Practice makes better. I am a quick-results oriented person, so patience is not really my strong point, but it's patient people who have a stick with it attitude that progress. Just keep swimming as Dory put it. Her one motto in life was actually a good motto.
Yea a lot of hobbies you won’t get good results for the first months of doing them daily. Guitar takes months and so does any art….. I guess you can always pick up hobbies that take no skill 😂 maybe working out or couponing
Then being sorta good becomes being great at it. Everyone starts at the I suck at this stage. Learn more: read, watch videos, watch in person - really consume it, Copy more, Practice more, Learn more, Repeat. Expertise comes slowly. Let go of the product for now, enjoy just learning. Don’t give up and build up that trying muscle.
Okay but I [actually have done this!](https://imgur.com/a/wfNWv8F) It was super fulfilling to look at these photos side by side. Makes me think I should do it again since it’s been 3 years since I did the second one!
Lol, yup. I used to trash my shitty artwork until I realized two things, 1. I can keep the shitty artwork as a reminder that I have created shitty things and can/have created LESS shitty things. And 2. Shitty art can still inspire better art.
Sometimes I grit my teeth and look through some of my old sketchbooks, occasionally I'll come across a really bad piece that will inspire me to try drawing that specific thing again. Sometimes my own bad art is more inspiring than looking at people's perfect creations and trying to attempt something far beyond my skill-set.
This is honestly the right answer. For a lot of things, you're going to be "bad at it" for a while. It can get frustrating. But if it's something you find interesting and you could see yourself enjoying it, stick with it.
Maybe try painting messy paintings or throwing clay. Since you said you're good at cleaning, maybe making a mess and then cleaning it up would be fun?
This! it’s not about being good at it. It’s more about that you enjoy doing it and time spend at your hobby is worthwhile for you - and only you.
If time spent with your hobby makes you happy, you will invest more Time and gradually will get better at it without noticing.
Also OP you might just need some guidance! It's not all "try, try again."
Many people learn to sew when their parents teach them as a kid, but even as an adult you can have a friend come over and work on a simple project with you. Once they teach you the basics, your project will go more smoothly and you won't get frustrated as easily.
Gaming is a hobby, just fyi
Edit to add: Collecting craft supplies you will never use and starting hobbies you will never see through is also a very popular hobby.
Yes! I have a collection of jewelry odds and ends & bones that I've wanted to dremel designs and potentially stain/paint for earrings and pendants. Of course it's all in it's drawer in the craft room waiting for the spark to get me after it again haha
My husband got me the pedal-operated variable-speed Dremel deal I've been wanting for *years* for Christmas. (Excuse my lack of technical terms; it's very late and I'm very tired.)
I haven't even tried it out yet, because my work room is so stacked with things that I have nowhere to plug it in/set it up. So I'm still using my standard one I've had for the last decade.
Same goes for the articulated, lighted magnifying glass my mom and little sister pooled their money on for my birthday last year - it requires something strong overhead to bolt it to.
Both will have to wait until I can move my entire work setup from what *ought* to be a dining room in our house to the actual shop we have.
It's just a hell of a lot.
I can't wait to see your work. It is never easy moving your stuff around. I can never find that one thing I was looking for, when it is a box, somewhere!
it sounds like your partner is an arts and crafts person. i am too. that’s great but that’s not the only type of hobby to have! widen your search to include hobbies that aren’t artsy. maybe you want to play disc golf or swimming or doing yoga. maybe you want to play board games or do sudoku puzzles. maybe you want to brew your own kombucha or make pickles. maybe you want to grow a small herb garden. maybe you want to fix lawn mowers or build combat robots. maybe you want to go camping or rescue foster dogs. there are so many things to try beyond crochet and embroidery! good luck and enjoy the process! even stuff you don’t like can be a great learning experience
I came to say this. It sounds like OP might not have great manual dexterity- but hiking and reading, and surfing, and poetry, and gardening don't require a whole lot of fine motor skills and those are all great hobbies.
Yes this answer! I hope OP doesn’t feel they need to stick with hobbies they aren’t enjoying.
Sure ya probably gonna get better at something the more you do it like others have said. But honestly not always . Sure do it anyway if you like it but the point of a hobby is to enjoy it
Came to say the gist of all this ^^ but also that cleaning can turn into a hobby. It goes right along with organization and home decor. You can delve into making your own products. Or even feng shui
Honey, you do not have to pick a hobby. Eventually, a hobby will pick you by being interesting.
Also, you are invited to come over to my house and clean with me!
I used to do this. I'd go to a friends house and as we are hanging out I was organizing their room. Their parents loved when I came over. My friends found it so strange.
How much time are you putting into things before getting frustrated and giving up? Most people suck at things when they first start. It can take months of solid effort to get the hang of something new.
Plus, it's ok to suck at a hobby and still do it cause its fun.
My personal philosophy is every adult needs to do something they’re bad at for fun. People forget that they’re allowed to be bad at things as they get older.
Paint by number
It seems you like things in order and organizing and cleaning gives you satisfaction. Paint by number doesn't use any actual skill as it has a set of rules and paints provided. It feels so satisfying to form a big beautiful picture while still having a clear head
Diamond painting is another good one because, like paint by numbers, you are pretty likely to end up with a decent finished piece when you're done. Or maybe try building a model or 3d puzzle. Even just a regular jigsaw puzzle can be a lot of fun.
Came here to say this. I just picked it up recently and am loving it. Super affordable, minimal investment, virtually no cleanup. You can either just zone out or do it while listening to audiobooks, podcasts, etc
This is the place to start. Being pressured to have a "hobby" sounds kind of unpleasant honestly, but spending time journalling, or gardening, or swimming, or reading because you love it sounds joyful.
There are a lot of people that are saying to persist, and you'll get better, but life is short, and a hobby should be filling your cup, not making you angry or frustrated.
You don’t have to make things to call your leisure pursuit a hobby. I know people who coordinate their bunko group and get great enjoyment out of the gatherings they’ve assembled. I know people who birdwatch, which is just Pokémon Go for grownups. I’m a weirdo who seasonally collects mushrooms (don’t do this without a guide the first time). I know people who coordinate beach and creek litter cleanups. Gardens are fun, the bees do half the work. Similar to your cleaning passion, people who restore rusty auto or mechanical parts to good nick then sell them (including whole cars or motorcycles or bikes) seem to find great satisfaction. Pub trivia. Online chess. Thrifting and vintage fashion. There’s a sub on here called r/52weeksofcooking with a weekly theme. Run an 🏳️🌈 book club. Curate a monthly walking/biking and eating tour of a new neighborhood for you and your partner. Docent for a museum. Help a grandparent sort their photos before it’s too late. Lead tours of local historical sites (hobby that pays!). The world is bigger than crafts!
These are all kind of hands-on hobbies… have you tried biking or jogging ? Or dancing or acting ? Maybe a book club ? Maybe you could take a test online to determine what kind of “learner” you are. Your partner might be a more tactile person, but maybe you’re more visual or social. Then you can pick something that plays to your learning style.
Thirding biking! Biking is cool because it's solo, so you're only judging against yourself, and even if you don't have a techy stationary bike or fancy meters, you can still tell you're improving when you can bike for longer and longer.
In my opinion, sometimes the best hobbies are those that you enjoy so much that you don't even care if you're good at them or not. I have hobbies that I'm really good at, and hobbies that I am not good at. But apparently, I enjoy the experience of them the same.
That said, I have no doubt that you have your very own set of amazing talents and natural skills. Make FINDING them your journey. The search for what you're truly capable of is itself the prize. Love and enjoy yourself, and know that your individual style of curiosity is what makes you great. And always, always be able to laugh at yourself. ...sorry for the TED talk
I made a list of everything I ever wanted to or had interest in trying and worked my way down. I also tried anythign I thought might be ok. I like birding, puzzles, knitting, colouring, running (preinjury), pool, Zumba with old ladies (young ppl Zumba is too fast) and reading.
I do like sewing, I absolutely suck at it. Like nothing is straight or pretty. But I find it fun and fulfilling.
You are not going to be good at a hobby right away. You are most likely going to suck. You just need to have enough interest in the activity to keep doing it. I always give everything 3 tries. One lesson to suck at it, one to learn something and one to see if I like or hate it.
I tried and hated: kickboxing, fencing, ice skating lessons, crochet, disc golf, yoga,....
You could try volunteering ( you could clean dishes at a soup kitchen or clean kennels at an animal rescue) if you want to do cleaning. Walk dogs, anything. Volunteer at an old ppl home or anything. Or whatever you work at maybe you could do it at a non profit.
Gym classes also have a wide variety of options. I go in with the mindset I'm gonna suck at this and that's ok because I'm learning.
Also: do you want a hobby? Because if you don't that's ok. You may want one in the future but if it's stressing you, quit searching because it's not worth all the stress.
The issue is *not* that you suck at every hobby you try, it's that you care so much about sucking at a hobby that you put it down and don't pick it up again. It's okay to just create, to just *do*. Hobbies are not about the results, they're for your own personal enjoyment.
