In some ways coming up with new hobbies should be a lot easier than finding hobbies from my past. The criteria are clear:
- I enjoy it
- Low-cost
- Social
- Provides exercise
- Generates income
- And a new one that I realized is important – a low or adjustable time commitment
If I can’t commit at the same level as the other people who are involved, I’ll be setting myself up for failure and disappointment. Personally I don’t find failure particularly enjoyable, so it’s important to take into consideration.
I’ve spent some time thinking about these criteria and the potential hobby options. Some of the questions I have asked myself are
- Are there things I’ve envied other people for doing well?
- Is there anything I’ve always thought I would do if I had infinite time?
- What do my current friends do that they enjoy?
I also picked up a copy of You Can Do It!: The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls. This book has 60 “badges”, like the girl scouts, for different activities. Each badge has a page to inspire and a page for explaining how to get started, written by an accomplished woman in the field. I found it totally inspirational and provides a concrete list of things to choose from.
My top choices for new hobbies right now, with their pros and cons, are these:
- Yoga. My best girlfriend swears by it, it’s great exercise and complements the sprinting in frisbee. The main problem is that it’s not low-cost and I’ve never been very good at making friends in these kinds of classes where you don’t have forced interaction like in a team sport.
- Dancing. An acquaintance does salsa classes regularly and I’ve gone a couple of times. It’s cheaper than yoga, lots of fun and provides a pretty good amount of exercise. I’m embarrassed because I sweat more than average right now but it might be one of the only viable exercise options for winter. It would also be great if I felt comfortable on the dance floor at weddings and the like.
- Cooking. I do need to get better at cooking for myself, but I’d like to get -really- good and make some stunning stuff. Inviting people over for dinner parties is always fun and I’m sure I could have bring-a-friend events to help expand my social circle. It’s not necessarily low-cost and definitely doesn’t provide exercise.. but it helps on the health front if I’m conscientious about what I make.
- Crafts. I can’t begin to describe how many knitting, sewing and scrapbooking groups there are in the area. This is the only thing I’ve come up with that might generate some income, also. The women on my dad’s side of the family are crafty and it would be nice to have something to share with them. I have never considered myself “creative”, but I do like craftsmanship and quality.
- Gardening. I have a small plot in the backyard of my house in Baltimore that I grew some tomatoes and cucumbers in over the summer. I like it, it’s low-cost, saves me some money and provides a little bit of exercise. Although not directly social it’s something an awful lot of people do. I’m not sold enough to commit to doing the things that need to be done when they need to be done though.
Right now the winner is Crafts. I think I might pick something simple to make, like pot holders, that don’t require a lot of equipment or materials, and see if I can make a bunch and sell them at the local farmer’s market or to friends. This would definitely help with the upcoming holiday season, too.
