When I’m Not Writing…
This week my accountability group is blogging about our hobbies and what we do when we’re not writing. Last week’s post on Writer’s Block is also part of our How I Write series.
Some days I don’t think I have time for hobbies. But then I remember just how much I spend reading. Mostly Science Fiction, Fantasy, YA, Historical Romance and some contemporary and paranormal romance as well. We need more bookshelves but don’t have room for them.
I have a bunch of other hobbies that I enjoy puttering around with, but am not very serious about: cooking, gardening, sewing. None of those ever felt like something I was passionate about enough to pursue in any real sense.
I like to cook and bake, but it’s more of a way to share with family and friends. I’d judge myself a competent if sometimes uninspired cook. Gardening, I’ve posted a lot of pictures lately about it, but the plants either live or not. I’m enjoying the process, but I’m not tied to it.
I learned to sew in 7th grade for a home-ec class. Picked a fairly difficult pattern and beat it before it defeated me. When my daughter was a toddler, I made many of her dresses. I even made a pair of overalls for my son with an adorable cow print. The most ambitious project I took on was my daughter’s colonial costume for 5th grade. I know where the flaws are and I beat myself up about them, but it came out pretty well. But again, competent but not passionate.
I’ve always been a gamer. I’m a sucker for a puzzle that needs solving. I managed to work two years as a professional game designer and ran an online text adventure game based on world history and mythology for over ten years. In some ways, I was TOO passionate about that one. Again, I was competent, but I could see more than I was able to implement or direct. So now, I just play and complain to DH who’s still doing it for a living. Hey, he gets a free sounding board!
The other hobby that I keep coming back to and seems to run in my family is photography. My great-grandfather was an art collector. My grandfather was a professional photographer in the ’30s and always seemed to have a camera at hand. My father seemed to collect cameras and my mom still has a kazillion and three boxes of slides in her hall closet. One of my cousins has also been bitten by the shutter bug and I’m astounded by the stuff he comes up with.
I asked for and got a SLR camera as a high school graduation present. Before then, I’d had dinky little box cameras, and even a disc camera. But I wanted a REAL camera. That thing was HEAVY. I drug it all over the place. I even got additional lenses for it. I spent hours setting up “art shots”. I took pictures of the people around me. I loved taking pictures of cityscapes and landscapes.
But when I graduated from college and got married, for some reason, I decided it was too heavy and cumbersome and what we needed was one of those little idiot proof cameras. Yep. Pretty much killed my desire to take pictures. Oh, we’ve got the requisite pictures of the kids when they were little, but not much else. At least from my point of view. DH takes a camera with him when he travels and he’s got some gorgeous ones to show for it.
An
yway, I decided this past year, what I wanted for my birthday was a digital SLR camera. It’s so LIGHT! ok. It’s still kinda bulky, but it’s got a lot of bells and whistles I missed with the point and shoots. So I’ve been playing with that just about every week since I got it. Most of the photos I’ve used in the posts lately have been mine. I find that some work, some don’t, but I WANT to learn how to use it better.
I gave in and upgraded my flickr account to PRO because I’d overrun the 200 photo limit for the photostream.
Alexia Reed, Kimberly Farris and I are trying to talk each other into doing a 365 project next year, which because it’s leap year, it’ll actually be 366. I think they’re more convinced than I am, but I think it’ll be a good way to learn my camera and do a bit of local tourism at the same time. There’s got to be a reason I keep coming back to this.
Your Turn: What hobbies do you enjoy?
And if you’d like to read about what the rest of my group does when they’re not writing, you can find their blogs here:
* Alexia Reed * Angeleque Ford * Danie Ford *
* Emma G. Delaney * Kimberly Farris *
I think we share similar hobbies. I agree with you about a lot of it.
And I can’t wait to do our 365 photo project! I say that now but just wait until it starts…lol.
I’ve been thinking about carrying my camera with me more. I mentioned this project to DH the other day and said, “If I had an iPhone, it’d make it even easier” LOL Not that I think I want to “cheat” that way.
I guess what I really need to do is find a good online tutorial or enroll in a couple of those weekend “dSLR Getting beyond AUTO” classes.
My hobbies are pretty similar to yours. I love to cook, which is good because I have a husband, three big sons and often girlfriends to feed. I also love to sew when I can find the time. I love taking pictures of my family and friends and enjoy scrapbooking….or maybe I should say I would love to spend some time scrapbooking….. I try to get down to the beach to walk several times a week as well.
Most of my time is spent writing, and trying to squeeze in reading which I also love.
Tari, I love taking photos, but I never got into scrapbooking. I’m happy to just look through an old box of snapshots or through iPhoto now. You’re so lucky being that close to the beach. It’s like a half hour from here and feels like it’s a completely different world most days.
I find I read a lot waiting on the kids, but I’m guessing you’re past the “Mom’s Taxi” stage. =)
I read (of course — all writers read) and I ride quads in the desert with my family, but my hobby is quilting.
Sounds like a blast out in the desert! I made two small quilts when the kids were little, very simple. My grandmother used to make beautiful ones. Thanks for stopping by!
That’s cool that love of photography runs in your family.
I’m a DIYer and love to try different craft ideas. I also like to read non-fiction and listening to music.
Kimberly, I think photography is just one form. Like I said my great-grandfather was an art collector. Much of his collection ended up going to the Smithsonian and the National Gallery because no one else in the family had room for or wanted that many paintings. So I suspect it’s a love for visual imagery. Now, my grandmother on that side went to Art School and was always into painting, drawing, flower arranging, sewing and ceramics.
Music is also very high on my list of things to do to relax. DH and I are big supporters of folk music and singer/songwriter type musicians. You can imagine how painful it’s been with the boy’s migraine’s and not being allowed to listen to the radio in the car or sit through many concerts. =( Hence, my listening quota for the month. LOL
I also love taking photos. But my real passion is horses. My daughter competed in 4-H for 11 years. I’ve ridden since I was three years old. Nowadays, we trail ride and camp once in awhile.
HI D’Ann… we used to have 7 Appaloosas way back when I was growing up on a farm and I almost joined 4-H for a while. I think I was about 3 when my uncle put me up on the back of a cow. LOL Yup, that was the start of some horse mad years.
Thanks for stopping by!
Nice post. So glad you to see you found a new hobby in photography. As for me, I can’t take a picture to save my life. Yardwork is what I’m passionate about. Hubby and I have five acres cleared on our property that we take great pride in–flowerbeds, a garden, all kinds of pretty trees, etc. Yes, I’m one of those crazies who passes on the riding mower and prefers the old push method.
Walking and working out is also what I enjoy. First thing in the morning, I’m off with the dogs. People down our country road probably call me the crazy lady who walks her doggies at an ungodly hour LOL.
Fishing and boating, too. Can’t forget that. We’re building a cottage up the lakes as our home away from home.
Come winter, I enjoy baking. I like to make treats for the employees at hubby’s business.
Thanks, Maggie! It sounds like a lovely place you have! I’m almost jealous, but then I think of the upkeep and groan. Congrats to you for carving out a place you love!