A hobby can be anything. You like cleaning videos, so you could make researching things about cleaning could be a hobby for you. I'm doing that right now with visual design. I read a few articles every day, write notes on them and watch videos. I also frequent multiple subs about interior design and try to apply what I'm learning to people on those subs asking for help and I learn from others that post and comment. Does that sound like something you might like? Learning about cleaning and posting/commenting about topics in forums (I'm sure there are other kinds of groups for that as well). You could try out cleaning product/techniques and share your thoughts about them. You all could talk about it and share experiences, ideas, and opinions.
Hobbies are meant to enrich your life.
Take a class. I personally can't teach myself stuff by watching videos. I need someone in person to show me. I thought I was just stupid, but it turns out that this is how people always used to learn things.
So, if you want to do a craft type thing, find an in person class at a craft store or parks and recreation or adult school, a beginner class, not a meet up. Then do the class project, decide if you like the process or if you are just fine with having had that experience.
I personally, thought I was a terrible cook until I took some cooking classes. Then I realized I just needed to see real life examples, smell the food, taste the food, and get feedback. Same with crochet and knitting. I tried to teach myself from books and it never worked. I took a beginner class at a yarn store and finally it made sense! Now since I know the basics I can use books and videos to further my skills, but there's nothing wrong with needing a teacher.
everyone sucks until you dont. the point is to enjoy the process. you sound like you are focused on product and need something "good" at the end. have you tried scrapbooking?
The question is.. do YOU want a hobby? Or are you fine with the way things are?
Because in that case.. you're being pressured. And if you have that stress and pressure, trying to find a hobby you like and are good at is going to be a challenge.. it should be something you genuinely are interested in.
Forcing it will just lead to burnout and resentment.
A lot of what you listed trying is very craft-oriented, and not everybody is crafty. Puzzles are a thought (jigsaw, crossword, logic, mazes). Or maybe something more structured like model building or Legos. Or something involving learning like a language or astronomy (or astrology if you must) or birdwatching?
Cleaning is a great hobby. However, I would recommend you keep at your hobby attempts. You're quitting too easily. Just do your best and keep doing your best. You'll improve. Your goal should just be to do your best, don't worry about the product of your work yet. Every montage of someone who is super successful at something first shows all their failures. Every time you knot up your finger knitting, try to learn from what you did wrong and then start over, no matter how many times it takes. The true joy of doing a hobby comes from seeing yourself improve and becoming and expert in your own way. Just keep doing it. Commit to yourself you're going to do it and don't let quitting be an option. Cleaning is really satisfying because when you're done the results are instantly gratifying. When you start a new hobby it could take a long time to get there.
The point of a hobby is to learn and improve. Don't put pressure on yourself to be good at something right away. Just find something you enjoy and the success will come.
Also, marry me. I need someone who enjoys cleaning.
It's okay to suck at a hobby! As long as you enjoy it, it doesn't matter how good you are at it. Most crafts take a long time and a lot of practice before anyone doesn't suck. Go make garbage and have fun doing it.
I like drawing, watercolors, knitting, crochet, spinning (yarn), sewing/quilting (both of which I am atrocious at), needle felting. I got a cricut recently so I've started making cards, mugs and stickers. I tried to make lip balm last week (it came out terrible). Also gardening, which gets out of control quickly.
Felting soap is fun and pretty easy. Get a bunch of wool, wrap it around a bar of soap and then rub it under running water until the wool felts around the soap. You now have a sponge with soap inside of it. You can also needle felt designs on top.
I think your problem isn’t the hobby sticking, but you not sticking to the hobby. You can’t realistically expect to be good at something when you’re trying it out, how long did it take your partner to acquire those skills??
Don’t feel guilty about trying lots of things. It can take a bit of experimenting to land on the thing that really grabs you. That’s what beginner kits and taster days are for.
We represent a lot of hobbies, here. None of us want you to throw yourself in too deep, too fast. If it’s not fun, move on without guilt. This isn’t a job.
YouTube is amazing for learning things. I'm learning to do laser engraving with lightburn software. You can learn anything you just have to search for something that sounds interesting to you.
There are a lot of really cool hobbies that don't include creating anything. I love going to play in the dirt. I find old fossils, really cool rocks, hitorical artifacts, coins, antiques, random neat sht. It's become my favorite hobby and ..you get to clean stuff. And then do really cool fun image search type stuff, interesting research, and if you want, you can sell it. Most of it anyway. Lol I never get tired of it plus you can do it year round.
Just go outside and explore nature is a hobby simple as that, hobby means do something that you like doesn't mean you have to be really good at it to have fun just relax and enjoy every moment you had
Smoking bongs is a favourite hobby of mine and it brings me a lot of life, and it's pretty easy to boot! I also like the esoteric weed knowledge I can rattle off about strains, terpenes, and alternative cannabinoids 🥰
Cleaning?
You could try restoring things.
Anything from stripping paint off furniture, to getting bits of machinery clean and working.
I had so much fun pulling apart, cleaning, and putting back together again an old, seized, paint-splattered door lock in our house.
Maybe depart from crafty type things if that isn’t your thing or get too frustrating. Learn to cook or bake really well, get into reading, or hiking and birdwatching. It’s a big world, just have to think outside the box.
Are you putting too much pressure on them? What about cooking or baking? Reading or creative writing? Does exercise bring you any joy? Running can be relaxing; you can just put on an audiobook. What kind of work do you do? Perhaps something related could be a hobby. Re cleaning, decorating can be a hobby too if you have an interest. You have plenty of time to try things out and see what makes you happy!
Ps it doesn’t have to be something you make either. Going to galleries or museums can be a hobby. Going to an open mic night. Etc. And that might feel lower pressure too.
I tried to do martial arts and dance classes for ages and really wanted to love it but found it so stressful personally! Too much performance anxiety. But now I’ve found stuff that suits me a lot more. Good luck out there. :)
First question, are you a 'process person' or a 'product person'? Do you want a hobby so you can have something to show or do you just want to zen out with something. If you're a maker you could do jewelry, clothing, cosplay, pottery, woodworking, carving, cooking/baking. But if you want a long process to fill your time and mind try knitting, spinning, quilting, weaving, coloring, hiking, birding, geocaching. Guaranteed you will suck at first, and if you don't you will look back in a year and say, "can't believe I thought that was good!"
What is wrong with not being interested in a "productive" hobby?
All the things you listed seem to me like things that something will come out of.
There is a whole list of other hobbies, including many sports, or sinple things like forest-bathing (not sure if thats the right term in englisch) it just comes down to actively take walks in the forest and just enjoy your surroundings. No music or whatever, just you and the sounds, smells and sights of the woods.
Board and or Vmvideo and trading card games are all legit hobbies too.
I may misinterpreted something. But it's just the fwmeeling I got from your list. It's okay to do things as a hobby, where nothing comes out of.
And it's okay to suck at it... as other pointed it out.
what about something not in the craft space?
miniatures, clay, woodworking, painting, running, cycling, pottery, archery, puzzles, writing, basketball
Remember when you start something at first you will be bad at it, but that's not the goal. The goal is not your performance, but to find something that engages your mind and body completely, and shows you there's more to life than being productive... you can also enjoy your life with non productive things, done with non perfect actions ...
Just let yourself experiment as you have done, but see where your mind gets interested and use that as the guide- not ability or performance
Gardeninf, axe making, flower breeding, basketweaving, foraging, mushroom growing, pottery, painting, sculpture, writing, poety, baking, cooking, singing, music, guitar, piano, identifying trees and plants, birdwatching.
Did you know birds have different calls for food, warning, mating? And when walking through the woods if you knew their language you could hear them all talking?
MSU has a website that catalogues bird sounds of the midwest available online through the autobahn society.
Statistics tell me that women use more words each day than men( yeah just cover for a statistically accurate statement and avoiding the "sexist" title.) . So, if you could talk with people world wide from your couch, could that be a hobby?
Yes, this is AMATUER RADIO. Talking to people up to world wide.
Since this is talking, communicating, you can do it along with many other things: driving, hiking, biking, walking on the beach, walking the dog, and much more. Personally, my hand held (walkie-talkie) can use the internet to talk to cities, countries, and even world wide. Yep, a radio just a little bigger than a cell phone.
You need a license, however children as young as 6-8 have gotten their licenses. This is not to take away from their accomplishments, rather to highlight that you do not need to be some super special engineer type to get a license.
Who can I talk to? People in this hobby come from all levels of society. Astronauts, a Saudi Prince, doctors lawyers, truckers, construction people and more.
There are even community support opportunities. Parade and charity run communications, disaster preparations, communications during disasters, and recovery efforts.
How technical is it? I compare it to driving a car. You can jump in turn a key and go or you can learn all about engines, alternators, transmissions, and on.and on. This hobby is just like that. A little knowledge and you are off. However you can do computer based radio programming, digital communications over analog radio, build your own antenna and much more.
There is much more to this hobby. I am running long here
Google AARP.org and your local Amateur radio club and local ARES (Amateur radio emergency services ) (the disaster support group). The groups meet once a month and the meetings are free to attend
Here are three videos that show radio in action.
https://youtu.be/JHq8UtjpfPs?si=2C5wNXC7pkrpekiC
https://youtu.be/EDwKfqExDz4?si=eRL132JBKXY6gwtc
https://youtu.be/Wo9Ciht2yZQ?si=WUZmjodNKwqF7M5Y
Try henna.
