My Hobby Is Collecting Hobbies

In the past month or so, I’ve gotten back into loom knitting. It’s a fun hobby that keeps my mind and hands busy while I nurse my newborn. I like that I can create intricate designs with soothing repetitive motions. And I feel a sense of pride whenever I tie off a beanie or a scarf and can sell the finished product on Etsy or give it away to a friend or family member.

But lately I’ve been thinking about all the other hobbies I haven’t had as much time for. I almost feel guilty for putting a favorite pastime on the back burner in favor of an entirely different project. There is never enough time in the day for all the things I want to learn about, invest in, and pursue.

Can collecting hobbies in itself be a hobby? If so, I have curated quite a few skills over the years.

My Current Collection

To help me keep track of all the hobbies I’ve dabbled in, I’ve divided them into a few main themes. Of course, this list isn’t comprehensive, but it should give you a good idea as to the kind of things that spark my interest.

Music

Out of all the hobbies I’ve collected, I think the musical category leaves me feeling the most guilty. I absolutely love music, both listening to and playing. But for some reason, I feel like music requires a lot of focus. As a result, I don’t pursue my musical hobbies as much as they deserve.

Here are the hobbies I’ve neglected lately:

• Playing the Piano: I had access to a piano when I was younger, and I wasn’t very good. Now that I’m older, I could invest in a cheap keyboard and brush up on my skills, but I have yet to do so.
• Playing the Violin: I played the violin all throughout junior high and high school. I picked it up and played it occasionally throughout college, too. But eventually I put it aside, and now I play dreadfully out of tune. Perhaps if I had a piano to help me, I’d play more.
• Playing the Guitar: I bought a guitar as a quarter-life crisis. I felt like I needed a new instrument to play and the guitar seemed like a good choice. I learned maybe three chords but I found some of the positions cumbersome for my fingers, and I distracted myself by collecting other hobbies.
• Playing the Ukulele: My husband gave me an adorable ukulele for Valentine’s Day not long after my daughter was born. I learned a few strumming patterns to a few favorite songs. But it’s now gathering dust with my guitar.

I fully intend to return to these hobbies when I have more time and energy for them. Perhaps when I move into a bigger house with room for a piano, I’ll feel inspired to play once more.

Art

Art is a big deal at our house. My husband is an artist and an animator, and I like to keep up with him whenever I can. My daughter has picked up our passion for art, too, so we have a lot of unique pieces hanging on our fridge most days.

Collecting hobbies of an artistic nature has been a lifetime pursuit:

• Pencil drawing: I’ve been doodling in the margins of notebooks for years.
• Watercolor painting: I went through a phase where I painted really fat, silly looking birds. I kind of want to come back to them soon.
• Acrylic painting: I purchased a few paint-by-number kits from Amazon* and I have not once regretted it. The final painting is beautiful, and the action of filling in every little number is repetitive and soothing and zen.
• Digital drawing: I’ve started drawing more digitally on my iPad these days since that’s what I have easy access to. I like to share some of my latest drawings here on my blog.
• Photography: I use my phone and my DSLR camera to take pictures for my blog. I love seeing the world through a lens.

I tend to switch media every year or so. This year I’m more of a digital artist, and last year I focused more on acrylic. I recently received a bamboo board as a gift, so I may get back into painting more in the next few months.

Crafts

Few things get my creative spark burning brighter than hands-on crafts. Whenever I find a new craft to enjoy, I throw myself wholly into the experience. I read tips online, I watch YouTube tutorials, and I buy books about the topic to get off to a good start.

If you’re into collecting hobbies, check out some of these fun ones:

• Baking: I bake a lot of bread, and I even blog about my adventures at BreadbytheHour.com. But I also do more than just bread. Cookies, cupcakes, muffins, and brownies – a lot of desserts really.
• Candle making: Yes, I made candles as Christmas gifts for family members. I melted the wax and found fun scents and everything.
• Carving: I like to carve fun, simple designs into avocado pits because they’re a softer wood with beautiful and unique patterns.
• Jewelry making; Once I’ve finished an avocado pit carving, I like to string it onto a necklace and sell it on Etsy.
• Loom knitting: This is a relatively new hobby I’ve picked up. It’s relaxing to make the same stitches over and over again, and there’s so many soft colored yarns out there that I can’t wait to buy and use.
• Gardening: I am not very good with plants. Most of them die. I love doing it anyway. There’s something incredibly satisfying about digging my hands in the dirt and watching little sprouts grow.

As with art, I tend to cycle through different crafts every year or so, with the exception of baking. I still bake pretty much all the time.

Academics

When people ask about collecting hobbies, they tend to be more interested in the unique crafting hobbies like loom-knitting or carving. However, these academic hobbies are ones that are so deeply ingrained in my personality now that I don’t know who I’d be without them.

If you’re not a fan of collecting hobbies, you still might enjoy these pastimes anyway:

• Reading: I read so many books. So many. I get a lot of reading done during late night nursing sessions these days. I feel weird not having a book to read.
• Writing: I eventually want to write a book from start to finish, but I can never quite follow through with one idea for long. I have so many story ideas but not a lot of time and energy.
• Blogging: This site exists because I enjoy blogging.
• Journalling: I used to be an avid journal-er when I was younger. I wrote almost daily for years. Now that I have two kids to look after, I don’t have nearly as much time to journal as I’d like. Though, this blog is a lot like a personal journal now.
• Poetry: I loved writing poetry in high school and college. Looking back on the stuff I wrote then is a bit embarrassing. I’m still a sucker for good poetry, though.

Does browsing Wikipedia for interesting facts and information count as an academic hobby? If so, it belongs here because I’ve learned a great deal while scrolling with my phone.

Hobbies I Want to Acquire

As if the above list weren’t long enough, I’m still collecting hobbies right and left.

When I can manage my time and money better, I want to give the following a try:

• Beekeeping: I love bees – hence the name of my site. I’d love to keep a hive one day. I’d use the honey on my bread and in my baking. And I’d use the wax to make candles. One new hobby builds on the next.
• Book making: Perhaps when I’ve mastered making paper, I’d then put that paper into an art book.
• Cheesemaking: I tried making my own yogurt, and I loved it. Cheesemaking seems to be a whole new craft that I could master in the kitchen.
• Yarn Making: I love the idea of carding wool, running it through a spindle, and then using that wool in my knitting.
• Paper making: I thinking recycling needs to be a bigger thing, and we go through a lot of paper at my house. Rather than throwing it away, I think it’d be fun to recycle that paper into new paper, which I would then paint or draw on.

And these are just a few of the ideas I have in mind for the future.

What Are Your Favorite Hobbies?

I love collecting hobbies – there’s something magical about learning and growing and improving a new skill. Clearly most of my hobbies are of an artistic nature, and I tend to avoid collecting hobbies that take me outdoors (like skiing, camping, or hiking).

But I’d love to hear about your favorite hobbies. Tell me what you like to do in the comment section below. I may just give your favorite pastime a try!

*As an Amazon associate, I receive a commission for affiliate links. However, I only share products I use and enjoy, and I’m not paid to recommend specific brands or items.