Notes on Hobbies

A favorite article in 2018 for me was [In Praise of Mediocrity] from Tim Wu at the NY Times. Wu explains how we have moved far away from exploring things we enjoy outside of our regular "work"; or ’hobbies’. Below are my notes, quotes are his.

A hobby is a perfect way to challenge our patience, stimulate curiosity, and lean into the scary, rare, and necessary feelings of being a novice. As I've re-considered items I would enjoy as a hobby, I realize one difficulty lies in simply beginning.

Wu states one major reason people don’t have hobbies is because they are afraid to be bad at them. As adults, we work hard and often go out of our way to avoid things we are not "good" at. This seems natural but can't work against our feeling of fulfillment.

“But there is also a real and pure joy, a sweet, childlike delight, that comes from just learning and trying to get better. Looking back, you will find that the best years of, say, scuba-diving or doing carpentry were those you spent on the learning curve when there was exaltation in the mere act of doing.”

There is something satisfying about creating anything and filling our time with things simply because we enjoy them. Another reason hobbies are difficult to begin is the pressure and comparisons we are surrounded by. These platforms, brands, and influencers loudly imply we should be constantly hustling and optimizing each minute of the day.

“alien values like 'the pursuit of excellence' have crept into and corrupted what was once the realm of leisure, leaving little room for the true amateur. If you’re a jogger, it is no longer enough to cruise around the block; you’re training for the next marathon. If you’re a painter, you are no longer passing a pleasant afternoon, just you, your watercolors and your water lilies; you are trying to land a gallery show or at least garner a respectable social media following... When your identity is linked to your hobby — you’re a yogi, a surfer, a rock climber — you’d better be good at it, or else who are you?"

Currently, I have loved leaning more into wood-working now that we have a house and a range of endless projects are presented. I"m unsure if I anticipate other hobbies. Maybe it's begining my monthly newsletter? So far its proven to push my own curiosity and I've connected with interesting people by the magical force of the interwebs. If I had to choose only one, I recognize that I prefer my time spent creating something with my hands. Back to woodworking I go.

The 📫 Side Notes monthly letter is an exciting nonlinear project too! I am beginning and continuing with no clear goal in mind. What motivates me to curate, think, and write will most likely take off in directions I can't foresee.

One more from Mr. Wu:

*“For to permit yourself to do only that which you are good at is to be trapped in a cage whose bars are not steel but self-judgment.”

Now I ask you. What is something you enjoy doing simply for the beauty of tinkering and learning, not just because you have to? I’m on a hunt for my own and would love to hear about your hobbies.