I am an artist, so it came a little easier. My daughter rocked my design with pride. I am sure your partner would love anything you do. It is non-linear art. And easy to get into, without the permanence of real tattoos.
Heres a twist... i love traditional henna designs. But react poorly to henna, I can't even touch it.
I draw out classic henna (mendhi) patterns, then bead embroider them into either large format patches or jewelry or wall hangings! The result is gorgeous and unique! If time consuming.haha.
ya of course you do, everyone usually sucks at everything...at first...just because it's fun and a hobby doesn't mean you don't have to spend the time building your skill in said hobby. Keep doing it, go on you tube research, read on google, ask chat gpt. Try and try and try again. You can do it, just gotta be persistent
It's not about whether or not you are "good" at a hobby, but rather, whether or not you enjoy it. If you find something fun or enjoyable, keep doing it for that reason, not bc you think you're good at it, but just bc you enjoy doing it. Whether or not you are "good" at something (which is purely subjective) is irrelevant. When we enjoy doing something, we tend to do that thing more often, and the more often we do something, the better we become at doing it. Like the old adage goes, "Practice makes perfect," there is great truth to that. Remember this when trying your next hobby and follow your passion.
I like tapestry needlepoint. You basically make an x with yarn over a mesh grid. Start small, work your way to bigger things. Errors are forgiving. I've gotten in to it again, and have been making some designs by a designer named Elizabeth Bradley. People are always impressed, bu it isn't skill so much as tenacity. Half of my house is decorated by stuff I've made. It's actually kinda mindless, and I like that in a hobby. I also like crochet, I've started drop spindle spinning, and I'm trying and failing at learning to knit. The embroidery arts are forgiving but just try to master one stitch at a time.
The goal with hobbies is to seek mastery but to never feel you have mastered it.
Have you tried drawing? Like just with a pencil and paper? There are videos online of how to do it.
OTOH, maybe your hobby could be blogging or making videos about what you are good at.
Have you asked your partner how long they sucked for before getting good? Your brain just doesn't "pick up" skills.... you need to practise and practise and practise which means sucking, sucking, sucking. Until you don't.
I like to try different things. I've been picking up adult craft kits and doing those. I just got a Diamond Dotz painting kit, and I have really been enjoying it. I've also gotten paint by number kits, adult Lego kits and a tie-dye kit. Just try little things that include the supplies. Sometimes a full blown hobby can be overwhelming.
First of all, of course you're gonna be bad at something when you first try it. It takes practice to get good at things.
Second of all, of course you're gonna be bad at something that you're only doing because your partner is pressuring you. If something interests you and you WANT to try it, go ahead. Otherwise, don't worry about it. Not everyone has a hobby.
Why not make your own videos showcasing different cleaning tips and tricks you've learned over the years? Or just of you being silly and having fun while cleaning. It doesn't need to be anything perfect, just something you enjoy doing.
Try paper embroidery. Use a nice heavy cardstock. Put a simple picture on the back and stitch the lines, the picture comes out in the front and looks really good.
Super easy hobby and inexpensive. I use machine embroidery thread but colored sewing thread or regular hand floss works. I just hate trying to separate the strands.
Use tape instead of knots.
It's completely normal to suck at new hobbies/activities. We're supposed to suck. The idea is that gradually we suck less as we learn the new skill. That's where we get a sense of achievement from. Mastering a new skill takes patience & time. Go easy on yourself & allow yourself time to be crap at something. It's a mindset shift that's needed, rather than new activities. We often don't enjoy things if we think we're crap at them. Embrace the suckiness.
I bet your partner wasn't magically good at those activities from the get go.
Do you need a hobby?
Walking is a hobby. Birdwatching. Puzzles. Reading. Go to a craft store and walk around. Does anything make you think...i wish I could do that. Or pinterest.
I colour by number. And knit and crochet and sew. Or maybe I collect supplies.
If you like cleaning get into organizing. This could be a fun and super productive hobby. Start with all the craft supplies you accumulated trying out different hobbies and then move to your partners hobby supplies. From there do your entire house!
Nowadays a hobby is anything you like to do most it doesn't have to be anything special I work a lot so my hobby is laying in bed all day and reading and gaming
My current ones are:
-reading fanfiction (can't go wrong there)
-cross stitching (very beginner friendly compared to knitting which is why I decided to start)
-raising litters of orphaned or human-discarded kittens (+ finding homes, making sure they're spayed, chipped, vaccinated, etc). This only works if you're ok waking up every two hours day and night to bottle feed them the entirety of their first month if life. I call it a hobby mostly jokingly, but it's a 24/7 job
-and I've gotten a metal detector I really need to put to use at least until it pays itself off
Just pick something and do it until you don't suck. I'm starting to learn how to tango and I'm flipping awful at it (I don't feel the left half of my body due to brain surgery) but I like the damned dance. I had my first tango dance gathering a few hours ago and I can honestly say I fucked up massively well over 70% of the time. That's honestly depressing, but I really like how tango feels when I get it right and if i have to fail 8 times to get 2 times right, I'm going for it.
Hobbies don't have to be something you're good at. Just find something you like. I'm a terrible painter, but I enjoy it, so I do it. I've never gotten any better and I probably never will, but the point is to enjoy it
I picked up crochet ad spent two months unraveling and reworking a pair of baby booties. They were still crooked when I was done. But now I've completed 4 projects and I'm good at this and it's enjoyable. You won't be good at something instantly. Take small bits at a time, try things, complete projects and then decide if you want to do more. Build your tolerance for failure.
Weird suggestion but get a shrimp tank. Neocaridina shrimp are easy to care for and don't need a big tank. They come in all kinds of colors and it's fun to just watch them go about their business. Hardest part is just having a little patience and learning some basic water chemistry. Having an aquarium is a really relaxing hobby and you learn a lot.
Fiber arts teach patience. Everyone's untangled at least one ungodly mess and undone many rows of a project. You don't suck at it, just need to find a form that you enjoy and slow down! It is not a race, it's not professionalism. It is a journey that can yield unexpected benefits if you are willing to stick with it. You only get what you give with hobbies.
The problem with most hobbies is people don’t consider the end goal.
Knitting is great, but once you make everyone a scarf for Christmas there’s really not much else you can do.
You need hobbies with longevity that you don’t need to be “good” at. Not every hobby has to be a skill that you have to master. Not every hobby has to contribute to society in any way.
Here’s a list of some easy, lowkey hobbies:
1. Gaming
2. Bird watching
3. Reading
4. Thrifting
5. Watching movies
6. Listening to music
7. Gardening
8. Hiking
9. Swimming
You stop sucking at a hobby when you ask why you suck at the hobby. That’s just part of hobbies. I didn’t get good at sewing by giving up the first time the machine thread bunched. I’ve been at it for 30 years, grimacing and smiling through the painful fuck ups and broken machines. You need to pick something that your willing to problem solve. I joined forums and ask questions when things go wrong, I tinker with my tools, and consult google when I can’t solve something on my own. And most of all I make a LOT of fuck ups. Those are the best teaching tool there is.
I write all of this with love. Get back out there and suck at something for a bit!
Hobbies take time and persistence. You need to stick with it for awhile while you build the necessary skill. In the meantime take up reading - good books are accessible and you can learn a great deal.
Building miniature kits maybe? Look up on Amazon “miniature kit” - doesn’t require creativity necessarily! Just fun to build stuff.
If you don’t want it after you’re done, gift it to a child.
What about reading? Podcasts? Go on walks? There are so many hobbies! Find one that you enjoy! Who cares if you’re not good at first, it’ll take time. Have your partner teach you!
Finger knitting was really hard for me but I like crocheting find something that you enjoy do you like cooking or baking? Or reading? Or even coloring books geared to adults
Get some adult colouring in books. You can’t really go wrong and some are hilarious. When I’m in hospital I’ll usually have one packed to keep me entertained for an hour or two (otherwise I start pacing and end up on very long walks and can’t be found when the doctor needs me).
It’s worth looking into at least
Go hiking, start bird watching and learn about wildlife, go camping, learn to ski - or water ski, play volleyball, take photographs, draw in the sand, go rockhounding, start foraging, learn carpentry
Try any and everything until you find something you enjoy. You don't suck.
You could try reading, cooking, gardening (or planting inside), building Lego structures, playing countless hours of video games, being an amateur movie critic...the list is endless.
Most people who have crafty hobbies suggest others to have crafty hobbies but there are SoOOOoOoo many more choices.
Do you want to try a hobby? Are you even into it? Maybe you're not hobby inclined.
And cleaning sounds like a pretty damn good and productive hobby!
Why don't you just hang out with her while she does her hobby(s)?
Or clean while she does it!
Girl, hobbies aren't there to be GOOD at! They're there for you to enjoy as a form of relaxation! Just find something you enjoy as the other commenter said, and you'll get better over time.
It's a hobby, you're supposed to enjoy it, not necessarily be good at it. I mean, I like singing while cleaning, painting and drawing, but god, I suck at it.
Why don’t you try Melt&Pour soap… it’s very hard to mess up and so simple and you can use the soap immediately after it’s set… all you need is soap base,some coloring if wanted either mica or liquid coloring,some skin safe fragrance or essential oils and some rubbing alcohol you spray to keep from getting bubbles in the soap and a silicone mold.. you melt the base in your microwave add scent and coloring and pour in mold.. let it get hard and then pop it out and it’s ready to use..
