In my mind, a hobby is something you do that you fully immerse yourself in, geek out about, and get better at. I think a measure of skill is required to make it a hobby, which differs from a pastime -- which I define as something you enjoy doing for leisure but doesn't require much effort, like reading, watching tv, or posting trash talk on DCUM.

A hobby could be something artistic or crafty (quilting, sewing, drawing, woodworking), something athletic (golf, tennis, training for marathons or triathlons), or something intellectual (birdwatching, learning a new language, studying ancient civilizations). Or a million other things. The unifying factor is that you start out pursuing an interest and then get more skilled and more knowledgable about how to do it.

Another way to distinguish a hobby from a pastime could be to ask yourself, Does somebody get paid to do this? Nobody gets paid to lounge on a beach and read. But plenty of people turn hobbies into income streams. (At which point it's no longer a hobby but your livelihood, which often makes it considerably less fun, but that's another topic for another day.)

I'm big on fermentation and even teach classes on Zoom. I am in the process of starting an online paid community for beginners to learn from me too. I got started when I decided to try fermenting a particular food item that I found quite terrible here in the stores. So I made my own and it snowballed from there and I gained the confidence to teach others too.

Baking. I guess I'm "known" for it in my circle. I made a side hustle out of it for a short time.

Going to theatre, but that's been minimal lately.

I wish I had something else. I get stuck trying to learn a new skill - the beginning is easy but as it gets complicated, I don't really know how to advance and I don't have it in me to join clubs or classes at this point.

Anonymous wrote:I do a lot of the usual things and do them well, like cooking, baking, gardening. But if you were to look at how I really spend my leisure minutes and what I actually do every day, it would be Peloton, Wordscapes and Reddit. Sigh.

what type of gardening? veggies? flowers?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a sewer too and concentrate on home dec stuff. Over the years, I can make custom drapes, pillows and slip covers. A few years ago, I took an upholstery class and have taken on a few big projects during the pandemic. Sewing is truly my happy place and I have infinite patience for difficult projects. My DH laughs at me because I have zero patience for technology type things.

This is very cool. My mom is an expert seamstress and can make anything. She is fearless working with very expensive fabrics. She can make tight slipcovers with no elastic, using thick heavy duty upholstery fabric. She changes the look of her chairs and sofas when she feels like it.

My mom is just like your mom! She was raised in Europe where she learned her skill - was taught by nuns. She turned that skill into a very successful business when she moved to the US (late 1960's). Me on the other hand, I can thread a needle and sew on a button. It's shameful that I don't know how to do more. That said she's also a skilled cook, and I learned a lot from her which I've carried into my adult life!

I do a lot of the usual things and do them well, like cooking, baking, gardening. But if you were to look at how I really spend my leisure minutes and what I actually do every day, it would be Peloton, Wordscapes and Reddit. Sigh.

Anonymous wrote:Up until I was maybe 30 I drew and painted quite a lot, then less so, then not at all. Then maybe 10 years ago I was cleaning out a piece of furniture to get rid of it and found an electric pencil sharpener as well as a stash of unsharpened colored pencils. So then I started sharpening them and then I did a lot of drawings for a few years and then I kind of stopped and have not been able to get into that groove again. I should be doing that instead of mindless internet stuff

You could start by doing the Artist's Way to get back into it.

Anonymous wrote:I am a sewer too and concentrate on home dec stuff. Over the years, I can make custom drapes, pillows and slip covers. A few years ago, I took an upholstery class and have taken on a few big projects during the pandemic. Sewing is truly my happy place and I have infinite patience for difficult projects. My DH laughs at me because I have zero patience for technology type things.

This is very cool. My mom is an expert seamstress and can make anything. She is fearless working with very expensive fabrics. She can make tight slipcovers with no elastic, using thick heavy duty upholstery fabric. She changes the look of her chairs and sofas when she feels like it.

Anonymous wrote:Reading, hiking, needlework (cross stitch, blackwork, other types of embroidery), historical research (sometimes family history but mostly not), jigsaw puzzles (and crossword puzzles).

Same!! I low-key think I could be a family tree detective.....finding the criminal in the woodpile

Reading, hiking, needlework (cross stitch, blackwork, other types of embroidery), historical research (sometimes family history but mostly not), jigsaw puzzles (and crossword puzzles).

Nothing crazy unique: reading, exercising, baking, online clothes shopping for my toddler.

Anonymous wrote:Sing with a jazz band

my fantasy is to be a lounge singer

Anonymous wrote:I like to masturbate

lol i like to post on dcum.. mild, in comparison, but it's easier to do anytime, anywhere vs masturbating.

Anonymous wrote:Up until I was maybe 30 I drew and painted quite a lot, then less so, then not at all. Then maybe 10 years ago I was cleaning out a piece of furniture to get rid of it and found an electric pencil sharpener as well as a stash of unsharpened colored pencils. So then I started sharpening them and then I did a lot of drawings for a few years and then I kind of stopped and have not been able to get into that groove again. I should be doing that instead of mindless internet stuff

Oh you really need to start doing that again! Sounds almost romantic how you just happened upon them and started drawing. So cool.

Anonymous wrote:Sing with a jazz band

Very cool!! do you play in clubs?