What is your creative/artistic hobby/outlet and why do you like it?
January 16, 2020 7:36 AM Subscribe
What do you, artsy person, do and why do you like it? What's your story? Do you paint? Computer-based art? Cast resin? Topiary gardens? Create and run ARGs? Translate obscure previously-untranslated poetry? Tell me about it. Especially if it's something less common.
I'm big into DIY ethos which results in doing a lot of creative/crafty projects, and I've always loved the creative process. However DIY stuff involves a ton of different, unrelated, discrete projects - something needs doin' and I learn what I need to do it, I do it, and that's that until something else needs doing.
I would like to try developing an actual creative skill. Say painting for example. Painters can continually learn new techniques, improve existing ones, etc. If you ever had some creative idea you wanted to express you have a go-to medium.
Trying things often costs money or other resources though, and I'd like to minimize what I spend learning what I don't like. I figure getting some perspectives might help me prioritize what to try first.
I'm big into DIY ethos which results in doing a lot of creative/crafty projects, and I've always loved the creative process. However DIY stuff involves a ton of different, unrelated, discrete projects - something needs doin' and I learn what I need to do it, I do it, and that's that until something else needs doing.
I would like to try developing an actual creative skill. Say painting for example. Painters can continually learn new techniques, improve existing ones, etc. If you ever had some creative idea you wanted to express you have a go-to medium.
Trying things often costs money or other resources though, and I'd like to minimize what I spend learning what I don't like. I figure getting some perspectives might help me prioritize what to try first.
I love creating things, but I've focused my efforts on knitting as there can be a social aspect to it, it's easy to do while doing other things (like watching a movie with my husband), there's always new skills to learn, it takes a relatively low level of initial investment to see if you like it, I can gift people handmade useful items that they really treasure, I can do it anywhere, I can choose small or large projects depending on my mood, and there are huge festivals dedicated to sheep and fiber arts. There's also something about the feel of nice yarn in my hands that brings me joy/quells my baseline anxiety.
I have plenty of other minor hobbies, but knitting (and now starting to learn crochet and spinning) has turned into my major investment. Other minor hobbies I have tried and/or currently engage in: growing plants from seedlings (my black thumb has turned a murky green, also building my raised beds at my house is weather dependent and $$$ for initial investment); making jams/pickles/etc. - I enjoy, but it's a harder item to consume and relies on a big chunk of time; woodworking - just not my forte; painting/sketching - don't have the basic skills; pottery - requires access to special space/equipment but I do really enjoy it and get the same mental health benefits as I do from knitting; baking - works when I'm not on a diet, may require a multi-day commitment.
posted by DoubleLune at 7:56 AM on January 16, 2020 [5 favorites]
I have plenty of other minor hobbies, but knitting (and now starting to learn crochet and spinning) has turned into my major investment. Other minor hobbies I have tried and/or currently engage in: growing plants from seedlings (my black thumb has turned a murky green, also building my raised beds at my house is weather dependent and $$$ for initial investment); making jams/pickles/etc. - I enjoy, but it's a harder item to consume and relies on a big chunk of time; woodworking - just not my forte; painting/sketching - don't have the basic skills; pottery - requires access to special space/equipment but I do really enjoy it and get the same mental health benefits as I do from knitting; baking - works when I'm not on a diet, may require a multi-day commitment.
posted by DoubleLune at 7:56 AM on January 16, 2020 [5 favorites]
I think to find your lane... you will need to first take a long hard self-examination into what you are into, are attracted to, captures your attention and then decide to try that. (What MUST you do before you die?) THAT will provide the drive to get better, create solutions to the roadblocks you will run into - i.e. money, resources.
I am a painter that works in thick acrylic gels - because the material is heavy, it will 'sag' regular canvasses - so I use board panels. But they are expensive- so I make my own panel boards... at a fraction of the cost. I also built a very large easel out of 2X4's, and a large custom compass. I've also learned a ton from a wide range of topics including geometry, art showcasing, buying wood, and social media.
