I realized that it was extremely time consuming and I was getting frustrated because the results were average and I felt like I was missing out on what was going on out there. It’s only when I moved to NYC that I realized that photography was my thing. It is visual, reflect a moment in life, something temporary that will live forever just like a painting but i am out there when it happens. I am experiencing that exact moment and capturing it.
The other thing about me is traveling and discovering new places. And I figured that I wanted to compile all of this in one place. So I created a blog where I can mix both pleasures (photography and places i have been to = taking pictures of places where i am going) and give myself some little assessments and put them somewhere so I can read through them again. It also fits all together with my lifestyle at least for now. I mixed up the things I like and made them my own so they make sense to me and find a way to keep me going through assessments and challenges so the passion doesn’t fade away.
I feel like you have been trying a lot of things some you probably enjoyed more than others, some you got bored of faster than others. But don’t you always go back to the same ones? I think it is just a matter of time before you pin it down. I think you are in the process of discovering what are the best ingredients for you and you will soon connect/mix them together and finally makes sense out of it all and get fulfilled with your creativity.
Sorry I got carried away here but it is an interesting topic and many people can relate. I wish you the best of luck and above all, don’t forget to have fun whatever you do! :)
I think dabbling in a variety of hobbies is great. It allows you to decide what’s important for you in life. The best way to go about it would be to pair your hobbies with a profession that utilizes the skills needed for that particular hobby.
Hobbies are great to inspire creativity, so keep up the good work:)
I share your love of learning and creativity. Rather than feeling bad about your constant exploration and need for new stimulation, I suggest celebrating that you are hungry to learn and you are drawn to arts and crafts. Yeay!
Whatever your focus as you stretch and create, you are increasing and strengthening neurological connections (especially if you incorporate daily movement/exercise and deep rest as well) and fostering divergent thinking skills, which will benefit all areas of your life and others’ lives.
In this market-driven culture, those who experience intrinsic rewards without specialization, sometimes feel as if they’re doing it wrong. What if our lives are really about pleasure and connection?
And we wouldn’t have the geodesic dome or electricity or so much else in our world if we didn’t have people who kept exploring. “Mastery” in one area is only of value if there is one area you want to devote your life to. And I agree with previous comments, that you are mastering the larger umbrella of your interests.
In full disclosure, I have accepted my mortality so I limit my activities more than I like to focus on writing, for example. If I write and exercise each day, then I feel easier about drawing and piano and geeking out on a computer manual and the plethora of other activities that pull me.
So thanks for your post and may you stay inspired!
I loved your post. I recently took up the violin. Not because I had some yearning to play the instrument but because my 6 year old daughter begged me to learn. I was invited to stay for her lessons and found my input was quite vital with getting her started. She has found the screeching a bit too much and switched the piano with the same teacher. I fell in love with the violin and we split her lesson between us. I also wanted my kids to see what it takes to learn an instrument from scratch and have to practice. My mother wonders how I have the time to learn the violin. I am already writing and doing photography and now blogging as well. I also have a stash of fabrics that I’ve been collecting for some years even though I very rarely sew. I do a bit of patchwork. That’s it. I do wonder if I am spreading myself too thin but it’s better than watching loads of TV.
good lord I feel you. It seems like I never have enough time in the day to attend to all of my hobbies. I just tell people “at least I’ll never be bored.”
Hobbies are a great things to have! Put those talents to good use!~
Reblogged this on This beautiful life.
I think that having lots of hobbies is great! it shows that you still have a curiosity about life :) When i take time to chill out with a hobby, its all about harnessing my chi and centering myself. Chase what ever hobby makes you smile :) life is too short not to!
Reblogged this on NotSoLolita.
Reblogged this on The Blushing Violet Jewelry and commented:
I can somewhat relate to this one…though now I really only have time for 1 hobby!
All I can say is I can totally relate to this… my list is shorter but there are still so many things I want do.
Hi Lindsey! Great post.
I love arts and crafts and I love experimenting with new forms of art all the time. For me, it’s not a problem because I have a lot of time on my hands :-)
But if you find it gets in the way of other things in your life, it’s always good to find something you are most comfortable with. I, for example, love writing most of all, so I mostly craft zines. I also love snail mail, so I craft stationaries and envelops.
I’m no Picasso in any craft I do, but it makes me happy. And you should also find something that makes you happy, no matter if what you make is perfect or not. Having fuin with it is the most important thing :-)