In Praise of Hobbies

My parents were avid gardeners. Especially once they were retired. They spent hours in the yard, cleaning it up in the Spring and Fall and nurturing it through the summer. When I was a kid, I loved using the yard but it seemed like a lot of work. I didn’t understand that it was their hobby so it wasn’t a chore to them. Fast forward to me as a homeowner, and I am now a gardener too. It doesn’t feel like work to me now, either.

As a designer, I tend to pick up a hobby pretty fast and learn to do it well because I understand production and work well with details. Once in awhile, there’s a real temptation lurking in the background to turn it into something more… a side hustle. Well meaning friends and family are always making suggestions to explore a hobby as a business. That sounds like a nightmare to me.

The thing about a hobby is that it’s enjoyable because it’s an escape from the pressure of work and daily problems. As soon as it takes on a hint of professionalism, it gets serious. Perfectionism sneaks in. Something I used to love to do becomes something I have to do and all the fun goes out of it.

That’s why I love gardening as a hobby. It’s not something I’m going to do professionally or be hired to do for anyone else. I can screw stuff up, try something else, or just let weeds grow when I’m too tired to deal with it. It will never be perfect.