The Summer of Hobbies

Artwork inspired by Echo

My time has always been a bit of a problem. If I am not in school or at work, I do not know how to handle myself.

"Get a hobby," my husband always says. And if it were that easy, I would.

But how do you pick something up as a professional perfectionist with a talent of being naturally good at things? This feels like I am trying to brag. I'm not.

As a child, I learned, if you work hard, you get good at things. And when you get good at things, you are rewarded. So I was good at things (barring anything with a ball or bat or running or anything in the general interest of athleticism; you can't have it all).

But doing things never feels good. It's a competition, usually with myself. When I get 'good enough' I get bored. My brain and brother tell me this ADHD; the spiritualists think it's because I'm an Aries.

This summer I have done many things out of desperate boredom.

Read. Read. Read. And read some more.

Paint 3-D art. The one pictured above is how I view my book Echo. Pearls and trees and dripping diamonds.

Embroider Michael Jackson quotes onto my mushroom bag.

Sit in a hammock, watching planes go by.

Became a yoga extraordinaire (I can put my head to my toes in butterfly now).

Log 160 hours of Grand Theft Auto.

There is no conclusion to this thought experiment. I wish there were, really. Take up a hobby. It won't improve your life or keep you entertained for long if you're like me, but maybe you'll write a book, then create a website to market the book, then write a lowly blog post about your hobbies.