Social distancing has become the new norm these days, leading many of us to spend a lot more time at home trying to figure out what to fill our days with. Sure, there’s home projects to be tackled or watching The Office for the umpteenth time, but you finally have the time to learn that new hobby you’ve been wanting to practice but never had the time to concentrate on developing.
A couple of years ago, I developed an interest in photography and decided to purchase a camera and began snapping what I thought were “artsy pictures” (for evidence see my Facebook Christmas album!). I knew nothing about composition, lighting, or how to set my camera up for different shots. Enter the Internet. I took a deep dive into the World Wide Web to learn everything about photography, but soon discovered that I enjoyed looking at other people’s photographs more than I enjoyed taking them myself. So, I put my camera down and moved on to another hobby. I’ve picked up and moved on from a few hobbies since then, but what always amazes me is that I have a wide range of resources at my fingertips to not only help me discover what I enjoy, but also help me further develop that interest into a hobby.
With the uncertainty of how long this new norm will persist, I wanted to share some practical ways to further develop or start your hobby that you can do right from the comfort of your home.
Interested in photography? Want to learn how to crochet? Or maybe jewelry making is more your style. Skillshare is a great website to help you expand on already known skills and hobbies or help introduce and provide you with an overview of a new skill. Join a group, take a workshop or watch videos at your own pace. Choose from one of their two plans: the basic plan (this has over 2,000 classes for free—plus access to their community hub where you can learn with other students and create projects); the premium plan gives you access to over 25,000 videos and offline access for just $8.25 a month (if billed annually).
YouTube is probably my favorite way to discover hobbies! Want to learn how to build a car engine? YouTube it. Knit a pair of socks? YouTube it. Master the art of contouring? YouTube it. You can literally search how to do anything, and the fun part is that you can look for a Youtuber who matches your personality or learning style. This is a fun way to search for and discover an area of interest for free. Hey, maybe you can even start your own YouTube channel in a year’s time!
Start a hobby Pinterest board and pin all the tutorials or things you want to make. Pinterest has so many options like templates for calligraphy or crochet, step by step tutorials, and can also serve as a way to search for inspiration on projects once you decide what hobby you want to tackle.
Order Materials Online
Just because you are stuck at home doesn’t mean you can’t get the materials you need to practice your new-found skill. Check out Amazon or Walmart to order materials online, even stores like Michael’s are offering curbside pick up to ensure that you can get what you need while practicing social distancing.
We may be stuck inside but that doesn’t mean we can’t put our time to good use and learn something new!
Brendy Garcia is a native Floridian with Caribbean roots. She enjoys talking about all things movies, pop culture, and female empowerment! Museums are her natural habitat and podcasts are her spirit animal.