Beloved,
My interests are many and far reaching often fueled by curiosity, boredom or breakups. For one reason or the other I’ve picked up (and dropped) a myriad of hobbies over the years. Honestly, the things I’ve been into are vast and random and probably too much to keep up with but most of them have been a small joy. If you’re ever in the market for a new hobby, here’s a few I have tested and tried through out the years.
Reading – 8/10
Starting off strong is reading. This is probably my first hobby before I even knew the word hobby. I started reading for leisure probably when I was six and we were finally allowed to access the library at school. And I’ve been continuously reading since. It’s such a fun versatile thing to do – from various genres of novels to short stories to Wattpad and Webtoons and even Encyclopedias, I enjoy reading. Plus, it’s also a fun way to disassociate without worrying my therapist. The only reason it’s not 10/10 is sometimes it can feel like a chore and sometimes I pick up something you just don’t vibe with and that puts me in a slump
Buying books 9/10
Now, something that is quite similar to reading but is totally different and absolutely more enjoyable is buying books. I love going through shelves of books and splurging on them, then going home to look at them. It’s just fun telling people I own copies of Othello or Wuthering Heights even if I’ve never read them. Only caveat is that book buying is expensive, otherwise I’d do it all the time.
Journaling – 7/10
Honestly despite the number of years and number of praises I have given to journaling, the act in itself isn’t my favorite thing to do. In fact sometimes it can be so daunting I won’t do it for months straight. I’ve written reasons on why you should consider journalling but if I’m being honest the best part of it is going back to old entries – which technically falls under reading.
Writing 2/10
I truly believe writing is some form of self torture. All of it, from creative to technical to academic writing. I have no idea why I do it. Journaling is the only exception, but that’s because I don’t have to show that to anyone. With that said, there was fully a time I truly enjoyed just writing for myself. It’s only when I wanted to become good at it and decided to make it one of my personality traits that I truly started to “not” enjoy it anymore. Actually if I’m being honest I don’t think I consider writing a hobby anymore, I mean, I certainly no longer do it for leisure, so there’s that.
Juggling – 3/10
I find the visual aspect of juggling so cool but learning it can be such a bore honestly. Mix I have terrible hand-eye coordination. Not only is learning the basics hard but trying to learn the other cool tricks of juggling has proven damn near impossible for me.
Sleight of hand and cardistry – 6/10
I’ve always been into magic tricks, like obsessively so. I was once with a guy who did card tricks and it was the most wonderous thing ever. And then I saw Shim Lim perform on America’s Got Talent and just thought , ‘wow I have to learn this.’ Easier freaking said then done. Smooth sleight of hand is so hard to learn, especially when you have tiny hands.
Yoga 10/10
And by yoga I mainly mean vinyasa, asanas and breath practice. I got into yoga to get over a break up and honestly if losing a boy I loved meant discovering yoga, I’d go through the break up again and again to come to this. I remember finishing a flow for the first time and feeling a sort of freedom in my body. It was as if there was space I haven’t been occupying finally opening. I enjoy yoga so much. It’s so amazing and it doesn’t matter at what level you’re at – whether a complete beginner or an expert – the feeling is same in the body.
Weight lifting 7/10
So, I started weight lifting to actually get more strength to do yoga. I was aiming to finally be able to do a headstand and for some reason I thought the only way to get stronger was to start weight lifting – was I wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I did get stronger. My bench pressing PR is 80kgs. However, seven years into my weight lifting journey and I still can’t do a handstand. My biggest caveat with weight lifting is that it can get boring real fast. You’re just doing the same movements week in, week out. And since I’m not really going for aesthetics or personal records it does get tedious.
Arm balance practice – 8/10
After realising I needed a whole different skillet to finally get to a handstand, I’ve since started arm balance training. Now given that there’s quite an array of balance poses and transitions to practice for, I find this less boring than weight lifting. It’s also just pretty cool to see people’s reactions when I completely invert myself. However building strength to even start can be tough and sometimes the falls are really bad.
Carpentry 7/10
When I was ten, I saw my mom’s carpenter working on something, and for some reason, I decided I just had to learn. I asked him to teach me, and for about two months, I was fully committed to my new woodworking career. I made a briefcase, some picture frames, and an actual stool. My mom actually used it for a good year or two before it broke while she was standing on it. (She wasn’t hurt, thank God.) I haven’t really done any carpentry since, but I keep telling myself that one day I’ll get back into it. Maybe I’ll even build something that doesn’t collapse under pressure.
