Student Blog: Finding Hobbies Outside of your Creative Career

Introduction

If you’re like me, you may have grown up doing something creative as a hobby. You went to school, did your homework, and committed to your time as a student, and then after school, went to rehearsal for the evening. And the balance was good! This creative hobby was something in addition to school that made you feel interesting as a person. It was also the place where you felt you could express yourself and decompress from the stress of the day. And somewhere along the way, you decided that this is what you want to do for the rest of your life.

So, you went to college to make your hobby into your career. Instead of going to rehearsal after school, it became school. And with this, it’s bound to be so much fun, but also incredibly stressful. The hustle culture of college, in its nature, no matter how much you love something, is likely to cause stress and burnout. And now you have no hobbies to give yourself a break. You may feel like there’s no balance anymore now that the thing that allowed you to get away from the stress is the thing taking over your entire life.

From personal experience, I can confirm that you are not alone! Even after changing my career to focus on musical theater in the middle of college, just under a year ago, this is something that I’ve dealt with. I still stand by my decision to make it a central focus in my life, but I have found that taking the time I have to find other hobbies and giving myself that space to decompress has benefited me in my pursuit of a creative career. Not only does it give my brain a break from constantly running repertoire and combinations, but it also makes me feel like a more interesting person because I have things to talk about outside of my career. So, if you want to give your brain the rest it needs and don’t know where to start, here are my tips on finding other things to do! 

How to find Hobbies

If you’re still like me, you might not know where to start with finding more things to enjoy. The biggest thing that helped me start was researching and looking around my environment. Maybe there’s a student club at your college that you’re interested in looking into. It may be scary at first if you’re more introverted, but go to a club meeting! As a club leader myself, I always love seeing new people who are interested in what the club has to offer. If you’re in an area with a lot going on, look into some events happening locally as well! You may find enjoyment in some pop-up events and festivals. Those are also great places to meet people who are also trying to find hobbies. A simple Google or TikTok search can give you plenty of inspiration.

With that being said, look up some inspiration on the internet! For me, Pinterest always makes me feel incredibly inspired to go out and try new things (dare I say “for the aesthetic”). So sit yourself down with a cute drink, have a little doomscroll session, and take note of the things that appeal to you!

I also wanted to share a theory that I thought was very helpful. I was listening to “The Psychology of Your 20s” because they had a podcast episode about hobbies. Jemma Sbeg, the host of the podcast, brought up in her episode, “You need more hobbies…here’s how you do it” the idea that there are three types of hobbies. There’s the casual, “leisure” kind, which defines hobbies that you do regularly that are low-commitment and don’t relate to your work. There’s also the “serious leisure” kind, which may be something that takes more preparation and commitment than casual leisure. Then, “short-term” hobbies can define an ongoing project. Of course, this is just a summary, so I highly recommend listening to the full episode to hear more about these definitions.

My last tip for finding more hobbies is to find a community! Don’t be afraid to talk to your friends and tell them you’re looking for hobbies. This could lead into a conversation where they suggest things you may like, or even one where they relate and you can set up plans to go hobby-hunting together. Having the support and accountability from another person can motivate you even more and make you feel less alone in your search for things to do. (Once again, you are not alone!!)

For the next section, I’ll also explain some of my ideas for you as someone still in search of hobbies and balance in my life! Feel free to take what you need from all of this.

My perspective on music outside of my career

As someone who grew up with a very musical background, music was always a place for me to express myself. Along with theater and dance, I have played the flute since I was 10 years old. In fact, if you know me, you’d know that I originally chose to pursue Flute Performance in college. What I realized when I made that choice was that I enjoyed the flute more when it was a hobby. It was always secondary to dance and theater in my childhood, so I always saw it as an extra form of creative expression. Since changing my career focus to theater, I’ve finally started to find joy in playing the flute again. I’m still the principal flautist in the Berklee Motion Picture Orchestra, which is a student-run symphony orchestra at my school (Berklee College of Music) that plays music from film in a concert every semester. I’ve always loved playing orchestral music, but I noticed that at the peak of my “career-questioning era”, rehearsals would drain me, and I feel so much better about having it back as a “secondary” form of expression.

With that, I highly recommend you find a musical hobby. If you find theater as a place to express yourself, you may enjoy music in a similar way. Along with the flute, I’ve enjoyed songwriting as another form of creative expression. I enjoy going into a practice room with a few lyrics in mind and making a melody out of it. Maybe one day I’ll release music, but I have no intention of being a songwriter in my career. It’s purely for my enjoyment. So I recommend songwriting, especially if you want an outlet to dig into your emotions. Other musical hobbies could include learning an instrument, making playlists, researching artists/musicians, attending shows and concerts. (The possibilities are infinite here!!)

Inspiration

Of course, hobbies that have absolutely nothing to do with music are great options too. Everyone has their own definition of “hobbies”, so I’ll state that I’m defining it as literally anything to focus your attention on outside of your career and necessities. 

As someone living in Boston, after doing research on my area, I found that Cafe Hunting was a great enjoyment of mine. I’m currently typing this article at a local cafe in Boston, and I’ve found myself really enjoying trying all of the different places the city has to offer and noting my favorite places and menu items. I’m currently sipping on a delicious Maple Matcha Latte and reflecting on how much I especially enjoy exploring all the seasonal items. I love giving and taking recommendations; it can be a great conversation starter!

Also, with living in the city, I’m enjoying different forms of movement. Especially as a dancer, finding ways to move my body that have nothing to do with dance is super rejuvenating. I enjoy going to the gym, long walks around my city, and I plan to check out local workout and yoga classes this year (if I have time). Also, dancing for your soul is so nice!! If you can find a space to just play music and move your body in any way you want, it can be so freeing and serve as a reminder that there is still creativity in you, even in the deepest depths of burnout.

Art can also be a good place to look for hobbies. There are so many paths you could take with this, like painting, crafts, sewing, baking (both crafty and delicious!), interior design, graphic design, filmmaking, pottery, and so much more.

Finding things to educate yourself on can be empowering as well, as it can give you new things to think about. You could start with 1 topic per week; just write down a list of things you may want to learn about. I mentioned listening to a podcast, and this can be great inspo!

Some people may debate this, but I see reading and watching movies and TV as a hobby! You’re keeping yourself updated on the widespread media that people enjoy. A goal I’ve set for myself is to solidify what my favorite movies and books are so I’m not stumped every time someone asks me, as I’ve always been.

And I cannot emphasize this enough: find a community to discover your interests with! There are usually some local clubs/gatherings you can find online, and these can help you find connections and learn more about your interests.

Outtro

I hope these tips were helpful for you in the search for a hobby. And I want to emphasize: you are not weak because you’re stressed over something you love. You just need something else to do to balance it out. Everyone needs a break, no matter how much they love something, and giving your brain and body the chance to think about something else allows you to return to your craft in a more present and passionate way. Thanks for reading my article today; now go have fun!