Good luck! Maybe check me out on IG @mikefinkgallery
posted by mrmarley at 7:56 AM on January 16, 2020 [2 favorites]
I am a painter that works in thick acrylic gels - because the material is heavy, it will 'sag' regular canvasses - so I use board panels. But they are expensive- so I make my own panel boards... at a fraction of the cost. I also built a very large easel out of 2X4's, and a large custom compass. I've also learned a ton from a wide range of topics including geometry, art showcasing, buying wood, and social media.
Good luck! Maybe check me out on IG @mikefinkgallery
posted by mrmarley at 7:56 AM on January 16, 2020 [2 favorites]
I do makeup (on myself and for photoshoots) and am constantly pushing my boundaries in terms of skill and creativity. With quality makeup available at various price points, the barrier to entry isn't huge and the supplies don't take up a ton of room.
I also do cosplay costume creation, which is basically the opposite in terms of cost and space... but is great fun.
posted by rachaelfaith at 7:58 AM on January 16, 2020
I also do cosplay costume creation, which is basically the opposite in terms of cost and space... but is great fun.
posted by rachaelfaith at 7:58 AM on January 16, 2020
I have several different art and craft related hobbies that bring me a lot of satisfaction and joy. The primary one that I've been doing in the last year is making one of a kind oracle decks for me and my friends. I used mixed media to make them, so acrylic paint, ink pads of various types, gel pens, collage, paint pens, watercolors, colored pencil. I buy small blank decks on Etsy, then decide the basic theme of the deck, then sit and brainstorm a list of possible cards to go with the theme, decide on a color scheme, and then I'm ready to start the deck. So far I've made 4 on different themes, and I have a plan right now to start the process on a deck based on the work of the poet Mary Oliver. I love this project because seeing it through from start to finish is very pleasurable.
posted by fairlynearlyready at 8:09 AM on January 16, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by fairlynearlyready at 8:09 AM on January 16, 2020 [4 favorites]
I make head flair. It started as a "I want a cute feathery thing to wear on my head for Mardi Gras and I can't find what I like" situation and now I make a few dozen for every holiday and sell them on facebook. I recently have gotten requests for a few more expensive custom pieces also.
posted by tryniti at 8:13 AM on January 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by tryniti at 8:13 AM on January 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
Shibori. I've dyed napkins and tshirts. It's a bit more restrained than typical tie-dye.
Probably going to take a ukelele class because I want to learn to make music.
posted by theora55 at 8:16 AM on January 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
Probably going to take a ukelele class because I want to learn to make music.
posted by theora55 at 8:16 AM on January 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
I will second working with yarn (knitting or crocheting) because that is the ultimate portable craft. It's Legos for clothes. Most crafts involve you needing a table, special supplies, set aside quality time to use machinery, etc. But I can yank out yarn and make something almost any time, so I get more done.
Other crafts I do are glass (mostly stained glass mosaics, though I've done flameworking, stained glass, fused glass),jewelrymaking (more enameling and wire work, have tried metalsmithing), T-shirt screenprinting (not my best skill), sewing, quilting (not my favorite), spinning yarn, dyeing fabric and yarn, needlepoint, plastic canvas, ceramics (sculpture, not wheelthrowing), photography...about everything but wood and welding, I don't have much need to do those. Easy crafts for people who don't have much skills include collage, soapmaking if you stick to glycerin, and beeswax candles.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:21 AM on January 16, 2020 [2 favorites]
Other crafts I do are glass (mostly stained glass mosaics, though I've done flameworking, stained glass, fused glass),jewelrymaking (more enameling and wire work, have tried metalsmithing), T-shirt screenprinting (not my best skill), sewing, quilting (not my favorite), spinning yarn, dyeing fabric and yarn, needlepoint, plastic canvas, ceramics (sculpture, not wheelthrowing), photography...about everything but wood and welding, I don't have much need to do those. Easy crafts for people who don't have much skills include collage, soapmaking if you stick to glycerin, and beeswax candles.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:21 AM on January 16, 2020 [2 favorites]
I paint in acrylics, do mixed media art with collage, draw, work on various art journals, mess around with inks and dip pens.
