Creative Hobbies that Cultivate Joy
As someone who talks about creativity a lot, I will often hear people say things like: “I love art, but I’m just not very creative myself” or “I wish I could be creative, but I’m just not very good at it.” Essentially I hear people express, in so many ways, that they don’t feel “good enough” to consider themselves as creative. This is sadly a lie that many of us repeat to ourselves. Here’s the beautiful truth — creativity is accessible to everyone and in fact we are all of us creative beings! Think back to when you were younger and you got to try different arts and crafts in school, or when you used your imagination to make up games and play pretend. That’s all creativity, and thankfully it doesn’t have to be limited to a particular stage in our lives.
As children we’re encouraged to pursue creative hobbies, as it helps with “well-rounded development” (“Creativity for Kids: Benefits & Tips for Nurturing an Innovative Mind”). Sadly though, somewhere along the way from childhood to adulthood, we are told (directly or indirectly) that we need to put aside creativity and focus on more important matters (i.e. productivity). Now, I’m not advocating that we should all solely pursue our creative passions and forget all other responsibilities. We absolutely need a balance of work and play to care for our day-to-day needs, individually and societally. But I do think that there are tremendous benefits to be had by including creative hobbies throughout our lives. One of the biggest reasons that I prioritize hobbies in my own life is the immense pleasure and enjoyment that I derive from each activity. Today, I’ll be sharing a few of the creative hobbies that help me cultivate more joy in my life. Plus near the end of this post, I’ll be including a list of playful and imaginative hobbies that you can try for yourself.
Writing
“Learning how to write just accelerated my passion for storytelling.”
It probably comes as no surprise that one of my oldest and most beloved creative hobbies is writing. I’ve been creating and sharing stories, even before I learned the alphabet. Learning how to write just accelerated my passion for storytelling. I love so many forms of the written word: journaling, writing academic essays, composing poetry, playwriting, and crafting novels. Even drafting clever limmericks, haikus, or puns is certain to bring a smile to my face and lighten my mood. Allowing myself to explore and play with various types of writing has helped me grow stronger as a writer. I feel incredibly lucky that writing is not only a hobby and passion of mine, but also a small source of my income. Much like the famous sentiment — “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life” — I truly feel like I’m living out my dream instead of toiling away at work that depletes me. I’ll never take it for granted.
Photography
“While I don’t have any formal training, I do seem to have an affinity for this art form.
Similar to my love of writing, I’ve felt drawn to taking pictures with a camera from a very young age. I have early memories of when I first started snapping photos, mostly ones of blurry knees and feet. My photography at that point in my life could best be described as “images as seen from the humble height of a two-year-old.” Over the years, I studied photography methods and taught myself how to capture life through the lens of my camera. While I don’t have any formal training, I do seem to have an affinity for this art form. Even as I was drafting this blog post, I knew that I wanted to include some of my own photos to visually represent my creative hobbies. Photography is simply another way that I tell stories, and it helps me cultivate more joy through little snapshots.
Cooking
“Again, my confidence in the kitchen grew, and I found that cooking no longer felt like a chore…”
(Photo taken by Cynthia Janda, October 2023)
This next creative hobby is one that my younger self never would have expected to enjoy! I’ve always loved food, but I haven’t always enjoyed cooking, that is until I discovered the Food Network in my twenties. Watching chefs like Giada De Laurentiis, Ina Garten, Alton Brown, and Gordon Ramsay encouraged me to try different recipes and slowly gain confidence in the kitchen. I discovered the joy of cooking (pun intended).
Then in 2023, my Wife and I decided to try eating a plant-based diet, which brought an element of challenge and newness into my cooking. I had to learn new techniques as well as how best to prepare and season foods like tofu, tempeh, lentils, and even some vegetables. Again, my confidence in the kitchen grew, and I found that cooking no longer felt like a chore; it was something that I looked forward to doing. Another pleasant surprise that I discovered through plant-based eating is that it helped me to heal my relationship with food. As someone who struggled with disordered eating through my teens, twenties, and nearly all of my thirties, this realization feels deeply meaningful. I also delight in sharing my love of food and cooking with others. It brings me immense joy to cook for my loved ones and to know that I’ve filled their bellies as well as their hearts.
Floral Arranging
“Like most cottagecore girlies, I love flowers. They’re just so pleasing to the senses.”
Floral arranging is a hobby that I sort of fell into. Like most cottagecore girlies, I love flowers. They’re just so pleasing to the senses. It wasn’t until recently that I realized how much enjoyment I get from arranging flowers. For me, the entire process is soothing and pleasing: from selecting the blooms, trimming the stems and leaves, to choosing the best vase for displaying them.
One day when my Wife and I were visiting a local flower farm, she noted that I become so peaceful, almost meditative, when I’m picking and arranging flowers. This is a hobby that both grounds me and provides me with space for creative expression. It’s such a lovely tactile and olfactory experience. I love how this hobby has grown organically within me, much like the flowers spring up from the soil.
Embroidery
“I like how it requires attention and quite often results in a colorful piece of art once complete.”
I greatly admire artists who create through fiber and craft. Embroidery is a creative hobby that I’m very slowly learning. It’s not one that I’m naturally adept at doing, but I enjoy it all the same. I like how it requires attention and quite often results in a colorful piece of art once complete. I’ll be completely honest that while embroidery is one of my hobbies, it isn’t one that I practice very often. I pick it up and put it down with lots of time in between. Therefore my skill has remained pretty much the same. For me though, it isn’t about being the best or perfect at it; instead it’s another way that I can express my creativity. It also makes me feel like a proper lady from a Jane Austen novel, which certainly increases my enjoyment.
Dancing
“At the adorable age of four, my parents enrolled me in my first dance classes, and I was hooked!”
The final hobby that I’d like to share in this post is one that I’ve recently felt re-inspired to get back into. At the adorable age of four, my parents enrolled me in my first dance classes, and I was hooked! I’ve taken ballet, tap, jazz, modern, ballroom, hip-hop, and belly dancing lessons at different points in my life. Dancing, particularly ballet, is one of my favorite forms of physical and artistic expression. I feel strong, graceful, and embodied when I dance. While I have no intentions of becoming a professional dancer, I do want to practice and improve my skills, just for me. Dance provides my body with movement and joy, both of which I believe will only add to my vitality and longevity.
More Creative Hobbies
Are you feeling creatively inspired yet? I certainly hope that I’ve at least piqued your interest. As promised, here’s a list of creative hobbies that you can try:
Drawing, painting, paper-making, origami, scrapbooking, pottery, sculpting, sewing, crocheting, knitting, basket weaving, quilting, woodworking, glass blowing, video-making, animating, puppeteering, building models or miniatures, baking, gardening, collecting unique keepsakes, acting, singing, playing a musical instrument, and so many more!
Obviously this is not an exhaustive list. There are countless hobbies to explore. I challenge you to grant yourself the time and space to discover (or re-discover) a creative hobby that cultivates more joy in your life.
(Cover photo taken by Cynthia Janda, August 2023)
