HI everyone! I hope everyone’s doing alright this week. It’s Spring Break here, which means that I’m somehow trying to do all the work I need to do while also hanging out with my kids. It’s been a challenge, especially since it’s crunch time in my teaching semester at NYU — I’m grading a LOT of papers, which is not my favorite thing — but we’re making it work. Sort of.
Today I want to hear about your hobbies and non-kid-related passions. What do you (try to) make time for that gives you joy, and what about it do you find fulfilling? I have always been someone who has struggled to make time and mental space for hobbies. I love to take walks and listen to mystery audiobooks — it forces me to get outside and to rest my brain — and I also love to cook and bake. But if I’m honest, over the past few months, I haven’t had much time for either. I also really want to dabble in fiction writing, but that hasn’t happened yet, either.
What about you? What do you love to do when you’re not taking care of your house and your kids and all the other things you *have* to do? How and when do you make time for the things you love?
I love this question! I started knitting and sewing about 15 years ago and in the past few years took up weaving, which actually turned my hobby into a side business -- https://www.instagram.com/wild_blooms_design/.
I work full-time and parent two kids but this hobby gives me so much joy. And I can't decide how to channel it, whether to continue to grow it because I love it or if I will stop liking it once it grows more because a hobby and a "side business" can work at cross-purposes.
I’m learning to paint with watercolors. It challenging and fun. I like to pair it with some Inner Lotus Music (YouTube) which is supposed to hit some creative and relaxing areas of the brain. Does it work? I don’t know but I really like it. My favorite artists to follow on IG are @andrea.nelson.art, @rebelunicorncrafts and @emjlefebvre.