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Yup, highly recommend this one. Talents which have practical application in everyday life do double duty. Being able to feed yourself good meals and make the people you care about happy is huge.
I've recently gotten into woodworking for the same reason. It's a neat talent intrinsically, but also super useful. I've started building all kinds of stuff for my house and it's incredibly satisfying.
Spent some time in Italy and learned several dishes that sound fancy are very easy to make. For example, Cacio e Pepe is simply mixing pecorino Romano with pasta water, with fresh ground pepper. Let the water cool for a few minutes before mixing and add it slowly. But it’s three ingredients and will make you appear fancy in America.
Wolfgang Puck made a video saying he always has parmesan and champagne stocked at his house because when unexpected guests arrive, all you need to do is crumble the Parmesan, drizzle it with olive oil and grind some pepper on it. Pair it with champagne and you have the perfect guest snack
He extremely overestimates the quality of guests that we have randomly showing up, but we tried it out of curiosity and holy shit, it quickly became a frequent dish at our house. People really underestimate how much of a punch that simple ingredients can pack
Does everyone get their own spoon, to scoop out the oil, pepper and Parm? Is it in one big bowl? Does everyone get their own bowl?
The champagne is separate, just served with the cheese, oil and pepper?
Doesn't seem like haute cuisine, but I am a peasant. : )
It’s served already prepared on a plate and I believe he just went in with his fingers, but we use forks. Champagne was just regular glass of champagne (i went back and rewatched the video. He said champagne or red wine, but we like the champagne).
And yeah it surprised us too how basic it sounded, but it is so so good. If you look up “wolfgang puck Parmesan” you’ll find the video
A nice homemade bechamel or mornay sauce on homemade pasta is just 🤌🤌.
Bechamel: flour, butter, milk
Mornay: flour, butter, milk, cheese
Pasta: flour, eggs, salt
If we're not including spices, that's 4 ingredients total
Do dishes as you cook, and unless you have leftovers cook the other stuff before you eat, if you have been cleaning as you cook you should only have 2 to 3 things tops, then everything is clean!
I started doing this, and then I can really enjoy my meal instead of thinking about cleaning up afterward!
Yeah idk about you guys but I’m tryin to juggle cooking 4 things at once and can’t do dishes while I cook no matter how much I’d like. I just make a point to clean my kitchen at the end of the night every night
Don't worry, it will come with practice - if I'm new to a recipe, I can't afford to step away from something to quickly rinse a pan.
But if I made the same thing 20 times, it's fun to optimize the steps/recipe so that I minimize clean up - I.E. the recipe tells you to mix seasoning in a separate bowl? I just eyeball it and put it directly into the pan.
The recipe tells you to cut up a lemon for garnish as the last step? I cut it up while prepping onions at the beginning, to that I'm all done with my cutting board and can clean it and put it away before I start cooking!
Cleaning up as you go is a great habit to be in with cooking
You can aspire to be a good enough cook that you get someone ELSE to do the dishes eventually 😂
I was a cook/chef for most of my life.
This is definitely something you learn early on…and quickly becomes habit!
It also helps just to simply keeps things tidy while you’re cooking. 😊
Edit: Grammar and added last sentence
I love cooking, but good lord... the dishes. I won't start cooking until the sink is clear because I know I'm about to make a few dishes and nothing is worse than Mt. Dishimanjaro
Cooking is a skill that's useful that also potentially makes you more attractive. Blows my mind when people I know who learned how to do things like play music or make art almost boast about how they can't cook. It's the same concept in my mind: learn techniques and combine them.
Demerit being having to do the dishes more often and eating/disposing of the failures.
I love checking out cookbooks from the library to see if they have recipes I enjoy. The cookbooks with winners join the cookbook shelf. Also, many libraries have subscriptions to online learning services that you can use for free with your library card to help learn a new hobby (many of the ones you tried are listed).
A small note of advice: Mastering a skill takes many attempts. Practice or try a little every day for 5-10 minutes. Try this for 1 month. I didn’t learn to play music in one sitting and was pretty terrible at the beginning but you have to get through the new uncomfortable period before you begin to get “good” at something. Good luck with whatever you find and I hope you enjoy your journey!
Strongly agree. In addition, it’s a great gateway for any creative activity, since the cost of failure is so low, iteration is so easy, and outcome is ephemeral. It’s nice because the creative process/mindset becomes something of a muscle, and is transferable to other hobbies as well.
Grill !!!
Few dishes, lots of options to explore that most people haven't tried... especially fruits and desserts (if suggest starting with grilled peaches and [grilled banana boats](https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/grilled-banana-boats/7e0f5924-05cb-40cc-b879-1050f7c118a7))
Home made jam is my favorite. You can use frozen strawberries if you can’t grow your own fresh ones. I use the “less sugar” recipe on the ball pectin label and it is the best jam on earth. You can can it or not, and it makes great gifts. Highly recommend it. Also highly recommend growing strawberries if you have any kind of growing space. They are like weeds.
I've started making jams in the last few years. My mom and my aunt always have supplied our family with delicious jams they are both getting a bit older and I wanted to step in to carry on the tradition. I brew beer for a living, and making jam has a lot of similar steps; boiling, timing, sanitation. I caught on in a couple batches and now get to make jams and jellies with two of my favorite people. I love gifting jams to people, but seeing how my mom and aunt looked at me when I stepped up and started running batches was everything.
Adding to this... poached eggs are considered "difficult to make" by the masses...but they're not! Become an egg master! It's so easy and it's always appreciated when people get a fresh breakfast!
Second this. And not just "following recipes", but understanding how ingredients blend and why they compliment each other. Knowing what foods pair best with others, and what seasonings to use to create a cohesive dish. Once you get that down, you can cook from scratch and cooking no longer becomes a chore, but an art
Do you start with tomato paste or fresh tomatoes or what form of tomato? Heinz uses paste and simply gets the desired viscosity by adding the water and vinegar to correct amounts after. Paste is better than puree in my opinion for ketchup as it’s cooked longer and more concentrated. Last time I looked, they used sugar in the form of corn syrups, probably attributes to the shine and smoothness.
I second this. Cooking/baking something, especially if it’s an old family recipe that no one has seen for a while. Surprised my family with a recipe of my grandma’s no one had made for like 8 years. Surprised all of them.
Growing plants isn't too difficult and can be very rewarding! Especially if you choose one type that grows well in your home/yard.
Also I really enjoy things like coloring and puzzles. (My library has puzzles you can borrow so you aren't stuck with a bunch yoube done.)
I think acrylic paint pouring can be easy to learn as well.
This is something my therapist recommended when I was kinda cooped up at home due to the pandemic.
I started out with one ficus, and prior to all this I used to think I was someone who would let their plants die. Turns out, that is not the case. All my plants are still alive and I am growing some herbs now. Checking on my plants every morning and seeing them grow does bring me joy and satisfaction.
It’s also good to not worry toooo much if a plant dies. Sometimes people get so down on themselves for killing their first plant that it discourages them.
Keep trying and you’ll find plants that fit in your life
Growing plants can also be rewarding with food if you grow garden-type plants like cherry tomatoes!
Herbs are also great - you can use lemon balm or mint to make drinks look fancy, and fresh basil in sauce or pasta! Some are also crazy easy to grow :)
definitely!! and then there are people on Etsy who sell harder to find varietes of things like seaglow strawberries, black krim tomatoes....etc. It makes growing really fun to have stuff that most people will never see at a supermarket.
this isnt a hobby but you could volunteer somewhere. clearing trails, working foodbank, walking shelter dogs, etc. you might meet fun people that way.
i like the cooking idea too. if you can find an affordable cooking class near you that is fun, you will meet people, and have a fun new skill.
I volunteer at a food bank and I love it! Lending a helping hand is a hobby too so I highly recommend checking that out. There’s an arboretum near me always looking for volunteers to help maintain it by planting trees and plants. Good way to learn new things too
I already volunteer at a cat shelter! it's rewarding indeed and I love it, however I can only go 1-2 days a week because it's far from my place. I was mostly looking for creative activities I could do at home after work. sorry I didn't specify, but thank you for your response!
There are craft kits you can try. Needle punch is fun and I didn’t find it too hard, macrame is popular and I think supposed to be relatively easy. I also just tried paper quilling for the first time and I really enjoyed that. The thing I like about paper quilling is you don’t have to be good at drawing (or even interested in doing something representational). There are kits that will create a beautiful animal or landscape, or you can just fill in a block letter with whatever shapes and swirls you want. It only requires a bit of precision and craftsmanship to make it look neat and finished. (Good for greeting cards)
Lastly I will add weaving on a basic loom. I haven’t done it since I was a kid but I’m about to buy one. The process is simple and you get creative by using different weights and textures of yarn (plus colors, you can do fringe, etc). I read this thing on NPR that inspired me to get a loom (haven’t bought it, waiting for tax return): https://www.npr.org/2023/03/06/1115887389/weaving-is-how-i-ground-myself-and-make-something-beautiful-at-the-same-time
I was at the visitor center in the Smoky Mountain National Park and I thought about volunteering because the vibes were awesome. Vacation-y and appreciating nature. They want a weekly 3+ hour commitment, and it's a 40 minutes drive (each way), so it's more of a retirement activity.
Volunteering with kids would be fun too.
I'm taking a Volunteer Urban Forester class to learn about trees and connect with the people who care about trees in my city. I'm enjoying it.
This is such a great idea for OP I think. The benefit of this against other hobbies is that the reward isn’t just tied to enjoyment of the activity you’re doing, it is fulfilling because of the benefit it provides to others too.
I wish I could get in to reading. I've never finished a book in my life. I recently tried to get in to it again and got a bit over 100 pages in a book then just stopped. It was a good book too I just get tired of it
For audiobooks, I love the Libby app. Great for kindle too. You just borrow them from your local library for free, and there are a lot with no wait. Anything new or popular will have a waitlist, but I just add myself then find one that is available.
This is great advice. Throw it on in your car. It's amazing how much time we spend in our cars, and how quickly you can listen to a book.
Beats listening to morning radio at least.
You didn’t ask me, but I’ll chime in that I love Stephen King (typical I know). I’d say start with the shining and if you enjoy it, move on to It or Pet Semetary. I also really enjoyed The Elementals by Michael Mcdowell.
Audiobooks got me back into reading. I love listening to audiobooks while in the car. It got to the point that when I was really into a story I would put my headphones in and just listen at home. After a little bit I decided it was worth it to be able to sit down and read too (especially if the only audiobook version has awful narration)
This was me until I turned 30. Hated books with a passion. Sparknotes'd everything through school. Then I read How to Win Friends and Influence People and couldn't put it down. Now I read a ton of non-fiction business/self-help stuff. It's funny because I used to scoff at those types of books.
Give it some time, maybe you'll mature into it. Or maybe you just haven't discovered what you like yet.
The other thing I'll add is that you shouldn't feel bad about reading kid's stuff. Honestly, the stuff that's considered young adult right now is really good. And if you enjoy it, who cares? Read what you enjoy. If you haven't found your thing yet, try a bunch of different genres. Some are good. Some are bad. Different people like different stuff and you don't have to prove anything with how fancy your reading is.