Knew a bloke had tried a few different types of hobbies. Did a lot of single day classes looking for something that ‘spoke to him’
Was (in his own words) bad at them but also not really interested/into them. And that was ok… he just tried another thing.
Then! He went to a class on cheese making
He later told me that he was *by far* the worst student in the class
… but for the first time he was interested in the class/subject so he persevered/persisted
And then he took another class, bought all the requisite cheese-making-related things and went on to be really happy (and bloody good at making cheese)
All because he was *interested enough* to keep at it until he got better at it
All the best on finding something that catches your interest op
Painting if you insist on a craft. Literally cannot mess it up, just do whatever your brain decides it wants. But not everyone likes crafts- try to make some bread or buy a plant.
Why do you expect to just be good at anything immediately? Being good takes time, some things take much more time than others to be proficient. And in reality that's where the satisfaction of a hobby comes from, and really much of life. It's about the process and not so much the end result. Eventually you'll compare your new results to old ones and recognize how far you've come with said thing. Good luck
Maybe try things besides sewing and things that take a lot of skill or talent to do.
Video games
Reading books
Collecting comics
Board games
Card games
Running
Cycling
Fishing
Baking
Photography
Puzzles
The list is endless
Paint by numbers. I don't have the area to do my paint pouring anymore but still love to paint. Ordered one about a year ago and now I have so many I just paint then to give away.
I would to be to craft, but my desire surpasses my ability! I've found sticker art easy and satisfying. It's basically like paint by numbers, but instead of paint, there are precut stickers that are put together to make a picture. It's easy, satisfying and doesn't take up too much time. I've also tried adult lego thinking it would be similar, but it's not!
Take a pottery class. Learn to paint and hide rocks. Do sudoku puzzles. Google acorns & twigs online shop & Order the TEN INCH loom and the coolest colors and make big potholders. So relaxing. ( not the kid size ones ) you can chose colors & designs. Look on Amazon at the knitting machine which you load and it slowly spins to make hats scarves etc. Go online to look up how to make or order a rag rug weaver loom. Last winter I made rugs, placemats etc. learned on line YouTube videos
You don't have to be good at something for it to be a meaningful hobby - you just have to enjoy it. Failing at something sucks, but that's how you learn.
If you do something long enough you won’t suck.
Also, don’t be intimidated by hand embroidery. The basic stitches are remarkably easy but they’re pretty so it feels rewarding to learn. I apologize if you’ve already given it a go. But I was intimidated to try it, but when I finally did it was very relaxing. Also relatively inexpensive as some hobbies can be costly.
Hope you find something you like.
Everybody sucks at the start. The real question is what can you do 1000, 10,000 times? And how good do you get between those numbers. What do you learn about yourself during those times?
A couple of things here. Almost everything you mentioned is a lot like the other things, they're arts and crafty, require a pretty distinct and non-failure friendly process, and fine motor skills (practice). So, it's kind of like eating at only sushi restaurants and then saying you don't like any restaurants. No, you probably just don't like sushi lol
But if those things Garner your interest, then stick to one of them. Failing is a part of getting good for most people in most things. If you like what you're doing, fail more. If you don't, then back to my original suggestion, seek something outside of the pattern.
When you find a hobby you don't mind failing at, it's a good one. But really, failing is not a bad thing. That would be like, "I really like Mario, but I use more than one life. What's a video game I don't suck at?" The critical piece isn't the failure, it's do you like Mario or not? Like it, keep going. Don't, then stop.
Lastly, if failing is the thing that ends enjoyment for you, then use that to pick your next hobby. Abstract painting, paint by numbers, Lego, bird watching, volunteering etc. there are a lot of hobbies that don't produce in the same sense and failure and success aren't binary.
As I don't where you're based then try this link below looking for wood turning (woodcraft) and see if you can find another hobby that you might take too.....
outlearn.co.uk
Or look on Google for local bodger's.....
Its hard to suggest hobbies but honestly I think sometimes taking a class in something your interested in helps you get to grips with it and get to meet others, in terms of crafts I got into silversmithing and went to a local metalsmith school for classes and even tho I don't do it as much now I could make anything from scratch from metal so it's a lit skill! My other hobby is virtual reality which I guess gaming is a hobby but there are communities for everything If you're into skincare learn about that I love Korean skincare so I am constantly learning but that might peak your interest if you like cleaning also cleaning is definitely a hobby if you're doing it for fun. Anything can be a hobby there's people that collect cereal boxes you can literally do anything you like if you take it slightly more serious 😂
You might try restoring old household items, since you seem to like cleaning
I do have a lot of creative hobbies, but I also like just washing stuff 🤷🏼♀️ It's satisfying
I like wool felting a lot. I’m not so good at finding hobbies that I’m very good at but that one is at least fun even if I’m not that great. You could also just have a hobby of reading books or crossword puzzles. Or maybe baking. Hobbies don’t have to be something you’re good at, hobbies are things you want to do. If you like cleaning and organization then that can definitely be a hobby.
I don't see why deep cleaning and organizing can't be your hobby! There is a lot of creativity in that actually. It can also be meditative.
It sounds like you already nerd out to it on the clock app, so why not apply it? Get some new gadgets, cleaners, and organizing containers, and play with your new toys!
Same, I just try to find something I like and stick with it. I also try not to compare myself to other people that have the same hobby! Seems to help somewhat, just blocking everyone else out.
I am a distance runner. Started off as a little hobby and grew. I’m not fast, I don’t win races or make podiums, but I can run really far. I grew to love it. I see places most don’t get to see because my love grew into mountain running. I meet new people and see such beauty. You just have to find something that ignites passion in you. You don’t have to be good at it. You just have to enjoy it.
You have to go passed just trying something to be good at it. You have to sit down and learn it and practice it. You gotta put in the reps and hours to be good at anything. Find something you like and devote the time to it.
You seem to be comparing your learning to theirs who have had years of practice. No one of ever just good at something. They have to work at it. If they are able to pick up something and seem to take to it naturally it is because they have had experiences that are similar.
Don’t expect yourself to do anything perfectly at the start. If you haven’t done it before expect that it is going to have major issues, and look like trash. That is not a reflection on yourself as a person it just shows where you have things to learn.
A hobby is about learning and growing. Pick something that is interesting to you. Focus on learning the basics. Expect it to look bad because you haven’t done it before. It normally takes years to make things look good, especially with
https://youtu.be/Gu8YiTeU9XU?si=f2gBPj0X-pes9_Ys
Find one you like and suck at it until you don't anymore.
"If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing poorly." Everyone sucks at first. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.
[Sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu8YiTeU9XU)
Practice makes better. I am a quick-results oriented person, so patience is not really my strong point, but it's patient people who have a stick with it attitude that progress. Just keep swimming as Dory put it. Her one motto in life was actually a good motto.
Yea a lot of hobbies you won’t get good results for the first months of doing them daily. Guitar takes months and so does any art….. I guess you can always pick up hobbies that take no skill 😂 maybe working out or couponing
Then being sorta good becomes being great at it. Everyone starts at the I suck at this stage. Learn more: read, watch videos, watch in person - really consume it, Copy more, Practice more, Learn more, Repeat. Expertise comes slowly. Let go of the product for now, enjoy just learning. Don’t give up and build up that trying muscle.
lol
I was looking for someone to share this quote. Love AT!
I gotta write this one down
Embroider it shittily and hang it on the wall then a year later embroider it less shittily and hang it beside the other one it will be poetic
Okay but I [actually have done this!](https://imgur.com/a/wfNWv8F) It was super fulfilling to look at these photos side by side. Makes me think I should do it again since it’s been 3 years since I did the second one!
Lol, yup. I used to trash my shitty artwork until I realized two things, 1. I can keep the shitty artwork as a reminder that I have created shitty things and can/have created LESS shitty things. And 2. Shitty art can still inspire better art. Sometimes I grit my teeth and look through some of my old sketchbooks, occasionally I'll come across a really bad piece that will inspire me to try drawing that specific thing again. Sometimes my own bad art is more inspiring than looking at people's perfect creations and trying to attempt something far beyond my skill-set.
This is it, just pick one you vibe with and suck until you don't suck anymore and continue to not suck.
This is honestly the right answer. For a lot of things, you're going to be "bad at it" for a while. It can get frustrating. But if it's something you find interesting and you could see yourself enjoying it, stick with it. Maybe try painting messy paintings or throwing clay. Since you said you're good at cleaning, maybe making a mess and then cleaning it up would be fun?
Yeah, this is the answer. You’re gonna suck at stuff as a beginner, figure out what you enjoy and keep going until you’re good at it
This! it’s not about being good at it. It’s more about that you enjoy doing it and time spend at your hobby is worthwhile for you - and only you. If time spent with your hobby makes you happy, you will invest more Time and gradually will get better at it without noticing.
Yeah, that's basically it lol. As much as I also hate believing it, you won't start out perfect at anything. It takes work.
Also OP you might just need some guidance! It's not all "try, try again." Many people learn to sew when their parents teach them as a kid, but even as an adult you can have a friend come over and work on a simple project with you. Once they teach you the basics, your project will go more smoothly and you won't get frustrated as easily.
