At what point did we collectively decide hobbies were… optional?
TBH probably somewhere between paying bills, replying to emails with “just circling back,” and trying to drink enough water 🤔 creativity quietly got demoted to a “nice in theory” category. Right next to journalling and stretching.
This week on the pod, we had our first guest (!!), Emma Whines, who is what I would describe as a creative diehard — aka someone who just… keeps picking things up and trying them. Reading, sewing, music, learning to ride a motorbike?!?
And it got us thinking: maybe the issue isn’t that we’re not creative anymore. Maybe we’ve just stopped making space for it.
hobbies, but make them low-pressure
Emma is the kind of person who has multiple hobbies at once
There’s no “I need to be good at this” energy. It’s more like: this looks fun, I’m going to try it and see what happens.
Which is… a mindset shift.
Because a lot of us approach hobbies like they’re a second job:
If I can’t monetise it, what’s the point
What if I’m bad at it
If I don’t commit fully, I’m failing
…which is exhausting, and also kind of missing the whole point?
Hobbies are allowed to be:
Inconsistent
A bit chaotic
Something you abandon and come back to later
the childhood thing (and why it kind of matters)
Emma grew up in a super creative environment, and you can feel that influence in how she moves through the world now. There’s this underlying belief that creativity is just… part of life.
Which, for a lot of us, wasn’t the vibe growing up.
If you had a more structured, achievement-focused upbringing (hi, same), creativity can feel like something you have to earn time for. Like it only counts if it’s productive.
So coming back to it as an adult can feel weirdly uncomfortable. Like: “am I allowed to just… do this for fun?”
Short answer: yes.
Long answer: also yes, but it might take a minute to unlearn everything.
when creativity becomes your identity.
Emma shared her experience as a musician, and how at some point it stopped being fun and started feeling heavy.
And stepping away from that? Not easy.
Because when you tie your worth to being “the creative one,” it’s hard to pivot without feeling like you’re losing a part of yourself.
But also — you’re allowed to outgrow things.
You’re allowed to change your mind.
You’re allowed to stop doing something you once loved.
That doesn’t make it a failure. It just means you’re a person.
hobbies = accidental social life??
One unexpected benefit of hobbies: they kind of force you to leave your house and talk to people.
Whether it’s a random group class, joining a club, or just saying yes to something slightly out of your comfort zone — hobbies create these little pockets of connection.
And not in a forced networking way. In a: “we’re all just here trying not to be terrible at this” way.
Which is honestly the best kind of bonding.
bring back play
Play - no-agenda, slightly silly - is kind of the whole point of hobbies. It’s what makes you feel like a person outside of your job, your responsibilities, your endless to-do list.
So consider this your reminder:
you’re allowed to do things just because they feel good.
Not because they’re useful.
Not because they’re impressive.
Not because they’ll turn into something bigger.
Just… because.
ok but how do you actually start
We’re not saying quit your job and become a full-time ceramicist (unless you want to - in which case, this is your sign ✨).
We’re saying:
Try one small thing
Be bad at it
Don’t overthink it
See what happens
As Shannon said (and we will be repeating forever):
“be open to the butterfly effect… you don’t know what will happen by engaging in that thing.” 🦋
your turn
What hobbies are you giving a red hot go - event if you don’t do them regularly?
What have you abandoned and lowkey want to come back to?
Tell us everything — comments, DMs, voice notes, carrier pigeon.
final thought
You don’t need to be naturally talented.
You don’t need a five-year plan.
You don’t need to justify it.
You just need to start.
Even if it’s messy. Even if it’s random. Even if it lasts two weeks.
That still counts.
Georgia & Shannon 💜