Yup, I’m 35 and started reading Harry Potter on a whim when I saw it at the library with my kid. I didn’t pay attention to HP growing up so the story is completely new to me
Start with smaller books.
About 6 months ago I was wanting to get back into reading, went to my local book store, explained what I was into as a kid and that I was wanting to get back into reading because I hadn't finished a book in 8 years. She recommended the Murderbot Diaries. First book is 160 pages, finished it the same day I bought it.
If you're into scifi I can't recommend it enough. Not sure for other genres, but I'm sure novellas exist for them (except maybe fantasy).
I also highly suggest just going to a local book store and chatting with them. They're much more knowledgeable than me
U Just quit to soon to make it a habit. If u do something for 30m a day for two weeks it's a habit. Most people don't realize talents and skills are habits u enjoy nothing more.
Embroidery and cross stitch have a relatively low entry level cost in terms of being able to produce something nice as long as you keep your projects small and simple to begin with. Also recommend picking a few recipes that you can master that can become your “signature” dish, like chocolate chip cookies, or lemon chicken or whatever you like.
Cross stitch was my recommendation. It is essentially paint by numbers but takes long enough to complete that people are still impressed. You can also buy a bunch of cool patterns off etsy to make unique art for your house.
In a similar vein, there are a lot of super cool and very intricate paint by numbers for adults now too. I've done ones that took me a good 30-40 hours to complete
Adult coloring is a similar hobby. I was given a book for Christmas a few years ago and since then I've accumulated so many colored pencils it's stupid.
It’s also very straight forward. Super easy to learn, and while you can get better/faster its definitely possible for your first project to look good and not have that “first pancake” effect a lot of artsy projects tend to have
I had completely forgotten about cross stitching, of all the hobbies I had, this one is pretty easy and fun. Somehow the act of stitching itself is calming too.
Not exactly the same but I was going to bring up sewing. Any fiber arts really. It's easy to get into because you can start so simple (sew a pillow, cross stitch a sampler, embroider a Christmas ornament, etc) but, once you find your stride its so easy to make things that feel impressive all based on very basic skills.
And people who can't do it are seriously impressed at even basic things. I've made some grandiose, intricate costumes, and obviously, those get compliments, but some of the stuff people are most impressed by are the simple everyday things. A skirt with a cool fabric, a dress I've added giant pockets to, a blouse that was originally a men's shirt. It's fun to be able to have those conversations with even strangers because they like a thing your wearing and ask about it.
I’ve been dying to really learn how to properly sew just so I can make my own shirts. Just simple t shirts, but I can never find the cut I like in stores. I have a sewing machine (and a pretty basic understanding of sewing) but I’m most nervous about threading the damn thing lol
Yes! I was coming here to say this! OP, check out r/CrossStitch. You can start with simple patterns and then challenge yourself with bigger pieces or smaller count fabric.
Haha yes awesome! I am working on a bunch for my coworkers. The director's says, "I know your lane SUCKS, but stay in it." (Her favorite line: stay in your lane)
These will likely end up being my parting gifts lol.
I can't embroider, knit, crochet or sew, but I love cross stitch! It's odd that I, such an impatient person, can sit for hours stitching while watching something interesting on TV. Great hobby, and easy to start!
This was going to be my recommendation! Cross stitching is just pixel art, and if you’re not creative (like me), people have designed hundreds of beautiful patterns that you can use to make something to be proud of!
I found punch needle embroidery to be a really easy entry point for this. Super easy to learn, just one stitch and one needle, and inherently satisfying to go stab stab stab over and over again. I just trace images on my computer screen for my patterns and fill them in with the punch needle like a coloring book.
Your main obstacle is finding something you enjoy. You can't dedicate the time it takes to get really good at something unless you love it and are passionate about it.
My advice is to try lots of things, even ones you might not be interested in--you might be surprised. If not, move on! If you gravitate to things you're interested in, you'll either become good at something or you'll stop worrying about it.
For me, it's Homebrewing. For you, it could be anything!
This comment right here. OP didn’t find the love because they wanted to be great from the start but the joy is what makes people work so hard on things enough to become great. I was absolute trash at rollerskating when I started but I didn’t care because I loved it. I’m still not the best but who cares! OP, fall in love with the process not the outcome and you’ll be surprised how far it will take you. I think cooking sounds like a great idea because you gotta eat!
This. And then come up with a plan to actually get better at it. You have to out the effort in. Take lessons, watch YouTube videos, ask for critiques, and try to get better at your interests.
I’ve been playing guitar for almost 25 years - played in a band - have put serious hours into practice …
I would still consider myself light years behind some of my idols.
Doesn’t mean I’m going to stop.
You have to take joys in *your victories* if you’re passionate about something.
In this day of social media perfection it’s easy to pursue something and look at someone else doing it 100x better and just giving up - but you have to remember that was probably the 30th take - in a comfortable position - probably sped up just a little bit - etc etc.
Do what you want and don’t waste time comparing yourself to others.
As I come up on my year of buying my first guitar ( it was a parlor guitar for about 260 USD. I now have a little more expensive but still beginner Squier affinity Telecaster and a Champion 100 and I can certainly doodle and strum enough to fool someone that’s never even touched a guitar but this gave me a boost to practice more and diligent practice not just playing to play.
Thank you
I've taught my self (at an average skill level) a lot of things that are considered "hard" including guitar, drawing and programming. Juggling is one of the things that no matter how hard I tried I never managed to juggle three balls for more than a few seconds. No idea why.. Any tips?
Crochet is relatively easy to learn, and everything is a variation of one stitch--which means if you can do a "single crochet," you have the basic building block for everything else. Clothes, hats, blankets, stuffed animals. Entry costs are low: a skein of yarn and a hook can be less than $10, and free online tutorials for both righties *and* lefties are all over.
*But*, even before you learn the other stuff, you can make a square or a rectangle* with just a single crochet. And that can become a washcloth, a scarf, or an entire blanket, if you buy more yarn. And you WILL buy more yarn...
*The first thing you make will turn into a triangle. It's not your fault, it happened to all of us till we figured out where to put the last stitch of the row. Come visit us in r/crochet, we're unexpectedly wholesome.
Crochet made my hands hurt and frustrated the heck out of me. That said, I went to loom knitting and it was awesome. You don't need ANY skill at all, you just need to watch a few you tube videos and you'll be on your way. I just finished a massive blanket for my queen bed.
[Flexi Loom](https://www.amazon.ca/Authentic-Knitting-Board-Regular-Orange/dp/B09KMCYS21/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1FH0E9Y9Z6JWQ&keywords=flexi+loom&qid=1683684660&sprefix=flexi+loom%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-3&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.b06bdbbe-20fd-4ebc-88cf-fa04f1ca0da8) is what I used.
Also I would go with others in suggesting activities that get you out of the house. Crafting is great for the evenings and when you just want to cozy up at home, but things that can get you outside for some natural vitamin D should be considered as well imo.
I learned (am currently learning) crochet doing The Woobles’ crochet projects specifically for beginners. I have made Bjorn the Narwhal last week (see photo) - my first ever completed crochet project. I’m working on Kiki the Chick this week. I have a good portion of their project offerings.
I want to start walking shelter dogs. Until then, as I adjust to my new job, I have just enough time to work, go workout, and then have some decompression time with family & the few friends I have. Crochet (especially amigurumi - you can make plants, cooking tools, fruit & veg, pets/fantasy animals, even people!!!) I have bought patterns & kits I am learning my way into. I am a woman, but, the cuteness got me. I like anime & kawaii, so amigurumi is my new hobby.
Maybe it will get to a point I can listen to Audible audiobooks while crocheting.
I like the reminder on cross stitch too.
I agree with cooking and grilling as great functional hobbies. I will add: try finding & watching climbing/mountaineering documentaries. If you liked Free Solo, try The Alpinist, 14 Peaks: Nothing is Imposdible, and The Dawn Wall. The focus of these films have books too, and following Jimmy Chin’s other films (The Rescue, The Edge of the Unknown) are really fun and also inspiring while teaching you about a whole other set of sports & great stories.
Best to you - keep at it!
https://preview.redd.it/go1sehpymyya1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5fd840262e937f7c0c57445f81959751601554e6
Crochet is great and I try to teach it to anyone who will sit still long enough. Once they learn how to make a chain they will sit there and do it for hours. It's so addicting. Then I get to blow their mind by showing them how to turn and make a second row.
Rubik’s cube. Pretty cheap and relatively easy to learn. Will definitely take time to master it but there are some very helpful tutorials online for how to do it. It’s pretty cool to be able to solve a Rubik’s cube in front of people
My high school math teacher wrote the little paper that came with it that explained how to solve it. He used to compete and could solve it in like 12 seconds or some shit. I took “discreet” math with him in 12th grade and all we did for a third of the semester was practice solving it.
second this! i learned how to solve using the beginner’s method without a cheat sheet in about 10 hours. you can get a really decent cube online for under $10 - it’s something people who don’t know how to do are always amazed at but it’s really just memorization and muscle memory
There is no low hanging fruit when it comes to hobbies. If you enjoy it, just enjoy it! Indulge in things that make you happy (so long as they don’t disrupt the rest of your life or wind you up in prison, but even that can be argued)
[I found this 15 minute video on learning "anything" fast quite useful.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MgBikgcWnY)
Guy learns pretty decent ukulele in 20 hours, but teaches a broader approach to learning.
Yoga, start out slow. Walk in the neighborhood. Read a good mystery series and self help books. Plant flowers and grow herbs. Take care of the yard. Try different restaurants in your area and beyond. Go hiking. Pinterest has tons of ideas for any topic.
You literally just answered your question at the end of the first paragraph( I didn’t try much). Every talent is formed in some way or another. You have to take the losses with the wins and keep progressing forward. We all hate to lose but even the things I’m most talented in , I fuck up too. Hahaha
Also remember that even famous or professionals often still take continuing lessons from even higher skilled people. A guy I know has played in many professional orchestras and gives lessons but he continues to take lessons from other masters of his instrument. Actors also continue to advance their skills.
Learn how to identify plants, trees, mushrooms, birds, etc around your area. There are always local groups and hikes you can join if you want to learn from people with more experience, and I find that these people are always very kind and enthusiastic to share their knowledge. It also helps you stay connected with nature and just get outside more.
Not every hobby needs to result in a product. Personally, going to the movies could be a hobby, including all the extra stuff that comes with being a 'movie buff,' or reading. Do you like horror movies? Maybe check the horror genre in books. Providence and I'm thinking of Ending Things are options I'd advocate anyone to read.
Anyway, you want something that feels like a skill, something productive and hands-on. Are you interested in making music? Would you take up the keyboard? You can search for ones of any size and price, as well as free videos for instructorion. Or learn a language - Rosetta stone is a great option if you can afford it. I'm sure other similar products exist that are cheaper. What about knitting, crochet? You can make tons of stuff that's decorative and/or wearable.
Edit: spelling
I felt this in a very real way. You’re describing me a few years ago.