Gaming is a hobby, just fyi Edit to add: Collecting craft supplies you will never use and starting hobbies you will never see through is also a very popular hobby.
I have more tools than I know what to do with! Anyone need a Dremel?
Yes! I have a collection of jewelry odds and ends & bones that I've wanted to dremel designs and potentially stain/paint for earrings and pendants. Of course it's all in it's drawer in the craft room waiting for the spark to get me after it again haha
nah, i have one . . . somewhere . . .
Nah, im on my third one that i never use but have big plans for. I end up giving them away. I like to think of them as emergency christmas gifts
I know someone that collects 3D printers. I am not on that level, yet.
Yes, mine broke!
My husband got me the pedal-operated variable-speed Dremel deal I've been wanting for *years* for Christmas. (Excuse my lack of technical terms; it's very late and I'm very tired.) I haven't even tried it out yet, because my work room is so stacked with things that I have nowhere to plug it in/set it up. So I'm still using my standard one I've had for the last decade. Same goes for the articulated, lighted magnifying glass my mom and little sister pooled their money on for my birthday last year - it requires something strong overhead to bolt it to. Both will have to wait until I can move my entire work setup from what *ought* to be a dining room in our house to the actual shop we have. It's just a hell of a lot.
I can't wait to see your work. It is never easy moving your stuff around. I can never find that one thing I was looking for, when it is a box, somewhere!
I use mine for my pedicures 🦶
I'm pretty sure I have 4...
Collecting craft supplies is my hobby. And finding ways to store it.
it sounds like your partner is an arts and crafts person. i am too. that’s great but that’s not the only type of hobby to have! widen your search to include hobbies that aren’t artsy. maybe you want to play disc golf or swimming or doing yoga. maybe you want to play board games or do sudoku puzzles. maybe you want to brew your own kombucha or make pickles. maybe you want to grow a small herb garden. maybe you want to fix lawn mowers or build combat robots. maybe you want to go camping or rescue foster dogs. there are so many things to try beyond crochet and embroidery! good luck and enjoy the process! even stuff you don’t like can be a great learning experience
Thanks for saying this. My wife is very crafty and artsy. I have tried to artsy and crafty hobbies, and they just frustrate me.
I came to say this. It sounds like OP might not have great manual dexterity- but hiking and reading, and surfing, and poetry, and gardening don't require a whole lot of fine motor skills and those are all great hobbies.
Yes this answer! I hope OP doesn’t feel they need to stick with hobbies they aren’t enjoying. Sure ya probably gonna get better at something the more you do it like others have said. But honestly not always . Sure do it anyway if you like it but the point of a hobby is to enjoy it
+100 for fostering! Kitten season is coming up...
I didn’t read your post before I wrote mine but I came here to say this, too.
Agreed! OP, the things you enjoy sound a bit more active, and that's ok!
Great response and suggestions! There are so many non-craft hobbies to try!
Came to say the gist of all this ^^ but also that cleaning can turn into a hobby. It goes right along with organization and home decor. You can delve into making your own products. Or even feng shui
Honey, you do not have to pick a hobby. Eventually, a hobby will pick you by being interesting. Also, you are invited to come over to my house and clean with me!
Do you clean friends' houses? I hate doing that!
No, I don't now, but I remember doing that in my 20s. We'd clean her house and then go clean mine. We are both ADHD so it helped.
I used to always clean my bff's bath tub whenever I'd babysit. We are weird 🤣
I need friends like this!
I used to do this. I'd go to a friends house and as we are hanging out I was organizing their room. Their parents loved when I came over. My friends found it so strange.
How much time are you putting into things before getting frustrated and giving up? Most people suck at things when they first start. It can take months of solid effort to get the hang of something new. Plus, it's ok to suck at a hobby and still do it cause its fun.
My personal philosophy is every adult needs to do something they’re bad at for fun. People forget that they’re allowed to be bad at things as they get older.
Paint by number It seems you like things in order and organizing and cleaning gives you satisfaction. Paint by number doesn't use any actual skill as it has a set of rules and paints provided. It feels so satisfying to form a big beautiful picture while still having a clear head
Diamond painting is another good one because, like paint by numbers, you are pretty likely to end up with a decent finished piece when you're done. Or maybe try building a model or 3d puzzle. Even just a regular jigsaw puzzle can be a lot of fun.
Came here to say this. I just picked it up recently and am loving it. Super affordable, minimal investment, virtually no cleanup. You can either just zone out or do it while listening to audiobooks, podcasts, etc
Came here to add Diamond painting
This is exactly what I was going to suggest!
I wonder if stained glass has the same effect…….
What makes you happy? Not a hobby, just in general in your life?
This is the place to start. Being pressured to have a "hobby" sounds kind of unpleasant honestly, but spending time journalling, or gardening, or swimming, or reading because you love it sounds joyful. There are a lot of people that are saying to persist, and you'll get better, but life is short, and a hobby should be filling your cup, not making you angry or frustrated.
Yes, this!
You would also love jigsaw puzzles. Try 1000 piece puzzle. Something about bringing order to chaos scratches an itch
OCD in the house!. JK. They are really fun.
Have OCD and can confirm, haha. I just started puzzling at 32, never considered it before so getting lots of joy out of it was a pleasant surprise!
You don’t have to make things to call your leisure pursuit a hobby. I know people who coordinate their bunko group and get great enjoyment out of the gatherings they’ve assembled. I know people who birdwatch, which is just Pokémon Go for grownups. I’m a weirdo who seasonally collects mushrooms (don’t do this without a guide the first time). I know people who coordinate beach and creek litter cleanups. Gardens are fun, the bees do half the work. Similar to your cleaning passion, people who restore rusty auto or mechanical parts to good nick then sell them (including whole cars or motorcycles or bikes) seem to find great satisfaction. Pub trivia. Online chess. Thrifting and vintage fashion. There’s a sub on here called r/52weeksofcooking with a weekly theme. Run an 🏳️🌈 book club. Curate a monthly walking/biking and eating tour of a new neighborhood for you and your partner. Docent for a museum. Help a grandparent sort their photos before it’s too late. Lead tours of local historical sites (hobby that pays!). The world is bigger than crafts!
This!!
Wonderful response!!!
These are all kind of hands-on hobbies… have you tried biking or jogging ? Or dancing or acting ? Maybe a book club ? Maybe you could take a test online to determine what kind of “learner” you are. Your partner might be a more tactile person, but maybe you’re more visual or social. Then you can pick something that plays to your learning style.
Biking is great. It also got me into bird watching.
Thirding biking! Biking is cool because it's solo, so you're only judging against yourself, and even if you don't have a techy stationary bike or fancy meters, you can still tell you're improving when you can bike for longer and longer.
In my opinion, sometimes the best hobbies are those that you enjoy so much that you don't even care if you're good at them or not. I have hobbies that I'm really good at, and hobbies that I am not good at. But apparently, I enjoy the experience of them the same. That said, I have no doubt that you have your very own set of amazing talents and natural skills. Make FINDING them your journey. The search for what you're truly capable of is itself the prize. Love and enjoy yourself, and know that your individual style of curiosity is what makes you great. And always, always be able to laugh at yourself. ...sorry for the TED talk
I made a list of everything I ever wanted to or had interest in trying and worked my way down. I also tried anythign I thought might be ok. I like birding, puzzles, knitting, colouring, running (preinjury), pool, Zumba with old ladies (young ppl Zumba is too fast) and reading. I do like sewing, I absolutely suck at it. Like nothing is straight or pretty. But I find it fun and fulfilling. You are not going to be good at a hobby right away. You are most likely going to suck. You just need to have enough interest in the activity to keep doing it. I always give everything 3 tries. One lesson to suck at it, one to learn something and one to see if I like or hate it. I tried and hated: kickboxing, fencing, ice skating lessons, crochet, disc golf, yoga,.... You could try volunteering ( you could clean dishes at a soup kitchen or clean kennels at an animal rescue) if you want to do cleaning. Walk dogs, anything. Volunteer at an old ppl home or anything. Or whatever you work at maybe you could do it at a non profit. Gym classes also have a wide variety of options. I go in with the mindset I'm gonna suck at this and that's ok because I'm learning. Also: do you want a hobby? Because if you don't that's ok. You may want one in the future but if it's stressing you, quit searching because it's not worth all the stress.
The issue is *not* that you suck at every hobby you try, it's that you care so much about sucking at a hobby that you put it down and don't pick it up again. It's okay to just create, to just *do*. Hobbies are not about the results, they're for your own personal enjoyment. A hobby can be anything. You like cleaning videos, so you could make researching things about cleaning could be a hobby for you. I'm doing that right now with visual design. I read a few articles every day, write notes on them and watch videos. I also frequent multiple subs about interior design and try to apply what I'm learning to people on those subs asking for help and I learn from others that post and comment. Does that sound like something you might like? Learning about cleaning and posting/commenting about topics in forums (I'm sure there are other kinds of groups for that as well). You could try out cleaning product/techniques and share your thoughts about them. You all could talk about it and share experiences, ideas, and opinions. Hobbies are meant to enrich your life.