I do prints using a gelatin plate and incorporate those prints into my mixed media and card-making. I make holiday cards every year, postcards, and general purpose cards, using heat embossing, paper collage, and stamping.
I went through a phase of making tiny booklets from scrap paper and thread. I also went through a phase of making tiny pots for tiny succulents from polymer clay.
I have been knitting for many years. Don't do well with crochet, didn't stick very long with spinning yarn. I have also done quite a bit of sashiko embroidery, and cord knotting like friendship bracelets and kumihimo. I recently bought a punch needle kit to see if I liked that craft and it was fun. I have resisted other fiber arts that require big equipment like sewing/quilting and weaving.
In 2017 I decided to go all in on epoxy resin, making jewelry, bowls, and all kinds of other objects. I went pretty hard at resin until this past summer when I suddenly lost my energy for all the set up and cleaning it requires. I don't have a studio space and sometimes that limitation really gets me down.
In the end, although I love to try new techniques and media, knitting and painting/mixed media/art journals are my two mainstays. I'm able to do them many places, using many different kinds of materials and the clean-up is simple.
posted by See you tomorrow, saguaro at 8:33 AM on January 16, 2020 [2 favorites]
I do prints using a gelatin plate and incorporate those prints into my mixed media and card-making. I make holiday cards every year, postcards, and general purpose cards, using heat embossing, paper collage, and stamping.
I went through a phase of making tiny booklets from scrap paper and thread. I also went through a phase of making tiny pots for tiny succulents from polymer clay.
I have been knitting for many years. Don't do well with crochet, didn't stick very long with spinning yarn. I have also done quite a bit of sashiko embroidery, and cord knotting like friendship bracelets and kumihimo. I recently bought a punch needle kit to see if I liked that craft and it was fun. I have resisted other fiber arts that require big equipment like sewing/quilting and weaving.
In 2017 I decided to go all in on epoxy resin, making jewelry, bowls, and all kinds of other objects. I went pretty hard at resin until this past summer when I suddenly lost my energy for all the set up and cleaning it requires. I don't have a studio space and sometimes that limitation really gets me down.
In the end, although I love to try new techniques and media, knitting and painting/mixed media/art journals are my two mainstays. I'm able to do them many places, using many different kinds of materials and the clean-up is simple.
posted by See you tomorrow, saguaro at 8:33 AM on January 16, 2020 [2 favorites]
I am into papercrafting (creative and art journaling) and I am also a Crazy Planner Person who uses decorative planning as a means of scrapbooking and memory keeping. I have taken a watercolor painting class and plan to take more, as well as learning to draw this year. I have this creative thing inside of me that I'm hoping to get out and express. I sometimes just want to stay home and craft all day, but I am so far enjoying these as solitary pursuits (except the class...that was with a small group of others, but those were all strangers, which was fine).
posted by heathergirl at 8:36 AM on January 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by heathergirl at 8:36 AM on January 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
I sing in a band! It gets me out of my head, you can't sing a song and think about other things... well, you can, but it doesn't go well.
I also cross-stitch for things I can look at to say "I made that"! I started just by googling and finding design pieces on Pinterest. It can be a fairly inexpensive craft if you don't go overboard with framing and such.
posted by wellred at 8:43 AM on January 16, 2020
I also cross-stitch for things I can look at to say "I made that"! I started just by googling and finding design pieces on Pinterest. It can be a fairly inexpensive craft if you don't go overboard with framing and such.
posted by wellred at 8:43 AM on January 16, 2020
Finding your outlet can be hard, but here are a few of mine and their motivations:
I have always had really good handwriting and enjoy the process of it, so I learn different styles and try to master them - I recently mentioned Kurrent in another answer; for me practicing and teaching it helps maintain a part of my culture that the fascists almost entirely destroyed in the US (IMO). My natural handwriting is a kind of modified Spencerian anyway, so the bones for a lot of fanciness are there.