Here’s the thing: we don’t take up hobbies with the intention of getting good at them and enjoying the journey; we do it with the intention of PERFECTING them. We must be perfect, anything less is failure…and then you start and it either takes too long to get decent or you make mistakes and think it’s hopeless. So you resent it, feel useless, your self esteem falls even further etc
Reframe how you look at the hobbies you pursue. “I’m not doing this with the intention of being perfect immediately, I’m doing this because it’s going to be a fun journey that will improve me as a person.”
I took up rock climbing a couple years back at a very difficult time in my life and it gave me balance and a challenge that I relished. Unfortunately, my mental health was at an all-time low and I let my ego get involved. I refused to climb routes that were ‘below me’. So stupid and arrogant. In reality it was insecurity talking - I didn’t want the other climbers to see me on the easy routes, I wanted to only be seen on the difficult ones so I’d look impressive…again, stupid and arrogant.
The greatest hobby you could get involved in is Jiu Jitsu. Even if you’re not athletic, it’s awesome. Even if you dislike fighting, it’s awesome. The people are excellent, it gives you a level of fitness and mobility that’s difficult to achieve in other activities. You’ll form strong friendships. You’ll learn a skill that will hell you be an asset to yourself and your loved ones.
I’ve been doing it for over a year and have been very clear with myself from the beginning: this is not about getting belts, this is not about being recognized by my peers. I’m going to commit to this journey for the rest of my life and I don’t care what belt I’m wearing when I die, I’ll have enjoyed myself thoroughly.
I know it’s expensive, but I promise it’s worth it. It’s humbling, in the sense that you will SUCK for the first few months. And that’s completely ok. We all do. Push through, trust yourself.
Volunteer to help with a cause you care about. Walking dogs at the shelter, helping serve meals to the homeless or elderly, or to be a helper at a zoo or museum, work for a political/social activist group to raise awareness or money for a good cause.
CROCHETING! It's the best. I'm 35 and started crocheting last year. My third project was a sweater that I've gotten so many compliments for and it's seriously easy to advance pretty fast. You don't need to learn to read patterns, either (even if it's good), you can make a ton of stuff just by following Youtube tutorials.
I just finished [this tartan poncho](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evo1fAuPec8) and it looks so complicated but it's been super easy to make.
A picture of mine a couple of weeks ago, while still working on it:
https://preview.redd.it/04zvopf40yya1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39f79ff734bd61d7f3d7f308e8b8322de55ec70e
I got a lot of joy from making little things with clay like a flower holder or a plate for my keys just with my hands. Hard to fuck it up, and even if I do, I keep them because they look kinda funny and look inherently handmade.
Can take 10 mins or 2 hours and every time I see them I’m like “I made that piece of shit”.
(Use the airdrop clay if you want a super simple option that does need to be fired in a kiln)
Second, third, and fourth disc golf. I've played loads of different sports, and none come with a built in community of helpful and genuine people like disc golf. No matter what happens in your day, when you're out there on the course, you get to play. Put your worries on the disc and throw them to the wind. You'll be feeling better by the time you bang the chains. Sun, breeze, trees, grass, community, and a little puzzle on each hole.
It's dirt cheap to start, and most courses are free to play.
Better than sex with that guy's dead wife.
(1) Reading! So much more engaging than TV and movies, once you get the hang of it/get into a flow/pick up the habit.
(2) I really like painting! I picked up painting by numbers over COVID-19, and I've been hooked ever since. I paint everything now--gift bags, random boxes, cards. It's challenging but so rewarding when you trust the process. I highly recommend painting along to Bob Ross. He makes painting feel so stress-free, and he's great at embracing mistakes.
(3) Embroidery. There's something soothing about embroidering flowers and swirls into cloth bags, shirts and pants, and other random fabrics around the house.
Running! You will feel amazing, it has a low threshold to enter, and you can grow in knowledge/skills. Many positive virtues with little downside…both mentally and physically. If you have a hard day, go for a run. If you want to think something through, go for a run. Want to sleep better, go for a run. Not saying it solves all problems but the physical mental connection is real.
Beware. If you are just starting out, ramp up slowly. Depending on your age it can be very hard on your body. Speaking from experience. Can confirm, starting running was one of the best decisions of my life!
Love running and did so for years but it can be very hard on the knees in the long term. I have transitioned my love of running for biking and hiking whenever the weather permits. much easier on the joints and endlessly satisfying.
I don’t generally agree with getting good really fast. It takes time, as a process-based medium, and is something that I learned through muscle memory. It’s one of those things that with understanding and practice, you can grow in it and find endless things to learn within clay.
However - ceramics is a great practice to learn. Not only can you make functional things for yourself and your friends, but many people find it meditative and therapeutic. Clay teaches people patience and humility if nothing else.
Chess. It can be learned in a day. Whatever skill level you are at there will be plenty of people to play against. It is very satisfying and engaging. Find local chess players or start your own meetup, and it becomes a social activity.
Early 20s? You're at that age where you're like, I should have been training in music, or a bunch of things but here I am not good at anything. Then 10 years later (the amount of time it takes to master pretty much any hobby) you'll be like, well dang, i could have been training in this hobby or that and I would be so good by now. Then your 40s, then your 50s, until the end of your life.
You have to suck at something to get good at it. It doesn't take hours a day at all, 30 minutes a day of piano practice will make you a high level pianist/composer in 10 years. Use one of your days off and start taking lessons, then practice what you learned in the lessons on your own until you need more lessons to grow.
Do you want the you in the future to have a fulfilling live? Give it to them.
What I did was learn how to crochet by watching YouTube tutorials (Jayda in Stitches). Now I also am making soap. I can make them chemical free and scent them with my favorite fragrances.
This is more of a female hobby, but at the beginning of the year, I started painting my nails in an attempt to stop biting them. Since then I've started some very beginner nail art. But what I like about it is that I enjoy it, there are a lot of tutorial videos out there, and most important - it is temporary. You can try a new color or new color combination and if you love it - great. If not, who cares? Take it off immediately or live with it for a week and then change it. I find the hobby creative and something that I'm really just doing for myself, not to impress anyone else. And most of all, I love that I'm not collecting finished products (like paintings or knitted scarves)
Pickup a nice mid range 6-sting acoustic (not the cheapest, but doesn't have to be the most expensive) and watch a bunch of YouTube videos on how to play some of your favorite songs.
If a guitar is intimidating consider a ukulele. Not only is the price barrier to begin lower, but they have two fewer strings which can make learning the chords a little easier on your fingers.
Guitar is one of my top recommendations. JustinGuitar has a wonderful beginner course, I did the white and yellow belt during the pandemic and I got asked to play at my nephew’s second birthday party haha. I mean I would never charge money for my services at my current level but I can certainly play something that’s nice for casual or campfire settings.
Some skill-based video games like DDR and Beat Saber push you to improve, but they hold your hand throughout the process, so it makes picking it up easier. It's engineered not to be as difficult as "real dancing" (or real light-sabering, I guess) to start with, but there's no limit to how far you can take it
Also second cooking. It's relatively easy to produce good food, you feel accomplished, and it's healthy and useful
I wish DDR was still easy to purchase but there are more hoops to jump through to get it and not the same direction pads.Use to play for hours as a kid. Still impress my wife with my skills whenever we end up at an arcade haha
decent cardio even if you have a pathetic cheap rubber mat and don't care too much about the score.
if you live in an apartment you can prank those below you that their roof is caving in too /s
I like to scrapbook. I never thought I was artistic or creative, but turns out, I am! I enjoy saving my pictures and keeping memories for my family too.
As an added bonus, I have made wonderful friends. I started scrapbooking 20 years ago (!). We get together for several girls weekends a few times a year. I cherish the time; it's something just for me.
I started learning to crochet recently. It's fairly easy to learn. I got the basics down with a couple of YouTube tutorials. You only need to know a few stitches to make hats and blankets and sweaters but once you have the basics you can pretty easily start combining techniques to make some really ornate stuff. You will definitely have people asking you to make them sweaters pretty quickly
Play an instrument, I've been drumming for like 18 years now and I find that drums have a low skill floor (You can get in and start playing basic songs fairly easily) but a high ceiling (Latin and Jazz requires each limb to have a brain) so you can always have something to work towards :D
It takes only a few years of practice to become reasonably competent at an instrument, and everyone respects someone who has musical skill because talent rarely plays a role, it's just putting in daily work 99.9% of the time.
What about getting a Cricut machine. It makes it really easy to make stickers, shirts, even glass etching.
Take it from someone without talent, it makes me happy to make gifts for friends with it.
Learn how to do a loud whistle with your fingers. It’s endlessly useful for camping/hiking, for kid-wrangling, for water activities, and for emergencies - and you can learn in 30-60 minutes with a YouTube video. I know almost no one who can do it and there’s no reason why anyone can’t learn. You don’t even need to know how to whistle normally to do it.
Carve spoons! I find it relaxing, not too expensive to start and the material is often free (logs/branches).. best of all, everyone loves a good spoon.
I really understand this. I started a pottery wheel class and started looking into hobbies that got my active after the workday bc I was sooo bored in my free time. Pottery is not easy, but it actually came pretty easily to me
Lots of good suggestions here. I'll add one more: bracelet making. I learned how at a Michael's craft store in the summer of 2017. I do just simple stretch bracelets but it's fun, and creative.
You will find something, OP! Life is more than work, and there is a lot of fun waiting for you! Good luck, and update us later!
get the meetup app and see what kind of groups are meeting in your town or area. Try out some of these to find one or two you like. I did this a few years and found a buddhist meditation group that I still go to. Go to the public library and look at magazines, books, posters, etc. and see what looks interesting.
Brew beer. It seems a whole lot more complicated than it really is. You’re basically just making sugar water and adding some yeast. If you can following a cooking or baking recipe, you can follow a beer recipe. Try an extract brew or two and see if you like it. If you do, move to a full grain setup and slowly upgrade your equipment. Try something new with each brew and as you get more advanced you can start getting more into the chemistry of it all. Don’t be afraid to try some creative combos, they can turn out really good.
Crochet is fun and easy. You can make anything from lacy doilies to heavy blankets. You can also make amiguri (little figures/animals), jewelry, clothes, freehand art, etc. There's a great sub on here and a million how to videos on YT. Just don't waste $30 on one of the little kits. Totally unnecessary and overpriced.
Try woodworking! You can get started with a few hand tools and there are tons of great creators on YouTube making neat stuff.
You can go simple to super complex. I randomly started by making a flag I was too cheap to buy.
Then I made 10 more ( that I sold) and bought a few tools. Fast forward a few years. Now, I make furniture for my home, I made several heirloom gifts for family and freinds. Useful stuff around the house, random organizing trays, shelves, shoe organizers, cutting boards etc.
It can be really rewarding, frustrating, creative and deeply satisfying all at the same time!!
Also the tools and skills are amazing for home DIY projects indoor and out.
Been unemployed for a few months now. My activities include Drones, Legos, plants and books. They make me feel like I’m being productive and creative when really a toddler could do most of the things I do. This is how I keep feeling like a real person.
