Yesterday I read Galen's latest weekend engagement topic and started pondering if and what to post about it while laughing about his exclusions (Splinterlands and blogging on Hive 🤣). In case you would like to join check out The Weekend community and this week's choices:
Option #1
Tell us what your hobby is, why you enjoy it, how you do it and what you need to make it happen, what's involved, how it makes you feel when engaging with it or anything else you'd like to share about it. Blogging on hive and playing Splinterlands is excluded from the topic.
Option #2
What hobby have you always wanted to do but never started - What appeals to you about it and why have you not had the chance to get involved with it.
Option #3
Have you, or anyone you know, ever turned a hobby into a business or opportunity to make a few dollars on the side. Tell us what it was and how the process went from hobby to income; the challenges, work-arounds and successes. Blogging on hive and playing Splinterlands is excluded from the topic.
Well, one thing is for certain
Over the years my interests and hobbies changed
I think it is normal that they change depending on circumstances and life in general. Some vanished for good, others reappeared after some time and new ones entered the stage.
Then there are some that have been with me for a very long time and evolved. The one that comes immediately to mind is Painting. I have been painting for as long as I can remember. Back in the day, my dad brought home big and thick catalogues of wallpaper that were outdated but served perfectly well for a three or four-year-old to paint on.
Those were my very humble beginnings and I kept on drawing and painting all through high school and into my early twenties. Art was my favourite subject in school. I mostly used graphite pencil, charcoal, watercolours and oil colours and I actually still have some of those paintings 😊.
Watercolors and digital
Then life happened and painting took a back-seat
My interests changed and I put all my time and effort into my career. Which I don't regret because I like my job and it gave me the opportunity to travel and work in other countries. But there was no time left for painting. Yet I couldn't let my creativity starve completely and I needed something else to balance my work life, something that was less time-consuming. So I focused on photography, with my 35mm (film) SLR.
This film photography evolved into digital photography, photo art (digital composites in Photoshop), smartphone or iPhone photography and building my own website to show it to the world.
For quite a while photography and photo art were my only hobby and balance to work. I even had (have) an Etsy shop and sold some of my fine art photo prints. I had the dream of making it an income source - doing something creative I love and making money along the way. Don't we all?
Well, I sold a few pieces but then there were hiccups and I realized my rather sensitive artist soul doesn't have what it takes to deal with unhappy buyers of my art. So when I got another job offer it came at the perfect time. I stopped the photo business and started working 8 - 5. Then 8 - 6, then 7 - 7 - you get the drift.
The job was and still is very demanding and I love it. But I needed something to balance it. And that is when
I finally got back into painting and photo art
And I am still at it. Right now, the most important part of creating art is to shift my mind away from work-related thoughts. When I am painting I am usually immersed in a different world, my mind wanders. Sometimes I am listening to music, other times I am listening to a Twitch stream. It all helps quiet my busy work mind to a state where I can - just paint. And thus relax and rebuild my energy.
And there you have it that's my hobby. How about you? Let me know while I'm off painting a little 😍
Cheers,
(Ocean)Bee
Photo Art
Acrylics
Ink
Unless otherwise noted, copyright for all paintings, photos, dividers and gifs ©Oceanbee|ImagesByCW