I teach sewing and fashion design, but I don't enjoy it directly as a hobby as much because I've monetized it. And anyway, the world doesn't need another person telling people what to wear and how to wear it and why their own taste is bad. So I've kind of turned this thing I'm really good at into a process of creative facilitation to help others be creative and take it out into the world.
I LOVE creative and technically difficult things that are also functional. So I don't hang drywall, I lay plaster properly. The look of an almost perfectly smooth wall is a thing of beauty. I can paint, but public decorative painting (think Art Deco in a building's hallway) for interiors is something that numerous people can see and enjoy rather than a painting in a gallery or living room, so I'd rather do that.
I also love woodworking and upholstery projects - they are ways for me to play around with and have things I would in no way be able to afford normally. It gives me the chance to create and restore substantial things to my own tastes and aesthetics.
I think this last one is a little weird, but I also enjoy making secret surprise art installations in things that are more functional - so inside at least one wall in a construction project there will be these weird little tableaux that people at some point will stumble on. Buried out in gardens and follies and tucked into the construction of sofas and chairs and in the hems of dresses and collars of shirts there are these things that somebody is going to eventually stumble on (or not) and (hopefully) be delighted, amused, and/or confused. When that happens doesn't matter to me at all.
posted by Tchad at 8:51 AM on January 16, 2020 [5 favorites]
I have always had really good handwriting and enjoy the process of it, so I learn different styles and try to master them - I recently mentioned Kurrent in another answer; for me practicing and teaching it helps maintain a part of my culture that the fascists almost entirely destroyed in the US (IMO). My natural handwriting is a kind of modified Spencerian anyway, so the bones for a lot of fanciness are there.
I teach sewing and fashion design, but I don't enjoy it directly as a hobby as much because I've monetized it. And anyway, the world doesn't need another person telling people what to wear and how to wear it and why their own taste is bad. So I've kind of turned this thing I'm really good at into a process of creative facilitation to help others be creative and take it out into the world.
I LOVE creative and technically difficult things that are also functional. So I don't hang drywall, I lay plaster properly. The look of an almost perfectly smooth wall is a thing of beauty. I can paint, but public decorative painting (think Art Deco in a building's hallway) for interiors is something that numerous people can see and enjoy rather than a painting in a gallery or living room, so I'd rather do that.
I also love woodworking and upholstery projects - they are ways for me to play around with and have things I would in no way be able to afford normally. It gives me the chance to create and restore substantial things to my own tastes and aesthetics.
I think this last one is a little weird, but I also enjoy making secret surprise art installations in things that are more functional - so inside at least one wall in a construction project there will be these weird little tableaux that people at some point will stumble on. Buried out in gardens and follies and tucked into the construction of sofas and chairs and in the hems of dresses and collars of shirts there are these things that somebody is going to eventually stumble on (or not) and (hopefully) be delighted, amused, and/or confused. When that happens doesn't matter to me at all.
posted by Tchad at 8:51 AM on January 16, 2020 [5 favorites]
Thought of another one - calligraphy and/or brush lettering -- I picked up brush lettering as the easier version when I was getting married, but have wanted to learn proper calligraphy for a while. It's also something you can easily monetize as a side hustle if you're so inclined.
posted by DoubleLune at 9:11 AM on January 16, 2020
posted by DoubleLune at 9:11 AM on January 16, 2020
I make jewelry. I started the hobby as a young 'tween/teen. I think I originally fell in love with all the shiny glass beads (I also had a thing for marbles). As my hobby grew and developed I tried many different aspects (bead weaving, wire wrapping, even lampwork (making glass beads by torch)). Eventually I hit on chainmail. That has been my favorite type of jewelry to make for over a decade. I like being able to sit down with my tiny dragon-hoard of copper (my favorite metal--heavy, weighty, shiny then matte) or aluminum (great colors are available for anodized aluminum!) and mess around with it. I sometimes go in with a firm idea: I am making a necklace using this weave and these materials. Often, it's more of a softer concept with playing around--does this size work, how do these colors interact, can I mix it with this other weave, these embellishments? It is a tiny playground of shining material. And in the end, I get some earrings or a necklace for myself or as a gift.