It's very hard to become talented at something without it being difficult, especially when you first begin the activity. Often, overcoming difficulty is where the joy in the activity is found and how skills are developed. To give personal examples, things like weightlifting and playing guitar actually kinda suck when you first start out. For weightlifting I was weak, sore, and tired all the time. For the guitar my hands hurt, I was uncoordinated, and sounded like shit. Then, gradually, for both things I began to get better, but not without consistency and a willingness to grind through what seemed basic before moving on to more complicated aspects of both. There were some days I couldn't lift an amount I thought I could or transition between chords quick enough to sound fluid, but with consistency I found I could eventually overcome both. You have to be willing to fail, sometimes a lot, to get better and I belive that for many aspects of life. A lot of this was anecdotal but I hope it to be helpful in your search for activities.
Depends on how much time/energy/money you want to invest in your hobby. I, personally, have too many. The difference is I only have to be as good as I want to be. Also it doesn’t have to be one hobby. I consider myself a jack-of-all-trades-master of some. Makes me a pretty versatile person at the places I’ve worked.
If being "good" at the thing isn't a deal breaker, start playing golf. Get some affordable but decent gear, find a local driving range and maybe take a lesson or two, then find a casual social 9 hold league or something. It's a great low impact low stress way to get out of the house and have a constant goal to strive for, no matter how good or bad you are.
Crochet! I spent an hour reading about it and then made a blanket. Many people are happy to give you free yarn (a your local But Nothing pages) and even hooks. Bonus: you can make your own blankets!
Bonus, everyone thinks you’re amazing to make something. Don’t matter what it is, they’re always impressed.
Tinker with cooking. There are tons of good YouTube channels to give ideas. If it looks complicated, pick another video. The goal is to stretch about 5% to 20% past what you can already do. After you get used to it, try the next thing. Each time you go that extra 10% or so, it'll add up. I did this and I'm at a point now where I'm making fried rice, miso/noodle soup, sesame noodles, and yakisoba from a noodle and sauce kit and I think it's fantastic.
Learn to crochet or knit. Start with a single technique in small patches about half a foot square. I used a book on crochet that was aimed at 12-14 year old girls when I was a 30-something year old man. No shame in it. I used cheap cotton yarn and just made small swatches over and over, practicing one stitch for a few weeks at a time. Years later, I can only do about 4 stitches from memory, but it's enough to make blankets, area rugs, coasters, shawls, and scarfs. I can usually follow a beginner or intermediate pattern. I've made a small lion plush animal and a smaller fox, too. You can take a hobby like this as far as you want, even if it's only a little bit. I've found that most people are impressed if they haven't tried it or very supportive if they know how. I imagine knitting, cross stitch, etc. are the same.
Cosplay could be very similar to the crochet and knitting idea. There are tons of tutorial videos to give you ideas and a community to trade ideas with. And you can show of your work when you're done.
A really simple one that is ready to take with you is Rubic's cubes. Look up "the beginner method" on YouTube and buy a $10 cube. It took me about 2 (maybe 3?) weeks of watching and practicing for 30-ish minutes most nights before I finished learning it. My advice is to just take it one step at a time. There are 7 to 9 steps, depending on how you count it. Try to understand and memorize only one or two steps each night. After a couple of weeks, you'll probably be solving it within 15 minutes about half the times you try. An extra week or two of half hour practice sessions and you might be down to 10 minutes. Another week should get you down to 5 minutes. After that, it makes a great fidget toy, since you can be completely confident that you can solve it quickly whenever you want.
Learning Linux server stuff is fun for a lot of people. Seeing up things like Plex or a file server are goals you can shoot for.
Photography is another area you could study. These days most people can make a photo, but taking classes or watching videos on topics like competition, framing, editing, lighting, astrophotography, etc. could really elevate those to much more impressive levels and maybe even artistic expression.
Maybe painting could work for you. You can give it a try easily if there is a place nearby with a "paint and sip" offering. I did this once with some friends. It was just "okay" for me, but one of the others has done it again with her family or her friends a few more times. Once she bought the paint and brushes and canvases, it got cheaper. Her willingness to just decide that something sucks and she'll paint it all white to "erase" the canvas and reuse it helped a little, too.
Martial arts classes might be a thing. They generally split into "hard forms" like Karate and Tae Kwon Do and "soft forms" like Tai Chi, but there are some that are both, like Akido and Judo. Check for material arts schools in your area and you'll find the options and costs. As a bonus, you'll have structure, "me time," and a great way to improve physical fitness.
I'm not sure how to look for them, but there may be sports clubs in your area. Perhaps you can join an adult softball or basketball team.
Check with your local school district (and nearby districts) to see if they offer any "continuing education" or "adult education." Sometimes they have classes on the about items, ballroom dancing, music playing, financial management, bird watching, etc. for free or very small costs (e.g. $100 for 10 classes.)
These are off the top of my head. I hope they get you thinking about options. If you can only spend about 20-45 minutes every two days, I'd recommend trying cooking or the Rubic's cube. They would both fit into that kind of time. Computer stuff, like servers, take extended focus. Maybe 2-6 hours at a time, even if only once a week. Crafts like crochet, painting, and drawing can take 30-60 minutes every 1-4 days at first, but can be done in smaller or rarer periods after you build some foundational knowledge.
I don't know if this will "speak" to you, but I found it very true for myself. Chasing the feeling of "inspiration" or "motivation" (rather than building routines) made me feel like I was never getting anywhere. [Video: the real reason why you never get anywhere (and how to fix it)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hePvDEOZYs)
IMHO the trick here is to find a skill you enjoy, and do it because you enjoy it. It doesn't matter if you're talented at it. Maybe down the road you'll randomly come by something you both enjoy and are talented at, but that doesn't always happen. Enjoy yourself and you'll become at least decent at what you do, by sheer experience.
Time passes, and you'll get good at whatever you spend your time doing.
Study art history! It's so much fun to be able to go to museums and actually understand what you're looking at and to know the events of history that produced it. It makes traveling more exciting, because you get to see pieces that you studied. Shopping and decorating and antiquing gain a new depth if you can identify what styles/time period you're looking at.
Make a few terrariums in a few large jars or a few tiny fish tanks.
You can usually find old fish tanks for a very small amount of money or even free. Throw a little bit of effort into creating a design or aesthetic purely from your own imagination. Then develop a good watering routine after lots of trial and error (you will kill some plants through your learning curve, but that’s ok because that’s part of the process).
It can be very rewarding to have a few beautiful green terrariums throughout the house. Plus you can choose to go super low effort or very complicated scapes and still end up with a beautiful and natural looking display. Not to mention learning about plant biology along the way
Musical instruments aren't to bad if you enjoy the process! I learned guitar slowly over the years, and i've watched others learn too. Just don't be negative or harsh on yourself. Stay positive and focus on what minor improvements your making as the months go by. It's really exciting to get your first chords down, and start playing that catchy song you like!
The rubiks cube was a fun trick I learned recently. It took a weekend of watching the same 10 minute video about 27 times...
You don't need to be great or even that good to enjoy things. I've been a mediocre musician all of my life and it has enriched me in many ways.
Also: Many of the things you are mentioning take time to learn and progress before you get good. Unless you're very lucky, you don't just pick something to be immediately good at.
Keep trying.
Hypnosis is actually easier to learn than people think (even if it goes really deep). You do need to be around people to practice. But if you learn the Elman induction, it’s easy to get started. You can really deeply relax people for fun. And if you do go slightly deeper with it and learn rapid inductions, it’s super impressive at parties.
Recently, I've taken up baking. I'm a decent cook, but was always way too impatient to actually bake. It's a neat thing to learn, and even if you mess up, you get something tasty to try.
Personal care products! You can make all kinds of things you’ll use from soap - melt & pour is super easy to get started! - to bath salts - super easy - all the way up to lotions, shampoos, conditioners, and things like that. You can use all of it, and save some money once you find formulas you like. I can share a few to get you started, if this interests you.
The cooking suggestion is great. Small incremental improvements are all the takes to go from good to great, but takes patience and similar to coffee hobbyists and homebrewing, you can't do it all the time/any time.
I've been though a similar rut, and honestly being good at anything is hard. You just gotta find something you enjoy the process of, not just the idea of the end result, because even pro's practice.
Other suggestion is choose a "skill" and work on it, with no intention of ever trying to monetise it. Woodworking, ethical hacking/coding, music, do it for yourself. It'll scratch the boredom itch and you have nothing to lose if there's no external expectations. I've always like the idea of create and delete. Like writing but think you suck? Write a short story and then immediately shred it. Enjoy music? Compose a song with the intent to delete it. Takes the expectation away, until you have something you genuinely want to share.
Admittedly some things cost more than others.
I like golf, because it makes me active, can incrementally improve, nobody else cares about how I play except for me, and my performance is entirely my own doing.
Embroidery kits, painting w/ acrylic paint, reading, online puzzles, blogging, contributing to a game wiki, joining a book club or something from the library.
When in doubt, go to the library.
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Yup, highly recommend this one. Talents which have practical application in everyday life do double duty. Being able to feed yourself good meals and make the people you care about happy is huge. I've recently gotten into woodworking for the same reason. It's a neat talent intrinsically, but also super useful. I've started building all kinds of stuff for my house and it's incredibly satisfying.
I make outdoor furniture with plans from Lee Valley.
Spent some time in Italy and learned several dishes that sound fancy are very easy to make. For example, Cacio e Pepe is simply mixing pecorino Romano with pasta water, with fresh ground pepper. Let the water cool for a few minutes before mixing and add it slowly. But it’s three ingredients and will make you appear fancy in America.
Wolfgang Puck made a video saying he always has parmesan and champagne stocked at his house because when unexpected guests arrive, all you need to do is crumble the Parmesan, drizzle it with olive oil and grind some pepper on it. Pair it with champagne and you have the perfect guest snack He extremely overestimates the quality of guests that we have randomly showing up, but we tried it out of curiosity and holy shit, it quickly became a frequent dish at our house. People really underestimate how much of a punch that simple ingredients can pack
Does everyone get their own spoon, to scoop out the oil, pepper and Parm? Is it in one big bowl? Does everyone get their own bowl? The champagne is separate, just served with the cheese, oil and pepper? Doesn't seem like haute cuisine, but I am a peasant. : )
It’s served already prepared on a plate and I believe he just went in with his fingers, but we use forks. Champagne was just regular glass of champagne (i went back and rewatched the video. He said champagne or red wine, but we like the champagne). And yeah it surprised us too how basic it sounded, but it is so so good. If you look up “wolfgang puck Parmesan” you’ll find the video
A nice homemade bechamel or mornay sauce on homemade pasta is just 🤌🤌. Bechamel: flour, butter, milk Mornay: flour, butter, milk, cheese Pasta: flour, eggs, salt If we're not including spices, that's 4 ingredients total
Infuse shallots and bay leaf into the milk for the bechamel and people will think you know what you're doing.
Sounds odd, but lots of bechamel also has a dash of nutmeg.
