On pursuing creative hobbies
As work continuously piles up and the stress of the world weighs us down, it can be incredibly difficult to motivate yourself to pick up or continue any creative hobbies. Whether it’s because you’re too tired, or don’t think you’re good enough, or just aren’t feeling particularly creative that day, there are endless excuses we can make for why we don’t want to pursue a creative hobby and just opt for wine & Netflix instead.
Sometimes these excuses can be very valid reasons (trust, there have been days where I’m so tired I can barely get out of bed, let alone push myself to do anything outside of whatever I absolutely need to do to get through the day). That said, at some point we have to just push ourselves out of our comfort zones to pursue a creative talent we’re interested in.
Whether it’s drawing, writing, music, photography, or whatever, practicing a creative hobby can be a beautiful, restorative activity.
Here’s a just few reasons why you should pick up, and actually stick with, a creative hobby.
It’s never too late to start
I’ve heard countless people make this excuse, and honestly I’ve made it myself. Creative talents do take time and dedication to improve, but don’t let that be a discouragement for starting. Sure, some people may have been honing their craft since a young age, but your hobby isn’t about other people — it’s about you.
Time will continue to pass no matter what you do, so you may as well start your journey with a creative hobby now rather than later.
It honestly doesn’t matter how good you are
Everyone’s gotta start somewhere when it comes to creative talents. It doesn’t matter if your drawings look like the sloppy musings of a kindergartener, just so long as you’re enjoying yourself. Over time, your skills and your styles will eventually develop, but you have to learn to be patient about it.
Plus, it’s not like you have to showcase your work to anyone, ever. Whether you want to display it for the world to see or never let anyone witness your craft is for you to decide. And quite honestly, you’re probably being harsher on your work than you should be. We’re often our own worst critic, so it’s important to step back occasionally and reflect on how much your talent’s improved, or how much you’ve enjoyed spending time on your craft, rather than how far you are from where you want to be.
It’s a great way to slow down from the hustle of the everyday
It’s all too easy to get into the rhythm of working ourselves until we can barely muster the energy to reheat some leftovers, scroll through social media, pass out, then repeat it all the next day. Setting some time aside to practice a creative hobby, even if it’s just 10 or 15 minutes a day, is a great way to take a breath and distance yourself from your daily stressors. That short break in a busy day can be an invaluable time to relax and unwind, even if just for a little while. If nothing else, it interrupts the stale monotony of everyday life with something enjoyable.
It’s not at all a waste of time
In a world that places value almost solely on what we can produce and contribute to others, it can feel like a waste of time to set aside periods of your day for practicing a creative craft, especially if you have no intention of making a living off of it — I’m here to say that’s some nonsense. If you enjoy your time spent pursuing a creative hobby, then it’s by no means time wasted. We have to learn to prioritize our happiness in a way that isn’t reliant on endless consumption or validation from societal norms. It’s critical that we actually take time for ourselves, doing what we want to do, even if society doesn’t deem it as productive.
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There are really countless reasons why you should pursue a creative talent, but here are some of the most salient ones to me, especially as I try to convince myself that my scribbles are somehow coherent drawings. The whole point of it all is to have fun and find a way to express yourself in a way unbounded by convention. Creative hobbies are a great way to reflect, push ourselves, be in the moment, take pride in our own work, and heal.
