The importance of creative hobbies
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a great deal of change into our daily lives – including an uptick of creative hobbies. While there’s little empirical data on the topic of how many people have taken up such pursuits during the pandemic, analysis of media sources and web searches suggests a surge in interest in activities such as baking, drawing, painting, and photography.
Over the last two years, people have had more time to pursue hobbies due to a reduction in commuting, socializing, and group activities. Many are starting new things just for the fun of it – a great and affordable way to relax, reduce stress, meet new people, and get inspired.
Benefits of creative hobbies
Health
- Reduce stress: Creative pursuits can help hobbyists relax and enter a state of “flow,” which promotes stress reduction and a positive state of mind. A hobby like photography can provide further stress relief by providing a motivation to roam about in nature.
“You can always find some new kind of light or some new scene or some new angle in the places near where you live,” says Clark Munson, an accountant by day in Calgary, Alberta, who has been taking nature photos for 15 years. “I like that it sparks those creative juices in me and helps me appreciate the beauty of what’s around me.”
- Be in touch with your emotions. Creative hobbies can provide an avenue for self-expression, which is a good way of processing emotions. Considering the stressors presented by the pandemic, this may be another reason why interest in these activities is soaring these days.
Social
- Connect with others. Creative endeavors naturally draw people together to share, learn, and appreciate. Hobbyists who pursue arts like painting or photography can easily meet like-minded people and gain a sense of camaraderie by engaging in local groups, courses, and events in their community related to their hobby.
Briana Parks, of Redding, California, started as a photography hobbyist in high school and eventually became a professional elopement photographer. “Having that hobby helped me meet new people I would not have met otherwise,” she says. “For example, I met a few of my best friends because I found out that they loved taking pictures, too, so we would all go out and take pictures together.”
- Build an online community. Since many social events are curtailed these days, hobbyists might choose instead to engage more heavily …….