I also like poking around sites where people share their own beautiful chainmail jewelry and dreaming about what I might make.
posted by carrioncomfort at 9:29 AM on January 16, 2020
I also like poking around sites where people share their own beautiful chainmail jewelry and dreaming about what I might make.
posted by carrioncomfort at 9:29 AM on January 16, 2020
Jewelry here, too! About a MILLION years ago, I wanted a set of those fancy wine charms - this was before you could find them at every TJ Maxx or whatever, and I saw them at a florist for $40 for a set of six. I ranted and raved to my friend Tracy about how ridiculously expensive they were, and she suggested I come with her to a gem and jewelry show to learn about jewelry findings and charms. I've never looked back! I've done everything from beading to wire work to silversmithing, and I think the most appealing thing for me is that there are so many LANES. You can bead badge holders or learn to set stones, and EVERYTHING in between. I was largely self-taught until I moved into metal work - it's amazing how much you can teach yourself from YouTube and observation!
posted by ersatzkat at 9:54 AM on January 16, 2020
posted by ersatzkat at 9:54 AM on January 16, 2020
These days I'm really into ink and watercolor painting. It's fairly inexpensive to get into, and theres lots of youtube tutorials on easy techniques. I originally started in the attempt to loosen up my painting techniques. Reader, it did not work. But it's ok! Its still fun.
In the past I've done acrylic and oil painting, sculpture, made costumes, clothing, accessories and jewelry...whatever grabbed my interest. I used to own a boutique where I sold it all, but now I just do it for fun.
I do graphic design as a side hustle sometimes. If you have an iPad pro, maybe get Procreate and mess around? Its pretty comprehensive for art styles so you can experiment with several mediums and techniques.
posted by ananci at 10:33 AM on January 16, 2020
In the past I've done acrylic and oil painting, sculpture, made costumes, clothing, accessories and jewelry...whatever grabbed my interest. I used to own a boutique where I sold it all, but now I just do it for fun.
I do graphic design as a side hustle sometimes. If you have an iPad pro, maybe get Procreate and mess around? Its pretty comprehensive for art styles so you can experiment with several mediums and techniques.
posted by ananci at 10:33 AM on January 16, 2020
When I have lived in college towns I have taken advantage of extension classes to do things that require infrastructure/studio space and equipment I don't want to own myself. Many years ago, it was glassblowing. More recently, it has been ceramics.
Wheel thrown vessels are so satisfying from start to finish. I highly recommend it. Unlike glassblowing (which is surprisingly, and, to me, unfortunately collaborative) you can be in the studio alone and get a whole lot done, I have made three or four bowls at once in my very limited blocks of free time, and I still basically have no idea what I'm doing. When you screw up, you recycle the material, so it's pretty low waste, which I also like.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 10:49 AM on January 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
Wheel thrown vessels are so satisfying from start to finish. I highly recommend it. Unlike glassblowing (which is surprisingly, and, to me, unfortunately collaborative) you can be in the studio alone and get a whole lot done, I have made three or four bowls at once in my very limited blocks of free time, and I still basically have no idea what I'm doing. When you screw up, you recycle the material, so it's pretty low waste, which I also like.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 10:49 AM on January 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
All of these at one point have been "my thing:"
Writing poetry and reading at a local open mic
Useful origami, like boxes and stuff
Making duct tape stuff -- wallets, mainly
Painting abstract art. I started off wanting to make tshirt with a black square. I do abstract because I don't have the technical skill to paint pictures of actual things but wanted to paint anyway.
Assemblage sculptures using found materials/"junk"
Papier Mache Sculptures with leftover newspaper and armatures made of cast-off cardboard
Inventing my own recipes for church cookoffs, like: ancho pecan brittle, grapefruit habanero cocktails, savory cheesecakes, ceviche snowcones. Varying levels of success.
I am drawn to expressions of creativity that have a low barrier to entry, use up leftover or readily available materials, can be done with/for family and kids, are playful and not horribly dependent on results.