Plant parenting 8/10
Honestly having plants is one simple way of just increasing the quality of your life. I love having and taking care of plants. Downside is that every time my mental health decides to do an Olympic dive into the depths of misery (which is more often than not) I end up neglecting these little pots of joy.
Surface painting 9/10
I got into surface painting during what I now see in hindsight, was a manic episode. At the time and the time following after, it has brought a great sense of calm. I painted cute little designs on cute little plant pots and extra points because I have found a way to monetise it.
Concept Photography 8/10
The set up is the worst part especially if you’re out here taking your own photos, making your own props and executing your own ideas. It can take me the whole day. However, if you have absolutely nothing to do with your life, case in point : me, the time just flies by.
Mixed Martial Arts – 7/10
Did this for a brief amount of time in 2017. Had a trainer who absolutely lived to see me suffer—pushing me past my limits every single session. And, honestly? I loved it. But progress was painfully slow (literally and figuratively). Kickboxing and karate were my thing, but every bruise felt like a lesson written directly onto my skin. Would I do it again? Maybe. Would my body forgive me? Probably not.
Clay sculpting 10/10
One day as I was scrolling through Instagram, I saw one of my favourite artists was dabbling in sculpting, and that caused me to have one the most visceral memories of when I was way way younger and still in the single digiteries of age. I was into clay sculpting once upon a time. I’m not sure why I stopped but I do remember it being fun and relaxing,
Doodling 7/10
People are always surprised when I tell them I used to draw – comics even. I wasn’t really into it seriously. Like it was fun but it wasn’t like something I wanted to invest time and effort in for real. These days I don’t even really think about it. However, I’ve realised I still doodle a lot – in margins of notebooks when I’m thinking, on my body when I’m board, on random pieces of paper and my friend’s whiteboard which he uses as a planner just to motivate him.
Chess – 6/10
Started because my mom told me my dad was a chess champion. Naturally, I thought, Hey, maybe it runs in the family. Turns out… nope. Chess is hard. I do not see moves in advance. My strategy? Pure chaos. My opponents never know what’s coming next—not because I’m a genius, but because I also have no idea what I’m doing. It’s a win-win (except when I lose – often).
Learning french 5/10
Am I actually acquiring a new language or just being threatened by a homicidal green owl? I took French in primary and secondary school, and somehow, despite all those years of conjugations and dictations, I cannot speak a lick of it. But hey, I do have a 700+ day streak on Duolingo, so that counts for something, right? Honestly, I think learning a new language is just good for the brain, even if you never use it. Maybe one day I’ll actually try speaking it out loud—probably not, but it’s a nice thought.
Baking 8/10
Love how easy and versatile this is. You just have to mix variations of the same stuff and boom you have a cake – whether you have a recipe book or not. And the range of things you can make outside cake is endless. My personal favourite is baking bread. The only downsides are I can’t decorate pastries to save a life and outside bread, I’m not a fan of baked treats so unless my friends come over, I don’t have people to bake for.
Knitting 5/10
My grandma, God rest her soul, tried her sheer hardest to teach me how to knit but honestly I never got the hang of it. It was really nice to sit at her feet and learn – but I think that was the most enjoyable part for me, bonding with her. I can probably knit a scarf though – in fact there’s probably an almost done scarf at the back of the wardrobe in my mom’s house that I tried to make for a boy before he broke my heart -but that’s as far as my expertise go. I do feel like I will get into it again when I’m older.
Hulahooping 1000/10
This is most certainly my favourite hobby ever. It’s so so so fun, both in learning and in knowing. It makes me happy and it’s also an expression of movement and creative. Honestly, just that I’m not smart enough to monetise it, but some people do. It’s fully the hobby that just keeps giving.
I know the sheer number of these is quite maniacal for one person but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from jumping between all these hobbies, it’s that I might not always stick with things, but that doesn’t make them any less worth trying. Some hobbies have been short-lived flings, others long-term loves, and a few (looking at you, juggling) were just not meant to be. But each one added a little something to my life even if it was just the realization that I will never be a professional sculptor. Will I pick up another random hobby in the future? Absolutely. Will I drop it just as quickly? Most likely. But honestly, that’s half the fun.
