One of the best parts of spending time with children is witnessing their creative play (just today my four-year-old turned a cardboard box into a horse barn!). For so many reasons, it’s harder to make space for fun in adulthood, but it’s just as worthwhile. Here, eight readers share their hobbies…
“My friend is a prolific knitter, and she always shows up in beautiful sweaters that make me say, ‘You made that?!’ She taught me the basics, and I chose one of Misha and Puff’s free community patterns. Now, I’m never without a project on my needles. Knitting is a quiet kind of creativity — and fulfilling even if I pick it for only five minutes at the end of a day.” — Kaila, Blue Knob, Pennsylvania
“Light tennis!” — Kavi, Brooklyn, New York
“Designing floral arrangements — with flowers I grew, foraged or found at local farm stands — is so calming. Then I photograph my creations since they’re ephemeral. It’s a sort of journal that marks what is growing and inspiring me each season.” — Sara, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
“Music has always been my hobby, but it turned into a very big one a couple years ago when I wound up in a local rock band. Here, all my girlfriends were dancing their hearts out in the front row, and my band was playing behind me. I was surrounded by pure fun.” — Sadie, Anchorage, Alaska
“Last summer, my sister and I roped our family into taking a class at a local pottery studio, and it was the most fun we’d had together in a long time. Getting our hands in the clay felt like a tactile way of connecting to the earth. I now have a work/trade arrangement with the local studio where I get to get my hands dirty every week.” — Holly, Sacramento Valley, California
“What I love most about baking is focusing — reading a recipe, measuring all the ingredients, setting the oven temperature — and, finally, seeing the result. Something about it is so meditative; if I follow every rule, I’ll have something great to share. It’s certainty in a very uncertain world.” — Valentina, Chile
“I started sewing my own clothes eight years ago. It’s my creative outlet, and it feels good to sew clothes that fit me, are one of a kind, and go with my personality. Also, I’m at the age where I wear whatever the heck I want without caring if I’m on trend.” — Christine, San Leandro, California
“I’ve always had a very hard time remembering what I enjoy doing, so in my 20s I began keeping lists titled ‘Things I Do for Fun.’ The problem is that I would forget these lists existed, so not only did I not consult my lists, but I then made a repeat list, which I also didn’t consult! Not knowing what I enjoy doing has always made me feel like a robot, but as it turns out, I’m not a robot. I’m just neurodivergent! I now keep my current list on the fridge.” — Leighton, Los Angeles
What do you do for fun? All this creativity is so inspiring.
P.S. Readers share their happy moments, and how to find a hobby.