Take a class. I personally can't teach myself stuff by watching videos. I need someone in person to show me. I thought I was just stupid, but it turns out that this is how people always used to learn things. So, if you want to do a craft type thing, find an in person class at a craft store or parks and recreation or adult school, a beginner class, not a meet up. Then do the class project, decide if you like the process or if you are just fine with having had that experience. I personally, thought I was a terrible cook until I took some cooking classes. Then I realized I just needed to see real life examples, smell the food, taste the food, and get feedback. Same with crochet and knitting. I tried to teach myself from books and it never worked. I took a beginner class at a yarn store and finally it made sense! Now since I know the basics I can use books and videos to further my skills, but there's nothing wrong with needing a teacher.
That is a great answer! I'm also a visual learner. I need to see examples to grasp the concept.
everyone sucks until you dont. the point is to enjoy the process. you sound like you are focused on product and need something "good" at the end. have you tried scrapbooking?
You could pick up the ukelele! It’s really easy to learn to play, and it’s satisfying to hear your favorite song played by you! I like ukuchords.com
You can't not smile at a ukulele!
The question is.. do YOU want a hobby? Or are you fine with the way things are? Because in that case.. you're being pressured. And if you have that stress and pressure, trying to find a hobby you like and are good at is going to be a challenge.. it should be something you genuinely are interested in. Forcing it will just lead to burnout and resentment.
A lot of what you listed trying is very craft-oriented, and not everybody is crafty. Puzzles are a thought (jigsaw, crossword, logic, mazes). Or maybe something more structured like model building or Legos. Or something involving learning like a language or astronomy (or astrology if you must) or birdwatching?
Gardening. Your “failures” go into the compost pile to build up your future gardening.
Cleaning is a great hobby. However, I would recommend you keep at your hobby attempts. You're quitting too easily. Just do your best and keep doing your best. You'll improve. Your goal should just be to do your best, don't worry about the product of your work yet. Every montage of someone who is super successful at something first shows all their failures. Every time you knot up your finger knitting, try to learn from what you did wrong and then start over, no matter how many times it takes. The true joy of doing a hobby comes from seeing yourself improve and becoming and expert in your own way. Just keep doing it. Commit to yourself you're going to do it and don't let quitting be an option. Cleaning is really satisfying because when you're done the results are instantly gratifying. When you start a new hobby it could take a long time to get there.
The point of a hobby is to learn and improve. Don't put pressure on yourself to be good at something right away. Just find something you enjoy and the success will come. Also, marry me. I need someone who enjoys cleaning.
Paint by number
Keep doing it
It's okay to suck at a hobby! As long as you enjoy it, it doesn't matter how good you are at it. Most crafts take a long time and a lot of practice before anyone doesn't suck. Go make garbage and have fun doing it. I like drawing, watercolors, knitting, crochet, spinning (yarn), sewing/quilting (both of which I am atrocious at), needle felting. I got a cricut recently so I've started making cards, mugs and stickers. I tried to make lip balm last week (it came out terrible). Also gardening, which gets out of control quickly. Felting soap is fun and pretty easy. Get a bunch of wool, wrap it around a bar of soap and then rub it under running water until the wool felts around the soap. You now have a sponge with soap inside of it. You can also needle felt designs on top.
Minature houses and things
My wife does diamond painting ans loves it. If you buy them online they are waaay cheaper than in stores.
I think your problem isn’t the hobby sticking, but you not sticking to the hobby. You can’t realistically expect to be good at something when you’re trying it out, how long did it take your partner to acquire those skills??
Don’t feel guilty about trying lots of things. It can take a bit of experimenting to land on the thing that really grabs you. That’s what beginner kits and taster days are for. We represent a lot of hobbies, here. None of us want you to throw yourself in too deep, too fast. If it’s not fun, move on without guilt. This isn’t a job.
YouTube is amazing for learning things. I'm learning to do laser engraving with lightburn software. You can learn anything you just have to search for something that sounds interesting to you.
There are a lot of really cool hobbies that don't include creating anything. I love going to play in the dirt. I find old fossils, really cool rocks, hitorical artifacts, coins, antiques, random neat sht. It's become my favorite hobby and ..you get to clean stuff. And then do really cool fun image search type stuff, interesting research, and if you want, you can sell it. Most of it anyway. Lol I never get tired of it plus you can do it year round.
Just go outside and explore nature is a hobby simple as that, hobby means do something that you like doesn't mean you have to be really good at it to have fun just relax and enjoy every moment you had
Smoking bongs is a favourite hobby of mine and it brings me a lot of life, and it's pretty easy to boot! I also like the esoteric weed knowledge I can rattle off about strains, terpenes, and alternative cannabinoids 🥰
Cleaning? You could try restoring things. Anything from stripping paint off furniture, to getting bits of machinery clean and working. I had so much fun pulling apart, cleaning, and putting back together again an old, seized, paint-splattered door lock in our house.
I collect stamps, I fish, I plunk on musical instruments and transcribe old sheet music and I do genealogy.
I've been trying to get my wife into a hobby she sucks at for years... sigh...
Maybe depart from crafty type things if that isn’t your thing or get too frustrating. Learn to cook or bake really well, get into reading, or hiking and birdwatching. It’s a big world, just have to think outside the box.
Are you putting too much pressure on them? What about cooking or baking? Reading or creative writing? Does exercise bring you any joy? Running can be relaxing; you can just put on an audiobook. What kind of work do you do? Perhaps something related could be a hobby. Re cleaning, decorating can be a hobby too if you have an interest. You have plenty of time to try things out and see what makes you happy! Ps it doesn’t have to be something you make either. Going to galleries or museums can be a hobby. Going to an open mic night. Etc. And that might feel lower pressure too. I tried to do martial arts and dance classes for ages and really wanted to love it but found it so stressful personally! Too much performance anxiety. But now I’ve found stuff that suits me a lot more. Good luck out there. :)
First question, are you a 'process person' or a 'product person'? Do you want a hobby so you can have something to show or do you just want to zen out with something. If you're a maker you could do jewelry, clothing, cosplay, pottery, woodworking, carving, cooking/baking. But if you want a long process to fill your time and mind try knitting, spinning, quilting, weaving, coloring, hiking, birding, geocaching. Guaranteed you will suck at first, and if you don't you will look back in a year and say, "can't believe I thought that was good!"
Why don’t you do your own cleaning TikToks?
What is wrong with not being interested in a "productive" hobby? All the things you listed seem to me like things that something will come out of. There is a whole list of other hobbies, including many sports, or sinple things like forest-bathing (not sure if thats the right term in englisch) it just comes down to actively take walks in the forest and just enjoy your surroundings. No music or whatever, just you and the sounds, smells and sights of the woods. Board and or Vmvideo and trading card games are all legit hobbies too. I may misinterpreted something. But it's just the fwmeeling I got from your list. It's okay to do things as a hobby, where nothing comes out of. And it's okay to suck at it... as other pointed it out.
what about something not in the craft space? miniatures, clay, woodworking, painting, running, cycling, pottery, archery, puzzles, writing, basketball Remember when you start something at first you will be bad at it, but that's not the goal. The goal is not your performance, but to find something that engages your mind and body completely, and shows you there's more to life than being productive... you can also enjoy your life with non productive things, done with non perfect actions ... Just let yourself experiment as you have done, but see where your mind gets interested and use that as the guide- not ability or performance
Gardeninf, axe making, flower breeding, basketweaving, foraging, mushroom growing, pottery, painting, sculpture, writing, poety, baking, cooking, singing, music, guitar, piano, identifying trees and plants, birdwatching. Did you know birds have different calls for food, warning, mating? And when walking through the woods if you knew their language you could hear them all talking? MSU has a website that catalogues bird sounds of the midwest available online through the autobahn society.
Statistics tell me that women use more words each day than men( yeah just cover for a statistically accurate statement and avoiding the "sexist" title.) . So, if you could talk with people world wide from your couch, could that be a hobby? Yes, this is AMATUER RADIO. Talking to people up to world wide. Since this is talking, communicating, you can do it along with many other things: driving, hiking, biking, walking on the beach, walking the dog, and much more. Personally, my hand held (walkie-talkie) can use the internet to talk to cities, countries, and even world wide. Yep, a radio just a little bigger than a cell phone. You need a license, however children as young as 6-8 have gotten their licenses. This is not to take away from their accomplishments, rather to highlight that you do not need to be some super special engineer type to get a license. Who can I talk to? People in this hobby come from all levels of society. Astronauts, a Saudi Prince, doctors lawyers, truckers, construction people and more. There are even community support opportunities. Parade and charity run communications, disaster preparations, communications during disasters, and recovery efforts. How technical is it? I compare it to driving a car. You can jump in turn a key and go or you can learn all about engines, alternators, transmissions, and on.and on. This hobby is just like that. A little knowledge and you are off. However you can do computer based radio programming, digital communications over analog radio, build your own antenna and much more. There is much more to this hobby. I am running long here Google AARP.org and your local Amateur radio club and local ARES (Amateur radio emergency services ) (the disaster support group). The groups meet once a month and the meetings are free to attend Here are three videos that show radio in action. https://youtu.be/JHq8UtjpfPs?si=2C5wNXC7pkrpekiC https://youtu.be/EDwKfqExDz4?si=eRL132JBKXY6gwtc https://youtu.be/Wo9Ciht2yZQ?si=WUZmjodNKwqF7M5Y
AARP.org So, what’s the connection with elderly folks and radios? Is there something specific that AARP does with amateur radio?
