People have different ways to spend their free time. Some scroll through social media for hours on end. Others play video games. Some people binge-watch movies and TV shows whenever they have the time.
As the common adage states, to each their own. Any person can spend their free time how they like. But if there’s one thing they must try to do when they have extra time in their hands, it’s picking up a creative hobby.
Many people don’t want to try creative hobbies because they don’t see themselves as creative. But the truth is that everyone is creative in their own way. Creativity can manifest in different ways. For example, one can be creative in a relatively “traditional” manner; for example, one can be good at drawing or painting. Someone else can be creative in a different way, such as in gardening.
That said, everyone should try to have at least one creative hobby because of its many benefits.
Boost Self-confidence
Having a creative hobby means you need to learn new skills. For example, if you choose to learn calligraphy, you need to learn the proper way of holding a dip pen, how to create thin and thick strokes, and so on. Learning something new can give you a major self-confidence boost.
Also, a creative hobby forces you to create something. And even just the act of finishing something can give you a sense of accomplishment and make you more confident about yourself.
Boost Learning Ability
If you pick up a creative hobby you’re unfamiliar with, chances are that you’ll have to overcome a steep learning curve. For example, learning how to play the guitar can be difficult. You need to learn guitar chords and strumming patterns. And then you have to teach yourself to multitask and press on chords while you strum the guitar.
To overcome a learning curve, you need to be patient, accept failure, and try again. When you go through this cycle several times, you’ll become used to it. And you’ll have the tolerance to go through it again when you learn something else, whether it’s a new work skill, a foreign language, or something else.
Improve Mental Health
In general, hobbies help with improving one’s mental health. These include creative hobbies.
Your chosen hobby can also help you relieve stress and improve your mood. When you feel anxious or depressed, your hobby can save you by keeping you distracted. For example, when you make personal trinkets, tinkering with metal rings, beads, and jewels will keep you occupied. Also, as mentioned earlier, finishing something can boost your self-confidence. And in turn, you’ll feel good about yourself and become happier.
Form Connections with Others
Creative hobbies often come with well-established communities. Most of them are online, especially due to the pandemic. When you get into a new creative hobby, you can join online communities to “meet” new people. This won’t be too difficult since you already have the same interest as them.
Your creative hobby can also become a good conversation starter with other people, whether at work, at school, or in your neighborhood. And when other people take an interest in your hobby, you can turn this connection into something meaningful. You can make new friends or, with a stroke of luck, even develop professional connections. For example, someone who does calligraphy may meet someone interested in their work and commission some projects.
Improve Work Performance
Interestingly, having a hobby can help you at work even though these two things are, more often than not, mutually exclusive. A 2014 study found that people who had hobbies performed better at work. They are also more likely to help their coworkers. This better performance can be attributed to the mastery of a craft and the sense of control that they get from their creative hobbies.
Creative Hobbies to Try
There are several types of hobbies you can try. If you want to dive into art, you can pick up on drawing, painting, or calligraphy. If you like making things, you can try candlemaking, soapmaking, sewing, and other similar activities. You can also take advantage of the gadgets you already have and dive into digital art, photography, videography and video editing, or graphic design.
Some of these hobbies may come with an upfront cost since you need to buy supplies and tools. But you can think of this cost as an investment in yourself. By building a creative hobby, you are helping yourself improve your mental well-being, widen your social circle, and perform better at work.
