15 months ago, I was in a job that paid well, but left me feeling drained, invisible, and disconnected from anything that brought me joy. I honestly felt like it was robbing my soul of a joyful existence. There was no creative outlet, the nature of the work was extremely repetitive, and I was sat at the same desk day-in, day-out. It was during that time that I went into full hibernation mode, and started creating playful wall art to ease the stress I was experiencing.
Daisies of the Galaxy was actually the silver lining to the daily exasperation I was feeling. Losing myself in my creative hobby gave me something positive and fun to focus on, whilst navigating a really difficult situation.
I am now seven weeks into my new job, life is SO much better, and I have decided to give myself a new focus, but this time coming from a very positive state of mind! I am challenging myself to write a blog post once a week, with my general thoughts. It doesn’t matter if anyone reads it or not, it’s simply going to be a place where I can be thoughtful, and put out some good energy. A new hobby, if you like!
Naturally, it then seemed like a good idea to start my blog with a post about hobbies, being that hobbies to me, really feel like lifelines. I don’t know what I would do without them. My hobbies are non-negotiables, and you should definitely have (at least one) too.
Hobbies = Happiness
"Hobbies clear the mental clutter, give you a sense of capability, and reconnect you with your body in the best kinds of ways."
In our always-on, productivity-obsessed world, hobbies can seem like luxuries, the kind of thing we squeeze in if we happen to find an extra hour between work and responsibilities. Sad times!
Creating is a hobby for my brain: When I’m creating something, I can lose myself for hours, enjoying colours, shapes and stretching my brain using Illustrator and Photoshop. Sports are a hobby for my body: When I’m playing sports, I feel strong, present, and super focussed. It’s a way of silencing the outer noise. Not even my inner-critic gets a look in, it’s just head down, arse up, total immersion.
On Monday, I went to a sports day with my work; I played badminton for the first time in years and I LOVED it. Sport is a hugely important part of my life, and it was another reminder to me of how much joy lies in movement. Sport, like other hobbies, has a subtle way of rewiring your mood. I absolutely swear that I never end any training session feeling less than 100% better, than I did before.
Your Time Is Sacred. Use It Wisely
"To be good at anything, you must first be prepared to be a bad beginner.”
We all have different quantities of spare time, and how we choose to use that time is completely up to us. Time we enjoy wasting is never truly wasted.
Instead of defaulting to scrolling, or binge watching Netflix every evening, use that time to something that nourishes you.
Maybe you like crafting with your hands, or maybe you like dancing? Maybe you like crocheting little granny squares and making blankets, it really doesn’t matter what it is, or even if you’re good at it, it just has to resonate with you.
There is a great saying, which comes to my mind every time I’m about to leave the safety of my comfort zone, and that is, “to be good at anything, you must first be prepared to be a bad beginner”. Give up the idea of perfection, it only breeds procrastination; make that first messy move into doing something different.
Hobbies Help Us To Align With Our Inner Being
"That thing that brings you pure joy? Do that. Do more of that."
Somewhere along the line, we were taught that everything we do has to be productive, profitable, or impressive in some way. But hobbies are important because they free us from those external constraints and expectations. They’re one of the rare spaces where we can explore and play, simply because it feels good.
Happiness Is The Real Currency
"The World would have you believe that money is everything, but we know happiness is the real currency."
This is a little reminder today to use your spare time to do something that you love, or try something new, without pressuring yourself. I have had (and still do have) a lot of different hobbies; if I had to describe myself I would say that I am passionately curious, and I accept in myself that some of my hobbies stick and others fade away. The important thing is to understand that we have so much choice, and discovering what you really enjoy is also part of a wonderful process. You can not fail!
Now that I am settled in my new job, where I get to design, write creatively, and also be involved in sports (thank you Universe) my brain feels so much better, and I feel calmer and much more peaceful inside.
My son said to me, "the World would have you believe that money is everything, but we know happiness is the real currency."
Couldn’t have put into better words myself.
Be silly, be kind, be weird. There is no time for anything else
XOXO