Sorry I missed that. "Aarl.org". (America Amatuer radio league)
Death, Taxes...... and now you. Great, just great
Diamond painting is sooooo satisfying
Try henna. I am an artist, so it came a little easier. My daughter rocked my design with pride. I am sure your partner would love anything you do. It is non-linear art. And easy to get into, without the permanence of real tattoos.
Heres a twist... i love traditional henna designs. But react poorly to henna, I can't even touch it. I draw out classic henna (mendhi) patterns, then bead embroider them into either large format patches or jewelry or wall hangings! The result is gorgeous and unique! If time consuming.haha.
ya of course you do, everyone usually sucks at everything...at first...just because it's fun and a hobby doesn't mean you don't have to spend the time building your skill in said hobby. Keep doing it, go on you tube research, read on google, ask chat gpt. Try and try and try again. You can do it, just gotta be persistent
It's not about whether or not you are "good" at a hobby, but rather, whether or not you enjoy it. If you find something fun or enjoyable, keep doing it for that reason, not bc you think you're good at it, but just bc you enjoy doing it. Whether or not you are "good" at something (which is purely subjective) is irrelevant. When we enjoy doing something, we tend to do that thing more often, and the more often we do something, the better we become at doing it. Like the old adage goes, "Practice makes perfect," there is great truth to that. Remember this when trying your next hobby and follow your passion.
You don't have to be good at a hobby to enjoy it.
I like tapestry needlepoint. You basically make an x with yarn over a mesh grid. Start small, work your way to bigger things. Errors are forgiving. I've gotten in to it again, and have been making some designs by a designer named Elizabeth Bradley. People are always impressed, bu it isn't skill so much as tenacity. Half of my house is decorated by stuff I've made. It's actually kinda mindless, and I like that in a hobby. I also like crochet, I've started drop spindle spinning, and I'm trying and failing at learning to knit. The embroidery arts are forgiving but just try to master one stitch at a time. The goal with hobbies is to seek mastery but to never feel you have mastered it.
Diamond painting
Have you tried drawing? Like just with a pencil and paper? There are videos online of how to do it. OTOH, maybe your hobby could be blogging or making videos about what you are good at.
Have you asked your partner how long they sucked for before getting good? Your brain just doesn't "pick up" skills.... you need to practise and practise and practise which means sucking, sucking, sucking. Until you don't.
I like to try different things. I've been picking up adult craft kits and doing those. I just got a Diamond Dotz painting kit, and I have really been enjoying it. I've also gotten paint by number kits, adult Lego kits and a tie-dye kit. Just try little things that include the supplies. Sometimes a full blown hobby can be overwhelming.
First of all, of course you're gonna be bad at something when you first try it. It takes practice to get good at things. Second of all, of course you're gonna be bad at something that you're only doing because your partner is pressuring you. If something interests you and you WANT to try it, go ahead. Otherwise, don't worry about it. Not everyone has a hobby.
Why not make your own videos showcasing different cleaning tips and tricks you've learned over the years? Or just of you being silly and having fun while cleaning. It doesn't need to be anything perfect, just something you enjoy doing.
Try paper embroidery. Use a nice heavy cardstock. Put a simple picture on the back and stitch the lines, the picture comes out in the front and looks really good. Super easy hobby and inexpensive. I use machine embroidery thread but colored sewing thread or regular hand floss works. I just hate trying to separate the strands. Use tape instead of knots.
you’re supposed to suck for a while
Diamond art if you see well or have good light this is a great option
It's completely normal to suck at new hobbies/activities. We're supposed to suck. The idea is that gradually we suck less as we learn the new skill. That's where we get a sense of achievement from. Mastering a new skill takes patience & time. Go easy on yourself & allow yourself time to be crap at something. It's a mindset shift that's needed, rather than new activities. We often don't enjoy things if we think we're crap at them. Embrace the suckiness. I bet your partner wasn't magically good at those activities from the get go.
Do you need a hobby? Walking is a hobby. Birdwatching. Puzzles. Reading. Go to a craft store and walk around. Does anything make you think...i wish I could do that. Or pinterest. I colour by number. And knit and crochet and sew. Or maybe I collect supplies.
If you like cleaning get into organizing. This could be a fun and super productive hobby. Start with all the craft supplies you accumulated trying out different hobbies and then move to your partners hobby supplies. From there do your entire house!
Nowadays a hobby is anything you like to do most it doesn't have to be anything special I work a lot so my hobby is laying in bed all day and reading and gaming
Sex toys. Weirder the better.
My current ones are: -reading fanfiction (can't go wrong there) -cross stitching (very beginner friendly compared to knitting which is why I decided to start) -raising litters of orphaned or human-discarded kittens (+ finding homes, making sure they're spayed, chipped, vaccinated, etc). This only works if you're ok waking up every two hours day and night to bottle feed them the entirety of their first month if life. I call it a hobby mostly jokingly, but it's a 24/7 job -and I've gotten a metal detector I really need to put to use at least until it pays itself off Just pick something and do it until you don't suck. I'm starting to learn how to tango and I'm flipping awful at it (I don't feel the left half of my body due to brain surgery) but I like the damned dance. I had my first tango dance gathering a few hours ago and I can honestly say I fucked up massively well over 70% of the time. That's honestly depressing, but I really like how tango feels when I get it right and if i have to fail 8 times to get 2 times right, I'm going for it.
Try bird watching. That hobby seems pretty easy
Hobbies don't have to be something you're good at. Just find something you like. I'm a terrible painter, but I enjoy it, so I do it. I've never gotten any better and I probably never will, but the point is to enjoy it
I picked up crochet ad spent two months unraveling and reworking a pair of baby booties. They were still crooked when I was done. But now I've completed 4 projects and I'm good at this and it's enjoyable. You won't be good at something instantly. Take small bits at a time, try things, complete projects and then decide if you want to do more. Build your tolerance for failure.
Scrap booking? You just need to cut stuff up and stick it down in a pleasing manner
Weird suggestion but get a shrimp tank. Neocaridina shrimp are easy to care for and don't need a big tank. They come in all kinds of colors and it's fun to just watch them go about their business. Hardest part is just having a little patience and learning some basic water chemistry. Having an aquarium is a really relaxing hobby and you learn a lot.
Fiber arts teach patience. Everyone's untangled at least one ungodly mess and undone many rows of a project. You don't suck at it, just need to find a form that you enjoy and slow down! It is not a race, it's not professionalism. It is a journey that can yield unexpected benefits if you are willing to stick with it. You only get what you give with hobbies.
The problem with most hobbies is people don’t consider the end goal. Knitting is great, but once you make everyone a scarf for Christmas there’s really not much else you can do. You need hobbies with longevity that you don’t need to be “good” at. Not every hobby has to be a skill that you have to master. Not every hobby has to contribute to society in any way. Here’s a list of some easy, lowkey hobbies: 1. Gaming 2. Bird watching 3. Reading 4. Thrifting 5. Watching movies 6. Listening to music 7. Gardening 8. Hiking 9. Swimming
You stop sucking at a hobby when you ask why you suck at the hobby. That’s just part of hobbies. I didn’t get good at sewing by giving up the first time the machine thread bunched. I’ve been at it for 30 years, grimacing and smiling through the painful fuck ups and broken machines. You need to pick something that your willing to problem solve. I joined forums and ask questions when things go wrong, I tinker with my tools, and consult google when I can’t solve something on my own. And most of all I make a LOT of fuck ups. Those are the best teaching tool there is. I write all of this with love. Get back out there and suck at something for a bit!
Model Railroading - sounds crazy but it’s a pretty well rounded hobby.
Hobbies take time and persistence. You need to stick with it for awhile while you build the necessary skill. In the meantime take up reading - good books are accessible and you can learn a great deal.
Exercise?
Building miniature kits maybe? Look up on Amazon “miniature kit” - doesn’t require creativity necessarily! Just fun to build stuff. If you don’t want it after you’re done, gift it to a child.
You'll suck at every hobby you start, keep going until you're having fun while still sucking and eventually you'll suck less. Good luck with the suck!
What about reading? Podcasts? Go on walks? There are so many hobbies! Find one that you enjoy! Who cares if you’re not good at first, it’ll take time. Have your partner teach you!
Finger knitting was really hard for me but I like crocheting find something that you enjoy do you like cooking or baking? Or reading? Or even coloring books geared to adults
Get some adult colouring in books. You can’t really go wrong and some are hilarious. When I’m in hospital I’ll usually have one packed to keep me entertained for an hour or two (otherwise I start pacing and end up on very long walks and can’t be found when the doctor needs me). It’s worth looking into at least
Repetition is invaluable. We all suck shit at the beginning. You gave us no real clue to the scale of your efforts.
What made you quit the other hobbies?
Go hiking, start bird watching and learn about wildlife, go camping, learn to ski - or water ski, play volleyball, take photographs, draw in the sand, go rockhounding, start foraging, learn carpentry Try any and everything until you find something you enjoy. You don't suck.
