Interests versus Hobbies

Originally posted on April 18, 2014

Here’s a list of activities that I have dabbled in over the past few months:

       1.       Painting
       2.       Interior design
       3.       Sewing
       4.       Photography
       5.       Writing
       6.       Hair styling
       7.       Jogging
       8.       Pilates
       9.       Making jewelry
      10.      Cooking/baking
      11.     Going to the movies
      12.     Shopping

While watching a television show recently, I heard the most insightful line. A woman who runs a very busy company had taken up origami. She’d learned it by watching videos. When her husband observed that she’d began displaying this new skill he asked her if it was her new hobby and she replied “Not a hobby, an interest.” I was floored. For years I have been one to try new things here and there and lose interest in it quickly. I’d always attributed it to my short attention span or my character flaw of not completing tasks that I begin or my struggle with consistency. Hearing this line made me aware of the fact that everything that interests me is not necessarily a hobby. They’re interests and its okay to try something new just to experience it and move on. Who says that I have to commit to any one or two activities and call it a hobby? My hobby is trying new things because that’s what interests me.