My biggest advice is to give yourself permission to be bad or mediocre at stuff and find what you enjoy. Second biggest is, well, do stuff until something sticks. That's easiest if you try stuff with low barriers to entry. Anybody can paint a black square on a T-shirt.
posted by cross_impact at 1:29 PM on January 16, 2020 [3 favorites]
Writing poetry and reading at a local open mic
Useful origami, like boxes and stuff
Making duct tape stuff -- wallets, mainly
Painting abstract art. I started off wanting to make tshirt with a black square. I do abstract because I don't have the technical skill to paint pictures of actual things but wanted to paint anyway.
Assemblage sculptures using found materials/"junk"
Papier Mache Sculptures with leftover newspaper and armatures made of cast-off cardboard
Inventing my own recipes for church cookoffs, like: ancho pecan brittle, grapefruit habanero cocktails, savory cheesecakes, ceviche snowcones. Varying levels of success.
I am drawn to expressions of creativity that have a low barrier to entry, use up leftover or readily available materials, can be done with/for family and kids, are playful and not horribly dependent on results.
My biggest advice is to give yourself permission to be bad or mediocre at stuff and find what you enjoy. Second biggest is, well, do stuff until something sticks. That's easiest if you try stuff with low barriers to entry. Anybody can paint a black square on a T-shirt.
posted by cross_impact at 1:29 PM on January 16, 2020 [3 favorites]
Crochet -- a hook, a skein of yarn, something to cut the yarn, a large-eye needle to work in the tag ends. A pattern (I do mainly flat objects like afghans, ruanas and scarves, plus the occasional amigurumi animal). A little time.
It's a very portable art form. The basics can be learned through YouTube and books and classes at craft stores.
It can be solitary or social. There's always something new to learn.
Even if it comes out wrong, it still does its job. And it can always be recycled if you get tired of the project.
A painting is admired, hung... and ignored. A statue is a dust-collector. A blanket can be used until it is worn out, even if it isn't the greatest piece of art.
posted by TrishaU at 2:46 PM on January 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
It's a very portable art form. The basics can be learned through YouTube and books and classes at craft stores.
It can be solitary or social. There's always something new to learn.
Even if it comes out wrong, it still does its job. And it can always be recycled if you get tired of the project.
A painting is admired, hung... and ignored. A statue is a dust-collector. A blanket can be used until it is worn out, even if it isn't the greatest piece of art.
posted by TrishaU at 2:46 PM on January 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
I've tried my hand at so many hobbies, but there are a few that have stuck:
- Oil painting. There is something very satisfying about being able to blend and blend and blend. Once you get the hang of understanding light/shadow, it's honestly not that difficult to paint something really fantastic. It's also just very relaxing focusing on the colors and lights and shadows. And I see the world and faces and objects differently now (e.g. not just "oh that looks nice" but "wow that would be interesting and challenging to paint").
- Needle felting. Holy smokes I love needle felting. You get a bunch of roving wool, a felting needle (it has barbs at the end), a foam mat, and you just stab the wool while sculpting it into a shape of your choosing. I've made so many very cute things, it's therapeutic (you can really get the rage out), it's fairly easy and also not very expensive.
- Knitting. So many lovely things you can make with just a basic knit and purl! The knitting community in general is very welcoming and there are about a million tutorial videos online for every technique. It can get expensive though, so this one definitely stops and starts more than my other hobbies that are a little cheaper.
posted by thebots at 3:01 PM on January 16, 2020
- Oil painting. There is something very satisfying about being able to blend and blend and blend. Once you get the hang of understanding light/shadow, it's honestly not that difficult to paint something really fantastic. It's also just very relaxing focusing on the colors and lights and shadows. And I see the world and faces and objects differently now (e.g. not just "oh that looks nice" but "wow that would be interesting and challenging to paint").
- Needle felting. Holy smokes I love needle felting. You get a bunch of roving wool, a felting needle (it has barbs at the end), a foam mat, and you just stab the wool while sculpting it into a shape of your choosing. I've made so many very cute things, it's therapeutic (you can really get the rage out), it's fairly easy and also not very expensive.