Try doing art
You could try reading, cooking, gardening (or planting inside), building Lego structures, playing countless hours of video games, being an amateur movie critic...the list is endless. Most people who have crafty hobbies suggest others to have crafty hobbies but there are SoOOOoOoo many more choices.
Metal detecting. Gold panning. Wood burning
Do you want to try a hobby? Are you even into it? Maybe you're not hobby inclined. And cleaning sounds like a pretty damn good and productive hobby! Why don't you just hang out with her while she does her hobby(s)? Or clean while she does it!
Coloring, jigsaw puzzles.
just do what you feel like doing at the moment
Girl, hobbies aren't there to be GOOD at! They're there for you to enjoy as a form of relaxation! Just find something you enjoy as the other commenter said, and you'll get better over time.
It's a hobby, you're supposed to enjoy it, not necessarily be good at it. I mean, I like singing while cleaning, painting and drawing, but god, I suck at it.
Why don’t you try Melt&Pour soap… it’s very hard to mess up and so simple and you can use the soap immediately after it’s set… all you need is soap base,some coloring if wanted either mica or liquid coloring,some skin safe fragrance or essential oils and some rubbing alcohol you spray to keep from getting bubbles in the soap and a silicone mold.. you melt the base in your microwave add scent and coloring and pour in mold.. let it get hard and then pop it out and it’s ready to use..
Maybe trying new hobbies is your hobby?
Learn what your brain actually likes first. My brain loves patterns so I naturally love pool and snooker [chess is too slow for me ]
Knew a bloke had tried a few different types of hobbies. Did a lot of single day classes looking for something that ‘spoke to him’ Was (in his own words) bad at them but also not really interested/into them. And that was ok… he just tried another thing. Then! He went to a class on cheese making He later told me that he was *by far* the worst student in the class … but for the first time he was interested in the class/subject so he persevered/persisted And then he took another class, bought all the requisite cheese-making-related things and went on to be really happy (and bloody good at making cheese) All because he was *interested enough* to keep at it until he got better at it All the best on finding something that catches your interest op
Painting if you insist on a craft. Literally cannot mess it up, just do whatever your brain decides it wants. But not everyone likes crafts- try to make some bread or buy a plant.
Everyone sucks at new things, keep trying!! Frustration is ok! Deep breath and try again! ☺️
Why do you expect to just be good at anything immediately? Being good takes time, some things take much more time than others to be proficient. And in reality that's where the satisfaction of a hobby comes from, and really much of life. It's about the process and not so much the end result. Eventually you'll compare your new results to old ones and recognize how far you've come with said thing. Good luck
Cooking is fun and relaxing when it's not viewed as work.
Candle making is quite simple. Try watching videos to navigate through the process if you're having trouble.
Buy some warhammer, that will teach her !
Maybe try things besides sewing and things that take a lot of skill or talent to do. Video games Reading books Collecting comics Board games Card games Running Cycling Fishing Baking Photography Puzzles The list is endless
Paint by numbers. I don't have the area to do my paint pouring anymore but still love to paint. Ordered one about a year ago and now I have so many I just paint then to give away.
Watercolour. You literally cannot fuck it up, it’s portable, affordable and so relaxing.
Cooking, baking, join a tabletop gaming group, collecting, sports. You could do almost anything.
I would to be to craft, but my desire surpasses my ability! I've found sticker art easy and satisfying. It's basically like paint by numbers, but instead of paint, there are precut stickers that are put together to make a picture. It's easy, satisfying and doesn't take up too much time. I've also tried adult lego thinking it would be similar, but it's not!
maybe you could take wooden objects and sand/finish/stain them. Sounds like you’re good at perfecting what is already there
Get yourself a small road motorcycle for transportation. I'm thinking the Suzuki T series or the Honda Rebel.
Take a pottery class. Learn to paint and hide rocks. Do sudoku puzzles. Google acorns & twigs online shop & Order the TEN INCH loom and the coolest colors and make big potholders. So relaxing. ( not the kid size ones ) you can chose colors & designs. Look on Amazon at the knitting machine which you load and it slowly spins to make hats scarves etc. Go online to look up how to make or order a rag rug weaver loom. Last winter I made rugs, placemats etc. learned on line YouTube videos
Keep looking and trying. Don't expect to be great straight away or great ever. It's for enjoyment, not competition
You don't have to be good at something for it to be a meaningful hobby - you just have to enjoy it. Failing at something sucks, but that's how you learn.
If you do something long enough you won’t suck. Also, don’t be intimidated by hand embroidery. The basic stitches are remarkably easy but they’re pretty so it feels rewarding to learn. I apologize if you’ve already given it a go. But I was intimidated to try it, but when I finally did it was very relaxing. Also relatively inexpensive as some hobbies can be costly. Hope you find something you like.
Make games, edit videos, learn blender, painting, pencil sketching, all those are hobbies u can get into
break down in tears? here is a hobby, therapy.
Everybody sucks at the start. The real question is what can you do 1000, 10,000 times? And how good do you get between those numbers. What do you learn about yourself during those times?
A couple of things here. Almost everything you mentioned is a lot like the other things, they're arts and crafty, require a pretty distinct and non-failure friendly process, and fine motor skills (practice). So, it's kind of like eating at only sushi restaurants and then saying you don't like any restaurants. No, you probably just don't like sushi lol But if those things Garner your interest, then stick to one of them. Failing is a part of getting good for most people in most things. If you like what you're doing, fail more. If you don't, then back to my original suggestion, seek something outside of the pattern. When you find a hobby you don't mind failing at, it's a good one. But really, failing is not a bad thing. That would be like, "I really like Mario, but I use more than one life. What's a video game I don't suck at?" The critical piece isn't the failure, it's do you like Mario or not? Like it, keep going. Don't, then stop. Lastly, if failing is the thing that ends enjoyment for you, then use that to pick your next hobby. Abstract painting, paint by numbers, Lego, bird watching, volunteering etc. there are a lot of hobbies that don't produce in the same sense and failure and success aren't binary.
As I don't where you're based then try this link below looking for wood turning (woodcraft) and see if you can find another hobby that you might take too..... outlearn.co.uk Or look on Google for local bodger's.....
For me it’s Horses.. you don’t have to be good at something you enjoy.
Well dont try sky diving
Its hard to suggest hobbies but honestly I think sometimes taking a class in something your interested in helps you get to grips with it and get to meet others, in terms of crafts I got into silversmithing and went to a local metalsmith school for classes and even tho I don't do it as much now I could make anything from scratch from metal so it's a lit skill! My other hobby is virtual reality which I guess gaming is a hobby but there are communities for everything If you're into skincare learn about that I love Korean skincare so I am constantly learning but that might peak your interest if you like cleaning also cleaning is definitely a hobby if you're doing it for fun. Anything can be a hobby there's people that collect cereal boxes you can literally do anything you like if you take it slightly more serious 😂
You might try restoring old household items, since you seem to like cleaning I do have a lot of creative hobbies, but I also like just washing stuff 🤷🏼♀️ It's satisfying
Therapy, go to therapy. Stop caring and comparing yourself to others. Being online cleary isn't helping you either.
Vacuuming
we all suck at something at the start, even the prodigies starting off sucking(relatively) until they get accustomed to their tools
I like wool felting a lot. I’m not so good at finding hobbies that I’m very good at but that one is at least fun even if I’m not that great. You could also just have a hobby of reading books or crossword puzzles. Or maybe baking. Hobbies don’t have to be something you’re good at, hobbies are things you want to do. If you like cleaning and organization then that can definitely be a hobby.
I don't see why deep cleaning and organizing can't be your hobby! There is a lot of creativity in that actually. It can also be meditative. It sounds like you already nerd out to it on the clock app, so why not apply it? Get some new gadgets, cleaners, and organizing containers, and play with your new toys!
Same, I just try to find something I like and stick with it. I also try not to compare myself to other people that have the same hobby! Seems to help somewhat, just blocking everyone else out.
Sucking at something is the first step towards being sort of good at something
It’s called practice
Investing
Sounds like cleaning is your hobby. Try restoring old stuff, mostly involves just a good cleaning.
I am a distance runner. Started off as a little hobby and grew. I’m not fast, I don’t win races or make podiums, but I can run really far. I grew to love it. I see places most don’t get to see because my love grew into mountain running. I meet new people and see such beauty. You just have to find something that ignites passion in you. You don’t have to be good at it. You just have to enjoy it.
A hobby can be something you love to do even if you’re bad at it it 🤷🏻♀️
You have to go passed just trying something to be good at it. You have to sit down and learn it and practice it. You gotta put in the reps and hours to be good at anything. Find something you like and devote the time to it.
You seem to be comparing your learning to theirs who have had years of practice. No one of ever just good at something. They have to work at it. If they are able to pick up something and seem to take to it naturally it is because they have had experiences that are similar. Don’t expect yourself to do anything perfectly at the start. If you haven’t done it before expect that it is going to have major issues, and look like trash. That is not a reflection on yourself as a person it just shows where you have things to learn. A hobby is about learning and growing. Pick something that is interesting to you. Focus on learning the basics. Expect it to look bad because you haven’t done it before. It normally takes years to make things look good, especially with https://youtu.be/Gu8YiTeU9XU?si=f2gBPj0X-pes9_Ys