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It’s fairly easy to dismiss how substantially positive the influence of a good hobby can be.

It’s good to have a project to focus on outside of work or your daily duties. For some people, that can be as simple as walking their dog in the park three times a week. For others, they may enjoy heading to a yoga class, or reading the latest spy novels, or even turning their hand to learning watercolors and painting landscapes in that format.

Hobbies not only give us focus, but help us learn, and express ourselves too. This is why it can be worthwhile to consider investing in a hobby so that you leverage the best of what it has to offer – for instance, a new guitar player investing in their first electric guitar, amplifier, and guitar lessons can gain new life from the experience, outside of sitting at the computer learning guitar tabs alone. Guitar learning is much easier with support, but not everyone can afford lessons, so it’s worth taking a look online for resources that can help. Everyone has to start somewhere, so there’s nothing to say one approach is better than another!

However, no matter what your hobby is, whether it’s stamp collecting or buying gold dollars in banks and other outlets, there are more ways to deepen your involvement aside from surface participation. In this post, we’ll discuss what those efforts may be:

Learning The Deeper Craft & History 

Diving into the deeper craft and understanding of your hobby is a fun experience to take part in, because passion and learning can often feel like play, and there’s nothing quite like satiating that curiosity. Watching documentaries, reading amazing books like the Andrew Jefford Wine insights, and joining events to learn more can be inspiring to say the least. Sometimes, this can be as simple as reading the fan-made Wikipedia about a fantasy world you really love, sometimes you might go in-person to a whiskey-tasting event with your partner. A strong appreciation for the culture of your hobby and its most influential figures will connect you more deeply to your chosen craft. Then you’ll notice your hobby becomes a pursuit, and that in itself can be inspiring. 

Joining Hobbyist Groups

There’s nothing quite like sharing your hobby with other people, learning from them and they from you. For example, you may love hiking, but since your friends engage with it less, and your family is a little less keen, you might join a hiking group to enjoy a long hike once a month.

A popular group for avid readers is a book club as they hold you accountable and allow you to make friends with like-minded people. In addition, you could receive recommendations you hadn’t previously considered – perhaps a thriller written by J.D. Barker for example. You could even join an online group dedicated to at-home guitar lessons, or even a small group you enjoy artisan coffee with from time to time.

Making Your Own Mark

It can be fun to make your mark in the hobby you love. So for instance, if you really enjoy craft beer and the local scene, you might bring home an excellent beer kit, and enjoy filtering that yourself. Perhaps you’ll have a little fun making small labels for each bottle, and pass it around to your friends when watching a sport’s match. Similarly, if you’re passionate about pickleball, investing in custom pickleball paddles can add a personal touch to your game, helping you stand out on the court. A hobby is good to witness and learn about, but ultimately engaging with it is best, especially if you’re a novice or amateur.

With this advice, you’re sure to take that wonderful hobby to the next level.

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