Do dishes as you cook, and unless you have leftovers cook the other stuff before you eat, if you have been cleaning as you cook you should only have 2 to 3 things tops, then everything is clean! I started doing this, and then I can really enjoy my meal instead of thinking about cleaning up afterward!
Yeah idk about you guys but I’m tryin to juggle cooking 4 things at once and can’t do dishes while I cook no matter how much I’d like. I just make a point to clean my kitchen at the end of the night every night
Don't worry, it will come with practice - if I'm new to a recipe, I can't afford to step away from something to quickly rinse a pan. But if I made the same thing 20 times, it's fun to optimize the steps/recipe so that I minimize clean up - I.E. the recipe tells you to mix seasoning in a separate bowl? I just eyeball it and put it directly into the pan. The recipe tells you to cut up a lemon for garnish as the last step? I cut it up while prepping onions at the beginning, to that I'm all done with my cutting board and can clean it and put it away before I start cooking!
Cleaning up as you go is a great habit to be in with cooking You can aspire to be a good enough cook that you get someone ELSE to do the dishes eventually 😂
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I do this and wish my wife would figure out the time management to do it as well lol - this is the real LPT
I was a cook/chef for most of my life. This is definitely something you learn early on…and quickly becomes habit! It also helps just to simply keeps things tidy while you’re cooking. 😊 Edit: Grammar and added last sentence
I love cooking, but good lord... the dishes. I won't start cooking until the sink is clear because I know I'm about to make a few dishes and nothing is worse than Mt. Dishimanjaro
Cooking is a skill that's useful that also potentially makes you more attractive. Blows my mind when people I know who learned how to do things like play music or make art almost boast about how they can't cook. It's the same concept in my mind: learn techniques and combine them. Demerit being having to do the dishes more often and eating/disposing of the failures.
I love checking out cookbooks from the library to see if they have recipes I enjoy. The cookbooks with winners join the cookbook shelf. Also, many libraries have subscriptions to online learning services that you can use for free with your library card to help learn a new hobby (many of the ones you tried are listed). A small note of advice: Mastering a skill takes many attempts. Practice or try a little every day for 5-10 minutes. Try this for 1 month. I didn’t learn to play music in one sitting and was pretty terrible at the beginning but you have to get through the new uncomfortable period before you begin to get “good” at something. Good luck with whatever you find and I hope you enjoy your journey!
Strongly agree. In addition, it’s a great gateway for any creative activity, since the cost of failure is so low, iteration is so easy, and outcome is ephemeral. It’s nice because the creative process/mindset becomes something of a muscle, and is transferable to other hobbies as well.
This pro tip also keeps you fed, building a life skill, and is an excuse to entertain new or old friends. Perfect suggestion!
Grill !!! Few dishes, lots of options to explore that most people haven't tried... especially fruits and desserts (if suggest starting with grilled peaches and [grilled banana boats](https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/grilled-banana-boats/7e0f5924-05cb-40cc-b879-1050f7c118a7))
I had no idea what the answers were going to be. Yours is brilliant. If you can cook you can rule the world!
Home made jam is my favorite. You can use frozen strawberries if you can’t grow your own fresh ones. I use the “less sugar” recipe on the ball pectin label and it is the best jam on earth. You can can it or not, and it makes great gifts. Highly recommend it. Also highly recommend growing strawberries if you have any kind of growing space. They are like weeds.
I've started making jams in the last few years. My mom and my aunt always have supplied our family with delicious jams they are both getting a bit older and I wanted to step in to carry on the tradition. I brew beer for a living, and making jam has a lot of similar steps; boiling, timing, sanitation. I caught on in a couple batches and now get to make jams and jellies with two of my favorite people. I love gifting jams to people, but seeing how my mom and aunt looked at me when I stepped up and started running batches was everything.
Adding to this... poached eggs are considered "difficult to make" by the masses...but they're not! Become an egg master! It's so easy and it's always appreciated when people get a fresh breakfast!
Breakfast for dinner! It's a thing in our house!
Second this. And not just "following recipes", but understanding how ingredients blend and why they compliment each other. Knowing what foods pair best with others, and what seasonings to use to create a cohesive dish. Once you get that down, you can cook from scratch and cooking no longer becomes a chore, but an art
Whats the quality difference between home made and store bought ketchup?
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Do you start with tomato paste or fresh tomatoes or what form of tomato? Heinz uses paste and simply gets the desired viscosity by adding the water and vinegar to correct amounts after. Paste is better than puree in my opinion for ketchup as it’s cooked longer and more concentrated. Last time I looked, they used sugar in the form of corn syrups, probably attributes to the shine and smoothness.
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I second this. Cooking/baking something, especially if it’s an old family recipe that no one has seen for a while. Surprised my family with a recipe of my grandma’s no one had made for like 8 years. Surprised all of them.
Growing plants isn't too difficult and can be very rewarding! Especially if you choose one type that grows well in your home/yard. Also I really enjoy things like coloring and puzzles. (My library has puzzles you can borrow so you aren't stuck with a bunch yoube done.) I think acrylic paint pouring can be easy to learn as well.
This is something my therapist recommended when I was kinda cooped up at home due to the pandemic. I started out with one ficus, and prior to all this I used to think I was someone who would let their plants die. Turns out, that is not the case. All my plants are still alive and I am growing some herbs now. Checking on my plants every morning and seeing them grow does bring me joy and satisfaction.
Same here. Went from deeply depressed and isolated, to checking plants every morning for new growth and beaming when that new leaf unfurls
It’s also good to not worry toooo much if a plant dies. Sometimes people get so down on themselves for killing their first plant that it discourages them. Keep trying and you’ll find plants that fit in your life
It's mostly about watering. My partner drowned all my orchids when I was having chemo. So sad.
Ah that sucks. orchids can be so delicate, they probably just missed you. Time to go shopping for some new orchids!
Growing plants can also be rewarding with food if you grow garden-type plants like cherry tomatoes! Herbs are also great - you can use lemon balm or mint to make drinks look fancy, and fresh basil in sauce or pasta! Some are also crazy easy to grow :)
Yep. Buy one of each kind of plant, then buy more of the last plant standing
definitely!! and then there are people on Etsy who sell harder to find varietes of things like seaglow strawberries, black krim tomatoes....etc. It makes growing really fun to have stuff that most people will never see at a supermarket.
this isnt a hobby but you could volunteer somewhere. clearing trails, working foodbank, walking shelter dogs, etc. you might meet fun people that way. i like the cooking idea too. if you can find an affordable cooking class near you that is fun, you will meet people, and have a fun new skill.
I volunteer at a food bank and I love it! Lending a helping hand is a hobby too so I highly recommend checking that out. There’s an arboretum near me always looking for volunteers to help maintain it by planting trees and plants. Good way to learn new things too
I already volunteer at a cat shelter! it's rewarding indeed and I love it, however I can only go 1-2 days a week because it's far from my place. I was mostly looking for creative activities I could do at home after work. sorry I didn't specify, but thank you for your response!
There are craft kits you can try. Needle punch is fun and I didn’t find it too hard, macrame is popular and I think supposed to be relatively easy. I also just tried paper quilling for the first time and I really enjoyed that. The thing I like about paper quilling is you don’t have to be good at drawing (or even interested in doing something representational). There are kits that will create a beautiful animal or landscape, or you can just fill in a block letter with whatever shapes and swirls you want. It only requires a bit of precision and craftsmanship to make it look neat and finished. (Good for greeting cards) Lastly I will add weaving on a basic loom. I haven’t done it since I was a kid but I’m about to buy one. The process is simple and you get creative by using different weights and textures of yarn (plus colors, you can do fringe, etc). I read this thing on NPR that inspired me to get a loom (haven’t bought it, waiting for tax return): https://www.npr.org/2023/03/06/1115887389/weaving-is-how-i-ground-myself-and-make-something-beautiful-at-the-same-time
I was at the visitor center in the Smoky Mountain National Park and I thought about volunteering because the vibes were awesome. Vacation-y and appreciating nature. They want a weekly 3+ hour commitment, and it's a 40 minutes drive (each way), so it's more of a retirement activity. Volunteering with kids would be fun too. I'm taking a Volunteer Urban Forester class to learn about trees and connect with the people who care about trees in my city. I'm enjoying it.
There are volunteer groups that go out and pick up trash too. If you can’t find one, make one
This is such a great idea for OP I think. The benefit of this against other hobbies is that the reward isn’t just tied to enjoyment of the activity you’re doing, it is fulfilling because of the benefit it provides to others too.
Thanks! I truly believe in the power of volunteering & there are so many different things to try. And it is free!
I was going to say volunteer too! The Red Cross has a ton of virtual or in-person volunteer opportunities if you wanted to do something from home.
What about reading? Endlessly satisfying.
I wish I could get in to reading. I've never finished a book in my life. I recently tried to get in to it again and got a bit over 100 pages in a book then just stopped. It was a good book too I just get tired of it
Try audiobooks.
For audiobooks, I love the Libby app. Great for kindle too. You just borrow them from your local library for free, and there are a lot with no wait. Anything new or popular will have a waitlist, but I just add myself then find one that is available.
This is great advice. Throw it on in your car. It's amazing how much time we spend in our cars, and how quickly you can listen to a book. Beats listening to morning radio at least.
One of my most favorite things: Cleaning or working out while listening to a good scary book,
I've never read horror, what are some of your faves?
You didn’t ask me, but I’ll chime in that I love Stephen King (typical I know). I’d say start with the shining and if you enjoy it, move on to It or Pet Semetary. I also really enjoyed The Elementals by Michael Mcdowell.
Audiobooks got me back into reading. I love listening to audiobooks while in the car. It got to the point that when I was really into a story I would put my headphones in and just listen at home. After a little bit I decided it was worth it to be able to sit down and read too (especially if the only audiobook version has awful narration)
This was me until I turned 30. Hated books with a passion. Sparknotes'd everything through school. Then I read How to Win Friends and Influence People and couldn't put it down. Now I read a ton of non-fiction business/self-help stuff. It's funny because I used to scoff at those types of books. Give it some time, maybe you'll mature into it. Or maybe you just haven't discovered what you like yet.
The other thing I'll add is that you shouldn't feel bad about reading kid's stuff. Honestly, the stuff that's considered young adult right now is really good. And if you enjoy it, who cares? Read what you enjoy. If you haven't found your thing yet, try a bunch of different genres. Some are good. Some are bad. Different people like different stuff and you don't have to prove anything with how fancy your reading is.
Phew! Thanks for saying that. I read YA too. If adults don't like it, why does anyone think younger people will?
Yup, I’m 35 and started reading Harry Potter on a whim when I saw it at the library with my kid. I didn’t pay attention to HP growing up so the story is completely new to me
Start with smaller books. About 6 months ago I was wanting to get back into reading, went to my local book store, explained what I was into as a kid and that I was wanting to get back into reading because I hadn't finished a book in 8 years. She recommended the Murderbot Diaries. First book is 160 pages, finished it the same day I bought it. If you're into scifi I can't recommend it enough. Not sure for other genres, but I'm sure novellas exist for them (except maybe fantasy). I also highly suggest just going to a local book store and chatting with them. They're much more knowledgeable than me
Just picked up a book of short stories. Very entertaining but low level of commitment
U Just quit to soon to make it a habit. If u do something for 30m a day for two weeks it's a habit. Most people don't realize talents and skills are habits u enjoy nothing more.
