Something to Keep
“Creative people need time to just sit around and do nothing.”
Austin Kleon, Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
A Second Look
Before writing this article, I went over some of the things I did over the past week. As I was exploring my journals and browser history, I found nothing new or exciting. If anyone saw me, it looks like I’m sitting around doing nothing, but I’d argue I’m doing something very important. I basically spent the past weekend completely lost in hobbies: trading card games, music, and movies. That sounds boring to most people, but to me, that’s time well spent.
This made me think about the importance of having hobbies. There are too many to list, but apparently, having a break from the pressures of work is really good for you. This makes sense; when you’re lost in something you love, you forget about bills, the fact that AI might kill us, or that idiot at work who keeps interrupting you when you speak.
Yet for all of their benefits, whenever I talk with other adults, they don’t seem to have hobbies. And I’m not talking about side hustles or watching Netflix for hours on end. I’m talking about activities you might suck at, but you choose to do them nonetheless. Something like knitting, woodworking, LEGO, baking, or puzzles.
Like I said time and time again, I’ve always had a fascination with music, and despite learning the guitar for over a decade, I still suck at it. That said, I get in the flow state when doing it, to the point that I forget about everything else. Sometimes I start playing when it’s daytime, and by the time I’m done, it’s dark outside. It’s scary. It’s also beautiful because it makes me feel like a child again.
I might suck at it, but no one will know other than me. I don’t care if they know because I’m not doing it for anyone.
Something I Liked
I just spent half an hour watching a video about a guy “living as a 2000s man for a week”. The video was good, but what I loved about it is that at the end, the creator explains how he made it. That was fascinating.
I have huge respect for people who teach themselves a craft. I couldn’t believe that only one person was behind the video since it looks like a lot of work. Again, the content itself is fine, but once you see what it takes to make a silly video like that, it makes me appreciate it so much more.
