The hobby of being creative; seriously serious, or genuinely fun and relaxing. Maybe a hobby isn’t a hobby when you compete with others. Prideful joy is healthy, especially if you have been canning jams and jellies for years, with little or no recognition, other than the joy it brought to your families tastebuds. Then you awarded first prize, a blue-ribbon at the county fair. Your hobby of making preserves, and to the best of your ability; is the reward. A beautiful deserving merit, from family, friends and if you’re lucky a blue ribbon confirming excellence.
A sincere hobby gives something special, and it keenly promotes self worth. Is it your hobby to paint, write, woodworking, singing, crossword puzzles, crafting or is it quilting? As I mention quilts with much admiration. I can’t help but think of an art installation I saw at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. This particular show featured numerous quilts, some were made many years ago, and some are more contemporary. As myself and others viewed these beautiful artistic creations, they became spellbinding. Their colorful compositions and the texturalness of the fabrics and their overall ability to communicate handmade creativity, were truly hypnotizing. When you think of art and what creatively goes into a painting, it’s hard to imagine what goes on, and into the making a beautiful quilt.
The creative socialization of hobbies is perhaps one of its most glowing and rewarding benefits that we humans derive pleasure from. Think of the hobby of reading books, and reading clubs, where a bunch of people congregate in someone’s home, have tea and cookies; have discussions about the books or book they all are reading, and in many cases, one of the participants will stand up and read out loud, to eager book aficionados, notable written passages. Then collectively everyone in the room can become philosophical… Then one by one, they play the role of the pontificate, lobbying for their opinions to be heard.
Hobbies that create themselves. I know a plumbing and heating service person who lives up here in the mountains. After several years practicing his skilled trade, he started to make interesting sculptures out of leftover parts. At first it was kind of a hobby, giving him an outlet to be creative beyond what it typically takes for him to creatively solve problems when home heating units or water heaters go out in the middle of the winter, and his workday becomes extremely long. His tinkering with pipes sheet metal and other leftover parts started to take shape, especially considering he is a skilled welder. He was able to craft together what I learned to see as some very clever and beautifully designed sculptural art. He now makes his sculptural art pieces out of selected materials, and no longer relies on the leftover relics of heater and plumbing repairs. Now collectors seek him out and happily purchase his magnificent sculptures.
The dangers of monetizing your hobbies. The need to earn money never seems to truly go away, and sometimes hobby people feel that they have to justify the costs, by selling what they create. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but all of a sudden when your hobby produces something that is truly beautiful and collectible, and all your friends and relatives tell you you should be selling what you make, it’s hard to resist the temptation. And I’m not suggesting that you don’t sell what you create. Consider though, that you will lose some of your original spontaneity. All of a sudden you’ll create for an audience and not so much for your own self enjoyment and the peaceful relaxation many hobbies provide.
Hobbies of creativity; when orchestrated properly… and are outside of your regular occupation, and can give you a sense of accomplishment, fulfillment and most importantly a momentary state of relaxation. It’s recreation, and some hobbies are physical like shooting baskets, playing croquet, or getting together a group of people to play softball. Creative yes— you have to think creatively when your goal is to navigate through a whole bunch of opponents while you’re trying to get a ball to drop in a hoop lined with netting. Relaxation? Well if your hobby is playing sports, a lot will have to do with how competitive you are, and especially if you’re a sore loser, it may not be all that relaxing for you, but it certainly will be an exhilarating hobby.
If you don’t have a hobby, start a hobby, if you already have one or more, take personal pride… it’s all about you, and it’s yours only. It can be extremely fun to meet other enthusiasts along the way… more of that socialization thing. Some people can become overzealous in their hobbies and in many cases it becomes more about competing with others then enjoying the true spirit of the hobby itself. Don’t get carried away, after all it’s just a hobby.
Creativity is tough to define, some people swear they aren’t, but when put to the test, they generally discover they are much more creative than they thought, or ever give themselves credit for. You can discover your own creative thoughts and ideas just by visiting a Hobby Lobby store, there’s one in just about every city or town, if there isn’t one near you, just check out Hobby Lobby.com . If you are a quilter or know someone who is a quilter, or better yet want to discover the art and hobby of quilting, then you may want to visit the Missouri Star Quilt Company Missouri Quilt Co.com . I guarantee you will be fascinated at all the stuff you will see and learn there. I personally believe quilting is a true art form.
Make it a hobby to be creative. Give your heart and mind a respite from all the cares that plague you. Hobbies don’t have to be expensive, in fact some are just about the most inexpensive thing you can do. If your aim is gardening, then a little bit of dirt, a pot, and a couple of seeds, plus water, and you are now totally immersed in the hobby of being a plant lover. Gardening is not only a great hobby that replenishes your soul, it also gives you some rather enjoyable exercise, and there’s nothing like working in the Earth’s soil, and watching the power of nature when you’re planted seeds create beautiful and in many cases nourishing plants.
Hobbies of creativity are wonderful, and all hobbies are creative, and everyone benefits from a hobby. Don’t let the influences of others drive or pull you away from your hobby. You don’t need to turn a profit from your hobby. You need to turn your hobby into a sanctuary. The kind of sanctuary where you can gain the peaceful enjoyment of making something happen that is uniquely tied to you.
My personal hobby is to be creative in everything I do. My hobby only relies on me being receptive to what I see and hear, then to actively process that information into positive creative outcomes, if it benefits others from what I learn and share, then my hobby of being creative is filled with the most gratifying of all earthly rewards.
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