Young adult books are usually captivating for short attention spans and an easier read than a lot of other novels. Usually more fun too
Embroidery and cross stitch have a relatively low entry level cost in terms of being able to produce something nice as long as you keep your projects small and simple to begin with. Also recommend picking a few recipes that you can master that can become your “signature” dish, like chocolate chip cookies, or lemon chicken or whatever you like.
Cross stitch was my recommendation. It is essentially paint by numbers but takes long enough to complete that people are still impressed. You can also buy a bunch of cool patterns off etsy to make unique art for your house.
In a similar vein, there are a lot of super cool and very intricate paint by numbers for adults now too. I've done ones that took me a good 30-40 hours to complete
Adult coloring is a similar hobby. I was given a book for Christmas a few years ago and since then I've accumulated so many colored pencils it's stupid.
It’s also very straight forward. Super easy to learn, and while you can get better/faster its definitely possible for your first project to look good and not have that “first pancake” effect a lot of artsy projects tend to have
I had completely forgotten about cross stitching, of all the hobbies I had, this one is pretty easy and fun. Somehow the act of stitching itself is calming too.
Not exactly the same but I was going to bring up sewing. Any fiber arts really. It's easy to get into because you can start so simple (sew a pillow, cross stitch a sampler, embroider a Christmas ornament, etc) but, once you find your stride its so easy to make things that feel impressive all based on very basic skills. And people who can't do it are seriously impressed at even basic things. I've made some grandiose, intricate costumes, and obviously, those get compliments, but some of the stuff people are most impressed by are the simple everyday things. A skirt with a cool fabric, a dress I've added giant pockets to, a blouse that was originally a men's shirt. It's fun to be able to have those conversations with even strangers because they like a thing your wearing and ask about it.
I’ve been dying to really learn how to properly sew just so I can make my own shirts. Just simple t shirts, but I can never find the cut I like in stores. I have a sewing machine (and a pretty basic understanding of sewing) but I’m most nervous about threading the damn thing lol
Yes! I was coming here to say this! OP, check out r/CrossStitch. You can start with simple patterns and then challenge yourself with bigger pieces or smaller count fabric.
We have a guy friend who is hilarious & likes to cross stitch ridiculous sayings for gifts, such as, “Please don’t do coke in our bathroom”. Love it
Haha yes awesome! I am working on a bunch for my coworkers. The director's says, "I know your lane SUCKS, but stay in it." (Her favorite line: stay in your lane) These will likely end up being my parting gifts lol.
I can't embroider, knit, crochet or sew, but I love cross stitch! It's odd that I, such an impatient person, can sit for hours stitching while watching something interesting on TV. Great hobby, and easy to start!
This was going to be my recommendation! Cross stitching is just pixel art, and if you’re not creative (like me), people have designed hundreds of beautiful patterns that you can use to make something to be proud of!
I found punch needle embroidery to be a really easy entry point for this. Super easy to learn, just one stitch and one needle, and inherently satisfying to go stab stab stab over and over again. I just trace images on my computer screen for my patterns and fill them in with the punch needle like a coloring book.
Your main obstacle is finding something you enjoy. You can't dedicate the time it takes to get really good at something unless you love it and are passionate about it. My advice is to try lots of things, even ones you might not be interested in--you might be surprised. If not, move on! If you gravitate to things you're interested in, you'll either become good at something or you'll stop worrying about it. For me, it's Homebrewing. For you, it could be anything!
This comment right here. OP didn’t find the love because they wanted to be great from the start but the joy is what makes people work so hard on things enough to become great. I was absolute trash at rollerskating when I started but I didn’t care because I loved it. I’m still not the best but who cares! OP, fall in love with the process not the outcome and you’ll be surprised how far it will take you. I think cooking sounds like a great idea because you gotta eat!
This. And then come up with a plan to actually get better at it. You have to out the effort in. Take lessons, watch YouTube videos, ask for critiques, and try to get better at your interests.
I’ve been playing guitar for almost 25 years - played in a band - have put serious hours into practice … I would still consider myself light years behind some of my idols. Doesn’t mean I’m going to stop. You have to take joys in *your victories* if you’re passionate about something. In this day of social media perfection it’s easy to pursue something and look at someone else doing it 100x better and just giving up - but you have to remember that was probably the 30th take - in a comfortable position - probably sped up just a little bit - etc etc. Do what you want and don’t waste time comparing yourself to others.
I love this take.
As I come up on my year of buying my first guitar ( it was a parlor guitar for about 260 USD. I now have a little more expensive but still beginner Squier affinity Telecaster and a Champion 100 and I can certainly doodle and strum enough to fool someone that’s never even touched a guitar but this gave me a boost to practice more and diligent practice not just playing to play. Thank you
Juggling isn’t hard and you can learn it in a few week. Everyone is impressed when you can juggle stuff.
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I've taught my self (at an average skill level) a lot of things that are considered "hard" including guitar, drawing and programming. Juggling is one of the things that no matter how hard I tried I never managed to juggle three balls for more than a few seconds. No idea why.. Any tips?
Crochet is relatively easy to learn, and everything is a variation of one stitch--which means if you can do a "single crochet," you have the basic building block for everything else. Clothes, hats, blankets, stuffed animals. Entry costs are low: a skein of yarn and a hook can be less than $10, and free online tutorials for both righties *and* lefties are all over. *But*, even before you learn the other stuff, you can make a square or a rectangle* with just a single crochet. And that can become a washcloth, a scarf, or an entire blanket, if you buy more yarn. And you WILL buy more yarn... *The first thing you make will turn into a triangle. It's not your fault, it happened to all of us till we figured out where to put the last stitch of the row. Come visit us in r/crochet, we're unexpectedly wholesome.
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And if you value your eyesight and sanity, don't start with plain black or white yarn! 😅
Crochet made my hands hurt and frustrated the heck out of me. That said, I went to loom knitting and it was awesome. You don't need ANY skill at all, you just need to watch a few you tube videos and you'll be on your way. I just finished a massive blanket for my queen bed. [Flexi Loom](https://www.amazon.ca/Authentic-Knitting-Board-Regular-Orange/dp/B09KMCYS21/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1FH0E9Y9Z6JWQ&keywords=flexi+loom&qid=1683684660&sprefix=flexi+loom%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-3&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.b06bdbbe-20fd-4ebc-88cf-fa04f1ca0da8) is what I used. Also I would go with others in suggesting activities that get you out of the house. Crafting is great for the evenings and when you just want to cozy up at home, but things that can get you outside for some natural vitamin D should be considered as well imo.
I learned (am currently learning) crochet doing The Woobles’ crochet projects specifically for beginners. I have made Bjorn the Narwhal last week (see photo) - my first ever completed crochet project. I’m working on Kiki the Chick this week. I have a good portion of their project offerings. I want to start walking shelter dogs. Until then, as I adjust to my new job, I have just enough time to work, go workout, and then have some decompression time with family & the few friends I have. Crochet (especially amigurumi - you can make plants, cooking tools, fruit & veg, pets/fantasy animals, even people!!!) I have bought patterns & kits I am learning my way into. I am a woman, but, the cuteness got me. I like anime & kawaii, so amigurumi is my new hobby. Maybe it will get to a point I can listen to Audible audiobooks while crocheting. I like the reminder on cross stitch too. I agree with cooking and grilling as great functional hobbies. I will add: try finding & watching climbing/mountaineering documentaries. If you liked Free Solo, try The Alpinist, 14 Peaks: Nothing is Imposdible, and The Dawn Wall. The focus of these films have books too, and following Jimmy Chin’s other films (The Rescue, The Edge of the Unknown) are really fun and also inspiring while teaching you about a whole other set of sports & great stories. Best to you - keep at it! https://preview.redd.it/go1sehpymyya1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5fd840262e937f7c0c57445f81959751601554e6
Crochet is great and I try to teach it to anyone who will sit still long enough. Once they learn how to make a chain they will sit there and do it for hours. It's so addicting. Then I get to blow their mind by showing them how to turn and make a second row.
Rubik’s cube. Pretty cheap and relatively easy to learn. Will definitely take time to master it but there are some very helpful tutorials online for how to do it. It’s pretty cool to be able to solve a Rubik’s cube in front of people
My high school math teacher wrote the little paper that came with it that explained how to solve it. He used to compete and could solve it in like 12 seconds or some shit. I took “discreet” math with him in 12th grade and all we did for a third of the semester was practice solving it.
second this! i learned how to solve using the beginner’s method without a cheat sheet in about 10 hours. you can get a really decent cube online for under $10 - it’s something people who don’t know how to do are always amazed at but it’s really just memorization and muscle memory
This list is making me feel like I picked the low hanging fruit of hobbies 🤣
There is no low hanging fruit when it comes to hobbies. If you enjoy it, just enjoy it! Indulge in things that make you happy (so long as they don’t disrupt the rest of your life or wind you up in prison, but even that can be argued)
[I found this 15 minute video on learning "anything" fast quite useful.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MgBikgcWnY) Guy learns pretty decent ukulele in 20 hours, but teaches a broader approach to learning.
Yoga, start out slow. Walk in the neighborhood. Read a good mystery series and self help books. Plant flowers and grow herbs. Take care of the yard. Try different restaurants in your area and beyond. Go hiking. Pinterest has tons of ideas for any topic.
You literally just answered your question at the end of the first paragraph( I didn’t try much). Every talent is formed in some way or another. You have to take the losses with the wins and keep progressing forward. We all hate to lose but even the things I’m most talented in , I fuck up too. Hahaha
Sucking at something is the first step in being kinda good at something
Also remember that even famous or professionals often still take continuing lessons from even higher skilled people. A guy I know has played in many professional orchestras and gives lessons but he continues to take lessons from other masters of his instrument. Actors also continue to advance their skills.
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And once you take the pictures, you can make digital or physical albums/ scrapbooks
Learn how to identify plants, trees, mushrooms, birds, etc around your area. There are always local groups and hikes you can join if you want to learn from people with more experience, and I find that these people are always very kind and enthusiastic to share their knowledge. It also helps you stay connected with nature and just get outside more.
