Four steps to pursue your interests, share your creativity, and preserve humanity.
Image by Martin E. Dodge
*update: some items mentioned in the blog may no longer be available.
December 1, 2023
Too many people in the world spread division, insults, and hate. Sharing a hobby that does not exploit or harm yourself or others helps counter life’s negativity. But you must like your hobby to qualify for the right to share. Technology has made finding information and tools to pursue your interests very easy. The generative artificial intelligence craze is reason enough to practice and share a creative hobby. Skill and expertise grow with learning, practice, and familiarity. Study, but do not measure yourself to the professionals. Your amateur writing, drawing, cooking, or other hobbies are necessary for your well-being. Use the following four steps to guide humanity’s future.
1. Get started.
Ignore the naysayers and nonbelievers. You do not need a reason or explanation to start a hobby, and it can be a specific part of a large subject. For example, instead of learning to cook, focus on a favorite dish or its variations. Read and watch videos about the subject you like and practice making your favorite style. A narrow focus will minimize distractions, frustration, and the desire to give up. If possible, use AI to assist you, but do not have AI do it all for you. The most challenging part of the hobby may be setting aside the time.
2. Don’t worry about being good.
A hobby is a diversion from day-to-day thinking, not a race or competition. Using time to pursue a leisure activity allows you to decompress. A hobby is more about the journey, not the destination. It is ok to have unfinished hobby work. Sometimes, looking around to satisfy your curiosity is enough. Your mind may find solutions to non-hobby issues because you are not focusing on them. Regardless, having a breakthrough moment or completing any project is rewarding.
3. Don’t overcomplicate sharing.
You do not need to make videos or a blog to share. It would be best if you learned before you teach, and the technical tasks of a blog or video are not a casual addition. Sharing with others can reveal new perspectives and techniques. Join a hobby group. Tell your friends and family, but do not lecture. Share what you create as gifts for holidays and birthdays. The joy you get from a hobby may inspire others to pursue a skill they are interested in.
4. Have fun.
Hobbies are a form of entertainment. If all of this sounds like too much, stick with the basic hobby. Or maybe collecting something is more your thing, or reading, or another solitary activity. If you already have a hobby, take it to the next level. The goal is for you to stay active, learn, and enjoy a human pastime. Stress relief, personal achievement, and social interaction are some benefits of pursuing a hobby. In addition, hobbies can help sharpen your tech skills by using AI to organize a learning plan or research. You can preserve the knowledge of a time, skill, language, or culture. The hobby might earn you some cash on the side, too. Ultimately, you will also preserve a vital part of the human experience.
