Hello again! Today I am covering the letter C in my lockdown alphabet series, and guess what C stands for? C stands for the joy of creativity we got from pursuing our hobbies during this stay at home period. Several people rediscovered their passion towards baking, reading, painting, blogging and other creative activities during this time. I would definitely say this was one of the biggest silver linings during the Covid lockdowns for everyone around the world.
Why creative hobbies spiked during Covid?
The lockdown resulted in the rise of two things – boredom and anxiety. People were abruptly jolted out of their social lives and were stuck at home with plenty of free time and no plans. In addition to this, anxiety was on the rise given all the crazy events happening around the world. During this time, it was creative activities and hobbies which came to the rescue and provided people some relief. Creativity offers a means to express and regulate the emotions we are feeling and helps give a positive spin to stressful and anxious situations. In fact, given how the virus and lockdown uprooted our daily routines, everyone had to adapt to some form of a creative approach to just keep things moving – whether it was virtual events at work or amateur cooking experiments at home! And even if one wasn’t indulging in creative activities or hobbies, chances are, one was consuming rich content for distraction. Didn’t we all turn to movies, books, music during this time, took up multiple social media challenges on Instagram and Tiktok or just indulged in guilt free baking and cooking? A huge shoutout to all the artists around the world who kept us entertained and going during this period.
Even if you weren’t inspired to start a hobby at the beginning of the lockdown, you might have migrated towards one as time progressed. After all, there is a limit to how much “netflix and chill” one can absorb in a day. So it’s hardly a surprise that people discovered the joy in taking up old and new hobbies over a period of time. For some, it meant picking up conventional activities like reading, painting, learning a new language or musical instrument. Others immersed themselves in craft, home improvement or DIY projects. And a third lot cranked things up a notch by creating new art forms and hobbies. For example, erstwhile influencers and travel bloggers who were stuck at home started creating tiny life stills and captured them as creatively as possible using their existing photography skills.
What hobbies did I pick up during the lockdown?
I rediscovered a lot of my old hobbies during the WFH/lockdown months in 2020. As a kid, I always had my nose in books but growing up, studies, work and other activities took a front seat and I put my reading on the backburner. This year, I devoured old and new books, discovered interesting genres and am even planning to take up a reading challenge next year!
I also got back to writing and my blog, indulged in some creative photography (time lapse videos are so addictive!) and briefly pursued long stitch crafts. Since I was not traveling round the clock this year and had considerable time at home, I also took up a couple of decor and art projects, curating interesting looks for all the nooks and corners around my house. I also got a little carried away putting together interesting themes and gift baskets for birthdays and festivities. ?
I didn’t jump onto the netflix bandwagon (to each his own, I just feel binge-watching is akin to killing time), but I definitely rediscovered my love for old movies and music during these months. I sporadically indulged in reruns of shows and movies which I had come to cherish and love during my younger years. These played a huge part in shaping my overall perception and behavior towards life and it was such a delight to revisit them in current times!
Creative Activities and Hobbies for Everyone!
I know this year has been tougher on some folks than others and some of you probably wouldn’t have had the time or chance to pursue something creative. So if you haven’t had a chance to indulge in hobbies so far, or even if you are just looking to try something new, check out my round-up of interesting activities below. These lists will give you plenty of options to explore so you can pick up something before 2020 ends!
My top picks for activities to try would be: gardening to understand why there is such a fuss about “farm to table”, knitting or crochet given winter is almost here, origami or other decor crafts (I have always found this to be therapeutic), journaling to get a clear head at the end of the day, finding joy in organizing a la Marie Kondo or being adventurous enough to attempt making your own skincare at home.
So this winter, revel in the joy of trying something new. Like a wise man once said, “Find three hobbies you love: one to make you money, one to keep you in shape, and one to be creative”. Who knows, your next side hustle could be just one creative pursuit away! Do let me know what hobby or creative activity you are planning to pick up in the comments below.
Image Credits: Monamai, Rawpixel, Imgur, Etsy, Tatsuya Tanaka, Slinkachu, Bored Panda, Ratlion’s Den, Honestly WTF
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