Find your “hobby thing”

With the exciting launch of our updated website in the fall, our team at the library has been working on making it even more engaging for you, our valued patrons. “Write a blog”, they said. “It will be fun”, they said. “Write about something that interests you, a hobby, a topic that will appeal to readers, something you are passionate about.” Hmmm…what to write about?

Unlike some of my more ambitious colleagues, I am not a beekeeper, a stargazer and don’t raise chickens or sheep. I can’t knit or crochet, paint, do sculpture and really don’t care where my ancestors came from. What’s more, writing The Great Canadian novel is way out of my wheelhouse.

But here’s the thing…I have dabbled, to some extent, in various creative pursuits over the years. Problem is, I just can’t commit. Early in the pandemic I bought a sewing machine intending to learn to sew. Sadly, it hasn’t been out of the box except for me to admire it.

I thought I could master the guitar but after a few YouTube videos and my son’s old acoustic (you can borrow one at the library if you don't have your own), I put that idea to bed. I jumped on the insanely crazy bread-making trend only to discover that while my loaves turned out beautifully, with only two people in the house you end up consuming way too much bread. And who needs that? 

What about macrame? It seemed a simple enough hobby but after gifting everyone in my family a macrame hanger for their non-existent hanging plants, I determined that too was enough. Next on my to-try list was furniture refinishing. I patiently stripped, sanded and chalk painted a few small pieces but they never really measured up to those Pinterest-worthy pieces I admired on social media. And seriously, did I really need more furniture taking up space in my home? It was at this point I decided to Marie Kondo my place, keeping only that which brought me joy. However, I quickly discovered I am not a minimalist and while my home is certainly not cluttered, I like my stuff.

In the never ending pursuit of a healthy, active lifestyle, I joined yoga and exercise classes, sharpened up my old skates for weekly public skating outings, pretended I enjoyed golf and every summer reaped the rewards of my small garden. Not bad–I could commit.

One undertaking I have been able to faithfully partake in over the years is the book club I joined in 2018. I attribute this to my love of reading, great conversation, book discussions and a good glass of wine with friends each month. If you cannot find a group of like minded book lovers to start up your book club, our library hosts a popular virtual book club (Cover to Cover) or library staff will gladly direct you to branch book clubs seeking members.

And for those of you who, like me, might just need a little extra motivation to try something different, we have a new online resource available on our library website called CreativeBug. It’s an exciting, inspirational tool for the DIYers, crafters, bakers and makers out there who, let’s face it, sometimes hesitate at leaving their comfort zone to find their next “hobby thing”.

For those readers reluctant to take the plunge, I am including a few books from our library catalogue that might prompt you to “just do it”, as the Nike ad urges.

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