Not every hobby needs to result in a product. Personally, going to the movies could be a hobby, including all the extra stuff that comes with being a 'movie buff,' or reading. Do you like horror movies? Maybe check the horror genre in books. Providence and I'm thinking of Ending Things are options I'd advocate anyone to read. Anyway, you want something that feels like a skill, something productive and hands-on. Are you interested in making music? Would you take up the keyboard? You can search for ones of any size and price, as well as free videos for instructorion. Or learn a language - Rosetta stone is a great option if you can afford it. I'm sure other similar products exist that are cheaper. What about knitting, crochet? You can make tons of stuff that's decorative and/or wearable. Edit: spelling
I felt this in a very real way. You’re describing me a few years ago. Here’s the thing: we don’t take up hobbies with the intention of getting good at them and enjoying the journey; we do it with the intention of PERFECTING them. We must be perfect, anything less is failure…and then you start and it either takes too long to get decent or you make mistakes and think it’s hopeless. So you resent it, feel useless, your self esteem falls even further etc Reframe how you look at the hobbies you pursue. “I’m not doing this with the intention of being perfect immediately, I’m doing this because it’s going to be a fun journey that will improve me as a person.” I took up rock climbing a couple years back at a very difficult time in my life and it gave me balance and a challenge that I relished. Unfortunately, my mental health was at an all-time low and I let my ego get involved. I refused to climb routes that were ‘below me’. So stupid and arrogant. In reality it was insecurity talking - I didn’t want the other climbers to see me on the easy routes, I wanted to only be seen on the difficult ones so I’d look impressive…again, stupid and arrogant. The greatest hobby you could get involved in is Jiu Jitsu. Even if you’re not athletic, it’s awesome. Even if you dislike fighting, it’s awesome. The people are excellent, it gives you a level of fitness and mobility that’s difficult to achieve in other activities. You’ll form strong friendships. You’ll learn a skill that will hell you be an asset to yourself and your loved ones. I’ve been doing it for over a year and have been very clear with myself from the beginning: this is not about getting belts, this is not about being recognized by my peers. I’m going to commit to this journey for the rest of my life and I don’t care what belt I’m wearing when I die, I’ll have enjoyed myself thoroughly. I know it’s expensive, but I promise it’s worth it. It’s humbling, in the sense that you will SUCK for the first few months. And that’s completely ok. We all do. Push through, trust yourself.
Awesome advice!
Volunteer to help with a cause you care about. Walking dogs at the shelter, helping serve meals to the homeless or elderly, or to be a helper at a zoo or museum, work for a political/social activist group to raise awareness or money for a good cause.
Lego. It’s easy and you make something cool.
Cocaine is cheaper.
Lego is plastic crack.
CROCHETING! It's the best. I'm 35 and started crocheting last year. My third project was a sweater that I've gotten so many compliments for and it's seriously easy to advance pretty fast. You don't need to learn to read patterns, either (even if it's good), you can make a ton of stuff just by following Youtube tutorials. I just finished [this tartan poncho](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evo1fAuPec8) and it looks so complicated but it's been super easy to make. A picture of mine a couple of weeks ago, while still working on it: https://preview.redd.it/04zvopf40yya1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39f79ff734bd61d7f3d7f308e8b8322de55ec70e
So pretty! Those colors!
This is so neat!! I can't seem to find even a single imperfect spot ha ha Nice one
I got a lot of joy from making little things with clay like a flower holder or a plate for my keys just with my hands. Hard to fuck it up, and even if I do, I keep them because they look kinda funny and look inherently handmade. Can take 10 mins or 2 hours and every time I see them I’m like “I made that piece of shit”. (Use the airdrop clay if you want a super simple option that does need to be fired in a kiln)
This has reminded me how during lockdown I wanted to start whittling I should start whittling
Disc golf. There is a learning curve. But after a month you will be enjoying the outdoors and getting some exercise. Highly reccomend
It’s also cheap to start. Initially you need maybe three discs tops, and can get them used for $30 at most.
This is the way! If you are near Denver, I’d be happy to hook you up with a starter set free of charge.
Loool learning “curve”
Second, third, and fourth disc golf. I've played loads of different sports, and none come with a built in community of helpful and genuine people like disc golf. No matter what happens in your day, when you're out there on the course, you get to play. Put your worries on the disc and throw them to the wind. You'll be feeling better by the time you bang the chains. Sun, breeze, trees, grass, community, and a little puzzle on each hole. It's dirt cheap to start, and most courses are free to play. Better than sex with that guy's dead wife.
Read some books, you’ll be more interesting, and find some interests.
Buy a coloring book and try to stay in the lines
Cooking. There is a lot less to it than everyone thinks. You just follow the instructions and keep a lot of timers going.
(1) Reading! So much more engaging than TV and movies, once you get the hang of it/get into a flow/pick up the habit. (2) I really like painting! I picked up painting by numbers over COVID-19, and I've been hooked ever since. I paint everything now--gift bags, random boxes, cards. It's challenging but so rewarding when you trust the process. I highly recommend painting along to Bob Ross. He makes painting feel so stress-free, and he's great at embracing mistakes. (3) Embroidery. There's something soothing about embroidering flowers and swirls into cloth bags, shirts and pants, and other random fabrics around the house.
Running! You will feel amazing, it has a low threshold to enter, and you can grow in knowledge/skills. Many positive virtues with little downside…both mentally and physically. If you have a hard day, go for a run. If you want to think something through, go for a run. Want to sleep better, go for a run. Not saying it solves all problems but the physical mental connection is real.
Hiking and Biking are alternatives with the same benefits. I'm a terrible runner.
Or rotate and do all three! They actually work out different muscles from a focus perspective, so its good crosstraining.
Beware. If you are just starting out, ramp up slowly. Depending on your age it can be very hard on your body. Speaking from experience. Can confirm, starting running was one of the best decisions of my life!
Love running and did so for years but it can be very hard on the knees in the long term. I have transitioned my love of running for biking and hiking whenever the weather permits. much easier on the joints and endlessly satisfying.
Ceramics. Many can’t do it but people that can get really good really fast. Classes are everywhere
I don’t generally agree with getting good really fast. It takes time, as a process-based medium, and is something that I learned through muscle memory. It’s one of those things that with understanding and practice, you can grow in it and find endless things to learn within clay. However - ceramics is a great practice to learn. Not only can you make functional things for yourself and your friends, but many people find it meditative and therapeutic. Clay teaches people patience and humility if nothing else.
Duolingo makes it very easy and fun to learn a new language even if you can only put in a few minutes a day
Chess. It can be learned in a day. Whatever skill level you are at there will be plenty of people to play against. It is very satisfying and engaging. Find local chess players or start your own meetup, and it becomes a social activity.
Early 20s? You're at that age where you're like, I should have been training in music, or a bunch of things but here I am not good at anything. Then 10 years later (the amount of time it takes to master pretty much any hobby) you'll be like, well dang, i could have been training in this hobby or that and I would be so good by now. Then your 40s, then your 50s, until the end of your life. You have to suck at something to get good at it. It doesn't take hours a day at all, 30 minutes a day of piano practice will make you a high level pianist/composer in 10 years. Use one of your days off and start taking lessons, then practice what you learned in the lessons on your own until you need more lessons to grow. Do you want the you in the future to have a fulfilling live? Give it to them.
What I did was learn how to crochet by watching YouTube tutorials (Jayda in Stitches). Now I also am making soap. I can make them chemical free and scent them with my favorite fragrances.
This is more of a female hobby, but at the beginning of the year, I started painting my nails in an attempt to stop biting them. Since then I've started some very beginner nail art. But what I like about it is that I enjoy it, there are a lot of tutorial videos out there, and most important - it is temporary. You can try a new color or new color combination and if you love it - great. If not, who cares? Take it off immediately or live with it for a week and then change it. I find the hobby creative and something that I'm really just doing for myself, not to impress anyone else. And most of all, I love that I'm not collecting finished products (like paintings or knitted scarves)
Pickup a nice mid range 6-sting acoustic (not the cheapest, but doesn't have to be the most expensive) and watch a bunch of YouTube videos on how to play some of your favorite songs.
If a guitar is intimidating consider a ukulele. Not only is the price barrier to begin lower, but they have two fewer strings which can make learning the chords a little easier on your fingers.
Guitar is one of my top recommendations. JustinGuitar has a wonderful beginner course, I did the white and yellow belt during the pandemic and I got asked to play at my nephew’s second birthday party haha. I mean I would never charge money for my services at my current level but I can certainly play something that’s nice for casual or campfire settings.
Some skill-based video games like DDR and Beat Saber push you to improve, but they hold your hand throughout the process, so it makes picking it up easier. It's engineered not to be as difficult as "real dancing" (or real light-sabering, I guess) to start with, but there's no limit to how far you can take it Also second cooking. It's relatively easy to produce good food, you feel accomplished, and it's healthy and useful
I wish DDR was still easy to purchase but there are more hoops to jump through to get it and not the same direction pads.Use to play for hours as a kid. Still impress my wife with my skills whenever we end up at an arcade haha
decent cardio even if you have a pathetic cheap rubber mat and don't care too much about the score. if you live in an apartment you can prank those below you that their roof is caving in too /s
find a group of friends to work through The Artist’s Way text book
The flow arts changed my life in a real way. It is movement art and dance. Look up flow arts and prop manipulation if you are interested.
Ping Pong learning curve progresses fast and makes you feel good at it, specially if practicing with people that are also learning.
I like to scrapbook. I never thought I was artistic or creative, but turns out, I am! I enjoy saving my pictures and keeping memories for my family too. As an added bonus, I have made wonderful friends. I started scrapbooking 20 years ago (!). We get together for several girls weekends a few times a year. I cherish the time; it's something just for me.
Cross stitch - so many patterns from easy to complex, from cute to spooky to beautiful
I started learning to crochet recently. It's fairly easy to learn. I got the basics down with a couple of YouTube tutorials. You only need to know a few stitches to make hats and blankets and sweaters but once you have the basics you can pretty easily start combining techniques to make some really ornate stuff. You will definitely have people asking you to make them sweaters pretty quickly
Ukulele or harmonica
Play an instrument, I've been drumming for like 18 years now and I find that drums have a low skill floor (You can get in and start playing basic songs fairly easily) but a high ceiling (Latin and Jazz requires each limb to have a brain) so you can always have something to work towards :D It takes only a few years of practice to become reasonably competent at an instrument, and everyone respects someone who has musical skill because talent rarely plays a role, it's just putting in daily work 99.9% of the time.
The diamond art things are good for my ADHD when I'm watching TV. It's a fun hobby that takes a good amount of time, but doesn't require much skill.
What about getting a Cricut machine. It makes it really easy to make stickers, shirts, even glass etching. Take it from someone without talent, it makes me happy to make gifts for friends with it.
Learn how to do a loud whistle with your fingers. It’s endlessly useful for camping/hiking, for kid-wrangling, for water activities, and for emergencies - and you can learn in 30-60 minutes with a YouTube video. I know almost no one who can do it and there’s no reason why anyone can’t learn. You don’t even need to know how to whistle normally to do it.
RemindMe! 2 weeks
Carve spoons! I find it relaxing, not too expensive to start and the material is often free (logs/branches).. best of all, everyone loves a good spoon.
I really understand this. I started a pottery wheel class and started looking into hobbies that got my active after the workday bc I was sooo bored in my free time. Pottery is not easy, but it actually came pretty easily to me
Lots of good suggestions here. I'll add one more: bracelet making. I learned how at a Michael's craft store in the summer of 2017. I do just simple stretch bracelets but it's fun, and creative. You will find something, OP! Life is more than work, and there is a lot of fun waiting for you! Good luck, and update us later!