- Knitting. So many lovely things you can make with just a basic knit and purl! The knitting community in general is very welcoming and there are about a million tutorial videos online for every technique. It can get expensive though, so this one definitely stops and starts more than my other hobbies that are a little cheaper.
posted by thebots at 3:01 PM on January 16, 2020
I also knit, with some crochet on the side, and though they've been listed several times above, I wanted to throw in how it personally benefits me.
Learning to knit completely aligns with my recent and growing desires to think more carefully about the clothes that I buy and what I choose to keep in my life. It is such a good feeling to see a sweater I like in a store, check the price and material, and immediately walk away without buying it, because there is nothing that will make me pay $70 for a plastic sweater (acrylic).
(And now I have the confidence to know I could make something better, with actual wool yarn.)
I've started focusing on natural fibers for clothes that I buy or choose to make (I have a background in sewing as well); I'm feeling more content with less; I enjoy the clothes I've chosen to keep and it's now easier for me to pare down the ones that I don't. And because it takes so long to make wearable pieces, I'm really forced to plan projects and it's harder to be impulsive (I won't buy yarn without a project in mind).
Of course, there's the standard pride of finishing something useful and seeing my skills improve with each new technique, but I'm just... happier? It's hard to explain fully. But it's hard to rush through knitting and I'm pleased with the deliberate slowness it's brought to my life.
posted by lesser weasel at 6:32 PM on January 16, 2020
Learning to knit completely aligns with my recent and growing desires to think more carefully about the clothes that I buy and what I choose to keep in my life. It is such a good feeling to see a sweater I like in a store, check the price and material, and immediately walk away without buying it, because there is nothing that will make me pay $70 for a plastic sweater (acrylic).
(And now I have the confidence to know I could make something better, with actual wool yarn.)
I've started focusing on natural fibers for clothes that I buy or choose to make (I have a background in sewing as well); I'm feeling more content with less; I enjoy the clothes I've chosen to keep and it's now easier for me to pare down the ones that I don't. And because it takes so long to make wearable pieces, I'm really forced to plan projects and it's harder to be impulsive (I won't buy yarn without a project in mind).
Of course, there's the standard pride of finishing something useful and seeing my skills improve with each new technique, but I'm just... happier? It's hard to explain fully. But it's hard to rush through knitting and I'm pleased with the deliberate slowness it's brought to my life.
posted by lesser weasel at 6:32 PM on January 16, 2020
I color. When I started, I only used crayons. I've branched out to markers, gel pens, colored pencils and even watercolor brush pens.
I can do it in a social setting like the MeetUp group I go to. But I can do it solo. I'm trying to be more random and free with it, so I've been using books with geometric images rather than "pictures" per se.
posted by kathrynm at 7:58 PM on January 16, 2020
I can do it in a social setting like the MeetUp group I go to. But I can do it solo. I'm trying to be more random and free with it, so I've been using books with geometric images rather than "pictures" per se.
posted by kathrynm at 7:58 PM on January 16, 2020
-cooking classes geared at home cooks. I was terrible at cooking before, and now I find it so fun! I am creating and improvising more and more as I learn.
-ceramics. I am not that great at the wheel stuff- my body is not great at centering clay but I love handbuilding. I like building functional stuff and I learn something new and pick up weird little tips and tools every single day I am in the studio. It’s also so messy and hands on that you can really get in the zone.
You might like browsing the workshops at Anderson ranch or Penland for ideas too.
posted by wowenthusiast at 10:02 PM on January 16, 2020
-ceramics. I am not that great at the wheel stuff- my body is not great at centering clay but I love handbuilding. I like building functional stuff and I learn something new and pick up weird little tips and tools every single day I am in the studio. It’s also so messy and hands on that you can really get in the zone.
You might like browsing the workshops at Anderson ranch or Penland for ideas too.
posted by wowenthusiast at 10:02 PM on January 16, 2020
I really enjoy analog photography because: (a) it engages my brain in about 1,000 different ways (math, chemistry, mechanical engineering, general problem-solving, etc.), (b) it gets me out and walking around and off my phone/computer, (c) I develop film in a community darkroom and there are a lot of nice people there, (d) you can easily get really into crazy experimental stuff that probably very few people have tried before (e) I think the results are really beautiful.
