Hi, Hatch gals! Last week on the blog we talked about ways to discover and cultivate our hobbies. Kara gave us some amazing reasons as to why we should identify a hobby that we enjoy and how to intentionally cultivate that hobby. I encourage you to give it a read.
Hinging on that same topic, this week I wanted to share some practical ways to further develop and grow your hobby. 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.
Here are three resources I use constantly to help me learn a new skill or identify an area of interest.
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 years time!
This one is for the crafty Hatch gal. Floral arrangement, sewing, and baking classes are just some of the events you can find at your local Michaels store. These classes are a great way to meet other locals that are also interested in growing or cultivating their hobbies as well. And better yet, most classes only charge you for the price of the materials, if needed. Already skilled in your hobby of choice? Teach others. At Michaels you can submit a proposal to teach a class as an extra way to earn money (you get 70% of fees collected from sign-ups).
These are just some of the resources you can find online to cultivate and grow your hobby. Other resources like Pinterest and TakeLessons or hitting up your local community college are additional ways you can explore an area of interest, pick up a new hobby or meet others with the same interest as you!
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.