Why Your Hobbies Matter

Do you have a “hobby” that you just love? Maybe it’s making something with your hands or playing an instrument or participating in a sport. These activities are likely more than just a way to keep life interesting, they are an expression of your innate creativity.

As human beings, we are all creators and artists, even if we don’t see ourselves as such. We design and create the spaces we live in, we arrange our time in a design that suits us and we make choices about the textures, fabrics, sounds and people that surround us.

When it comes to our hobbies, we get even more specific about our preferences. We almost always choose something that allows our innate talents, skills and abilities to blossom. We are drawn to things like drawing or dance or 3-D printing or dog training because it’s a place where we can explore and express our personal energy in a deliberate way.

Essentially, your hobbies matter because they are a gateway to your personal creativity.

A hobby is something we choose to do with our time and attention that generally has nothing to do with our job or our societal obligations. In many cases, this interest will cost us money and can’t be measured in economic value. We do it for the pure joy of doing it.

In fact, when asked a significant number of Americans (over 60 percent) said that they considered their hobbies and recreational activities to be "extremely" or "very important” in a 2023 survey. This number is up from 56 percent in 2001-2002 and is likely to continue to grow.

That’s because hobbies are more than just a constructive, quasi-therapeutic use of our free time. Oftentimes, the hobby is actually a creative venue we wish to do on a bigger scale, but we may not be giving ourselves permission to do.

Some, like author Julia Camerson, say that the hobbies are actually a sign that people are suffering from  the “Repressed Artist theory” that notes many people suppress their creative impulses due to societal, familial, or personal pressures.

When we give up nurturing our creative impulse in order to please others, we are often fearing rejection or judgement. This fear of what others will think feeds our inner critic that suggests what we create or do isn’t good enough. So we dim our creative light, creating what Cameron calls a “shadow artist.”

The “shadow artist” is expressing their creative interest but in a small way. It’s the dream of being a writer dimmed down to reading, attending book clubs and critiquing the writing of others, but never going so far as to pursue writing. It’s the inventor who reads about the works of others with enthusiasm, has a sketchbook of ideas and may even tinker in the garage, but sets that passion aside to work a “responsible job.” The creativity in these cases isn’t being ignored, just dimmed. Quieted.

Just for fun, consider the hobbies in your life. Are they the offshoots of what was once a bigger dream? Do you still have that dream?

For myself, I spent a long time studying foreign languages but never traveling abroad. In my late 20s and early 30s, I went to and created language clubs where I would practice the language with other learners. I took lessons online with native speakers, I took college classes and listened to music and newscasts in the language I was studying. I even got proficient enough to teach some introductory classes in the languages that interested me.

I loved how knowing a foreign language made me feel immediately connected to another human being, as if we shared a secret or an inside joke. I was delighted when people from other language backgrounds were supportive and happy to hear I was working to learn their language. Sharing a language with someone helped me connect with them in this very special way and I valued the comradery and inclusion.

But my inner critic told me that I had missed my chance to live abroad, that I should have done it in my early 20s and that I was too old to be thinking about living abroad later in life. I had considered teaching English as a Foreign Language in my 20s but criticism from others and a personal fear of going alone kept me from doing it.

However, at some point I gave myself permission to consider the idea that maybe I wasn’t too old. That maybe there was a way for me to live and work abroad (even if temporarily). After some investigation (and reading the blog of a mom who had taught in Spain with her two young children) I landed a one-year teaching assistant contract in Spain that allowed my teenage son to go with me. We spent nine months living in Spain and had the chance to explore Europe. I was thrilled to use the Spanish and French I had been studying and even picked up some German for a trip to Frankfurt.

However, I could have easily continued to just learn languages “for fun” here in the U.S.—joining clubs, going to outings with my language groups, reading books and listening to the radio in another language. I could have held onto the “someday” idea instead of considering if I could do more with my interest “today.”

Giving ourselves permission to consider the dream behind the hobby only requires that we consider new thoughts. Instead of assuming that we could “never” follow our creativity into a new career or live in a new place or focus our attention on our “hobby” full time, what if you could?

Asking “But what if I could?” will lead to all kinds of other “possibility” thoughts that may lead to new opportunities and ideas.

The next time you plan to spend time or money on your “hobby”, ask if that expression of creativity wants to be a bigger part of your life.