Also, the barrier to entry is pretty low; you can literally learn the basics of your camera in a single day (although there is a lot to learn after that). The main trick is finding a darkroom that you can use. After that you just need a camera and film.
posted by rjacobs at 10:03 AM on January 17, 2020
Also, the barrier to entry is pretty low; you can literally learn the basics of your camera in a single day (although there is a lot to learn after that). The main trick is finding a darkroom that you can use. After that you just need a camera and film.
posted by rjacobs at 10:03 AM on January 17, 2020
I draw. Mostly comics, mostly in Adobe Illustrator.
Time investment: multiple years of learning to draw, overlapping with about twenty years of using Illustrator now.
Monetary investment: a bunch of sketchbooks I filled up on the bus and whatnot when I was learning to draw, untold hours of classes over the years, computer, Wacom tablet, Illustrator. Which I was not paying for in the early years of this whole affair.
Comics have the nice feature of killing “art block”. Once you’ve got your story outlined there is always something to do without having to stare at an empty page and wait for the Muse to visit; just today for instance I was really unmotivated to work on the current next page so I spent some time setting up layers on the next few pages based on my rough drawings, then got into designing a visual effect in one of those pages.
posted by egypturnash at 9:54 PM on January 17, 2020
Time investment: multiple years of learning to draw, overlapping with about twenty years of using Illustrator now.
Monetary investment: a bunch of sketchbooks I filled up on the bus and whatnot when I was learning to draw, untold hours of classes over the years, computer, Wacom tablet, Illustrator. Which I was not paying for in the early years of this whole affair.
Comics have the nice feature of killing “art block”. Once you’ve got your story outlined there is always something to do without having to stare at an empty page and wait for the Muse to visit; just today for instance I was really unmotivated to work on the current next page so I spent some time setting up layers on the next few pages based on my rough drawings, then got into designing a visual effect in one of those pages.
posted by egypturnash at 9:54 PM on January 17, 2020
Response by poster: Thanks y'all. Got a bunch of ideas working.
Also some of these suggestions made me realize I think the reason I feel like I'm missing something on the creative side now is some of my previous "main" hobbies were filling this role and I never realized it. Specifically in the cooking/baking realm, as I was pretty big into making and bottling my own sauces etc for a year or three. Also this is part of my DIY thing I mentioned, but a lot of DIY effort was channeled specifically into my main non-creative hobby of backpacking/hiking, but at this point I've pretty much exhausted things that need solutions.
Re: cosplay, despite being the opposite in terms of cost/space, I actually did try that last year. I'm an anime dork so I get a lot of exposure to that sort of thing lol. It was a pretty hastily put together cosplay, but decent except I never could figure out wig styling so it never made a public appearance. Maybe something to pursue more.
@mrmarley: wow your paintings are neat. I didn't realize acrylic paint came in forms that would allow you to achieve texture like that.
posted by ToddBurson at 5:48 AM on January 21, 2020
Also some of these suggestions made me realize I think the reason I feel like I'm missing something on the creative side now is some of my previous "main" hobbies were filling this role and I never realized it. Specifically in the cooking/baking realm, as I was pretty big into making and bottling my own sauces etc for a year or three. Also this is part of my DIY thing I mentioned, but a lot of DIY effort was channeled specifically into my main non-creative hobby of backpacking/hiking, but at this point I've pretty much exhausted things that need solutions.
Re: cosplay, despite being the opposite in terms of cost/space, I actually did try that last year. I'm an anime dork so I get a lot of exposure to that sort of thing lol. It was a pretty hastily put together cosplay, but decent except I never could figure out wig styling so it never made a public appearance. Maybe something to pursue more.
@mrmarley: wow your paintings are neat. I didn't realize acrylic paint came in forms that would allow you to achieve texture like that.
posted by ToddBurson at 5:48 AM on January 21, 2020
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posted by caveatz at 7:45 AM on January 16, 2020 [7 favorites]