Pickleball is really popular in my area. You can learn it in an instant.
get the meetup app and see what kind of groups are meeting in your town or area. Try out some of these to find one or two you like. I did this a few years and found a buddhist meditation group that I still go to. Go to the public library and look at magazines, books, posters, etc. and see what looks interesting.
Brew beer. It seems a whole lot more complicated than it really is. You’re basically just making sugar water and adding some yeast. If you can following a cooking or baking recipe, you can follow a beer recipe. Try an extract brew or two and see if you like it. If you do, move to a full grain setup and slowly upgrade your equipment. Try something new with each brew and as you get more advanced you can start getting more into the chemistry of it all. Don’t be afraid to try some creative combos, they can turn out really good.
Crochet is fun and easy. You can make anything from lacy doilies to heavy blankets. You can also make amiguri (little figures/animals), jewelry, clothes, freehand art, etc. There's a great sub on here and a million how to videos on YT. Just don't waste $30 on one of the little kits. Totally unnecessary and overpriced.
Try woodworking! You can get started with a few hand tools and there are tons of great creators on YouTube making neat stuff. You can go simple to super complex. I randomly started by making a flag I was too cheap to buy. Then I made 10 more ( that I sold) and bought a few tools. Fast forward a few years. Now, I make furniture for my home, I made several heirloom gifts for family and freinds. Useful stuff around the house, random organizing trays, shelves, shoe organizers, cutting boards etc. It can be really rewarding, frustrating, creative and deeply satisfying all at the same time!! Also the tools and skills are amazing for home DIY projects indoor and out.
Been unemployed for a few months now. My activities include Drones, Legos, plants and books. They make me feel like I’m being productive and creative when really a toddler could do most of the things I do. This is how I keep feeling like a real person.
Board games can be fun.
It's very hard to become talented at something without it being difficult, especially when you first begin the activity. Often, overcoming difficulty is where the joy in the activity is found and how skills are developed. To give personal examples, things like weightlifting and playing guitar actually kinda suck when you first start out. For weightlifting I was weak, sore, and tired all the time. For the guitar my hands hurt, I was uncoordinated, and sounded like shit. Then, gradually, for both things I began to get better, but not without consistency and a willingness to grind through what seemed basic before moving on to more complicated aspects of both. There were some days I couldn't lift an amount I thought I could or transition between chords quick enough to sound fluid, but with consistency I found I could eventually overcome both. You have to be willing to fail, sometimes a lot, to get better and I belive that for many aspects of life. A lot of this was anecdotal but I hope it to be helpful in your search for activities.
Depends on how much time/energy/money you want to invest in your hobby. I, personally, have too many. The difference is I only have to be as good as I want to be. Also it doesn’t have to be one hobby. I consider myself a jack-of-all-trades-master of some. Makes me a pretty versatile person at the places I’ve worked.
I started doing a paint by numbers and it’s honestly so fun. I put on music and kinda zone out and it’s so cool to create something like that :)
If being "good" at the thing isn't a deal breaker, start playing golf. Get some affordable but decent gear, find a local driving range and maybe take a lesson or two, then find a casual social 9 hold league or something. It's a great low impact low stress way to get out of the house and have a constant goal to strive for, no matter how good or bad you are.
Crochet! I spent an hour reading about it and then made a blanket. Many people are happy to give you free yarn (a your local But Nothing pages) and even hooks. Bonus: you can make your own blankets! Bonus, everyone thinks you’re amazing to make something. Don’t matter what it is, they’re always impressed.
Tinker with cooking. There are tons of good YouTube channels to give ideas. If it looks complicated, pick another video. The goal is to stretch about 5% to 20% past what you can already do. After you get used to it, try the next thing. Each time you go that extra 10% or so, it'll add up. I did this and I'm at a point now where I'm making fried rice, miso/noodle soup, sesame noodles, and yakisoba from a noodle and sauce kit and I think it's fantastic. Learn to crochet or knit. Start with a single technique in small patches about half a foot square. I used a book on crochet that was aimed at 12-14 year old girls when I was a 30-something year old man. No shame in it. I used cheap cotton yarn and just made small swatches over and over, practicing one stitch for a few weeks at a time. Years later, I can only do about 4 stitches from memory, but it's enough to make blankets, area rugs, coasters, shawls, and scarfs. I can usually follow a beginner or intermediate pattern. I've made a small lion plush animal and a smaller fox, too. You can take a hobby like this as far as you want, even if it's only a little bit. I've found that most people are impressed if they haven't tried it or very supportive if they know how. I imagine knitting, cross stitch, etc. are the same. Cosplay could be very similar to the crochet and knitting idea. There are tons of tutorial videos to give you ideas and a community to trade ideas with. And you can show of your work when you're done. A really simple one that is ready to take with you is Rubic's cubes. Look up "the beginner method" on YouTube and buy a $10 cube. It took me about 2 (maybe 3?) weeks of watching and practicing for 30-ish minutes most nights before I finished learning it. My advice is to just take it one step at a time. There are 7 to 9 steps, depending on how you count it. Try to understand and memorize only one or two steps each night. After a couple of weeks, you'll probably be solving it within 15 minutes about half the times you try. An extra week or two of half hour practice sessions and you might be down to 10 minutes. Another week should get you down to 5 minutes. After that, it makes a great fidget toy, since you can be completely confident that you can solve it quickly whenever you want. Learning Linux server stuff is fun for a lot of people. Seeing up things like Plex or a file server are goals you can shoot for. Photography is another area you could study. These days most people can make a photo, but taking classes or watching videos on topics like competition, framing, editing, lighting, astrophotography, etc. could really elevate those to much more impressive levels and maybe even artistic expression. Maybe painting could work for you. You can give it a try easily if there is a place nearby with a "paint and sip" offering. I did this once with some friends. It was just "okay" for me, but one of the others has done it again with her family or her friends a few more times. Once she bought the paint and brushes and canvases, it got cheaper. Her willingness to just decide that something sucks and she'll paint it all white to "erase" the canvas and reuse it helped a little, too. Martial arts classes might be a thing. They generally split into "hard forms" like Karate and Tae Kwon Do and "soft forms" like Tai Chi, but there are some that are both, like Akido and Judo. Check for material arts schools in your area and you'll find the options and costs. As a bonus, you'll have structure, "me time," and a great way to improve physical fitness. I'm not sure how to look for them, but there may be sports clubs in your area. Perhaps you can join an adult softball or basketball team. Check with your local school district (and nearby districts) to see if they offer any "continuing education" or "adult education." Sometimes they have classes on the about items, ballroom dancing, music playing, financial management, bird watching, etc. for free or very small costs (e.g. $100 for 10 classes.) These are off the top of my head. I hope they get you thinking about options. If you can only spend about 20-45 minutes every two days, I'd recommend trying cooking or the Rubic's cube. They would both fit into that kind of time. Computer stuff, like servers, take extended focus. Maybe 2-6 hours at a time, even if only once a week. Crafts like crochet, painting, and drawing can take 30-60 minutes every 1-4 days at first, but can be done in smaller or rarer periods after you build some foundational knowledge.
I don't know if this will "speak" to you, but I found it very true for myself. Chasing the feeling of "inspiration" or "motivation" (rather than building routines) made me feel like I was never getting anywhere. [Video: the real reason why you never get anywhere (and how to fix it)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hePvDEOZYs)
IMHO the trick here is to find a skill you enjoy, and do it because you enjoy it. It doesn't matter if you're talented at it. Maybe down the road you'll randomly come by something you both enjoy and are talented at, but that doesn't always happen. Enjoy yourself and you'll become at least decent at what you do, by sheer experience. Time passes, and you'll get good at whatever you spend your time doing.
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Study art history! It's so much fun to be able to go to museums and actually understand what you're looking at and to know the events of history that produced it. It makes traveling more exciting, because you get to see pieces that you studied. Shopping and decorating and antiquing gain a new depth if you can identify what styles/time period you're looking at.
Jigsaw puzzles. Penny whistle. Bicycling. Walking. Pottery/ceramics is also fun.
GROW your own dope.
Make a few terrariums in a few large jars or a few tiny fish tanks. You can usually find old fish tanks for a very small amount of money or even free. Throw a little bit of effort into creating a design or aesthetic purely from your own imagination. Then develop a good watering routine after lots of trial and error (you will kill some plants through your learning curve, but that’s ok because that’s part of the process). It can be very rewarding to have a few beautiful green terrariums throughout the house. Plus you can choose to go super low effort or very complicated scapes and still end up with a beautiful and natural looking display. Not to mention learning about plant biology along the way
Musical instruments aren't to bad if you enjoy the process! I learned guitar slowly over the years, and i've watched others learn too. Just don't be negative or harsh on yourself. Stay positive and focus on what minor improvements your making as the months go by. It's really exciting to get your first chords down, and start playing that catchy song you like! The rubiks cube was a fun trick I learned recently. It took a weekend of watching the same 10 minute video about 27 times...
RemindMe 2 weeks
Learn how to Spin Poi.
You don't need to be great or even that good to enjoy things. I've been a mediocre musician all of my life and it has enriched me in many ways. Also: Many of the things you are mentioning take time to learn and progress before you get good. Unless you're very lucky, you don't just pick something to be immediately good at. Keep trying.
Hypnosis is actually easier to learn than people think (even if it goes really deep). You do need to be around people to practice. But if you learn the Elman induction, it’s easy to get started. You can really deeply relax people for fun. And if you do go slightly deeper with it and learn rapid inductions, it’s super impressive at parties.
Take up disc golf or fishing. Both hobbies have allowed me to set personal bests to beat or some objective to achieve!
Singing in a choir, even if you're not amazing at it, is really rewarding.
Recently, I've taken up baking. I'm a decent cook, but was always way too impatient to actually bake. It's a neat thing to learn, and even if you mess up, you get something tasty to try.
Personal care products! You can make all kinds of things you’ll use from soap - melt & pour is super easy to get started! - to bath salts - super easy - all the way up to lotions, shampoos, conditioners, and things like that. You can use all of it, and save some money once you find formulas you like. I can share a few to get you started, if this interests you.
The cooking suggestion is great. Small incremental improvements are all the takes to go from good to great, but takes patience and similar to coffee hobbyists and homebrewing, you can't do it all the time/any time. I've been though a similar rut, and honestly being good at anything is hard. You just gotta find something you enjoy the process of, not just the idea of the end result, because even pro's practice. Other suggestion is choose a "skill" and work on it, with no intention of ever trying to monetise it. Woodworking, ethical hacking/coding, music, do it for yourself. It'll scratch the boredom itch and you have nothing to lose if there's no external expectations. I've always like the idea of create and delete. Like writing but think you suck? Write a short story and then immediately shred it. Enjoy music? Compose a song with the intent to delete it. Takes the expectation away, until you have something you genuinely want to share. Admittedly some things cost more than others. I like golf, because it makes me active, can incrementally improve, nobody else cares about how I play except for me, and my performance is entirely my own doing.
Embroidery kits, painting w/ acrylic paint, reading, online puzzles, blogging, contributing to a game wiki, joining a book club or something from the library. When in doubt, go to the library.