Regaining interest in a hobby?

[Matt Willard]

So. I've been musing over this question for a while now, and while I have a few conclusions I could make about it, I still feel uncertain, like I'm missing a vital point somewhere. Let's get a few extra minds in here to see what they think.

Now, I have found things I am rather committed to and enjoy doing. I love making people laugh, and I love poking fun at stuff. The SBI! site I'm working on is an extension of that (to which I thank Steve, of course, for posting about). Before this, though, I had another hobby. At this point, it seemed more like a partial hobby back then, and nowadays, I have zero desire to act on that hobby.

Namely, I liked to doodle, and I still do at points. Being a big fan of manga, I figured that, hey, if I learned to draw really well, I could combine that skill with the various stories and ideas running around my head to share with everyone. So I set out on an expedition to increase my skill. Insert the noise of a bomb dropping here, because that's when things went downhill. I gained some additional ability but in the process I wrung out all of my desire to draw. For a long time I've been battling with discovering how to Get My Groove Back, if that's even possible at this point.

At this point you could say "well, if you're not having fun, stop trying to make it work". Well, yeah, but I think I've held onto this problem for so long because I did enjoy myself at one point. I'm pretty certain that when I began focusing on the end results of having this great skill and not the process itself. But to undo that, aye, that's the rub.

So, if anyone's got any opinions on the matter, I'd like to hear 'em. Having multiple perspectives is always a good thing in my book.

[Kindred]

I would suggest diversifying to other hobbies around your original intent to draw. "I could combine that skill with the various stories and ideas running around my head to share with everyone." If you were inspired to create graphic novels, try doing things related to that. Try your hand at writing a short story. Try entertaining your friends with a character you've come up with. Go take photos of lots of places and things; gathering reference material for manga is important and it can be a lot of fun. Read more novels and manga. See the pattern?

After awhile your frustration with drawing should go away, and you'll rekindle a desire to draw again. I do this with my own hobbies that get burned-out. It might take a week or it might take months, just keep doing fun, related activities around it and eventually you'll want to do it again.

For a recent example, a few months ago I lost all my desire to design and create video games (which has been my main hobby for nine years). I continuously did activities related to it—making computer graphics, composing music, writing stories, programming websites, and drawing—making it inevitable that I would want to use those skills to create a video game again. Within a couple months I got my desire back, and now I'm well on my way with a new project.

I hope this helps you a bit. I know the bitter empty feeling of hobby burnout, so just keep your head up, and have fun with other activities close to it.

[Matt Willard]

It's good to know that someone else has been where I am now. Yeah, I definitely gotta recapture the fun somehow. I think I've imagined the journey an an arduous one as opposed to an enjoyable one, and so that's helped set me back. I've read a lot of advice about sketching stuff in real life, and I'll be honest, that stuff bores me, but at the same time I realize its value. Of course, this leads back to the "well, if you're not having fun, stop trying to make it work" adage, so I guess I'm also wondering if letting these concerns go would be a good thing.

[moriez]

Originally Posted by Matt Willard

that stuff bores me, but at the same time I realize its value.

I think you give the answer yourself mate I know this situation all too well myself. If you really want those skills you will have to put up with the boring part. Its a matter of choice. What weighs heavier for you: the boredom that you will have to go through or having more skills in the end?

[Jarrod]

I think you might benefit from searching deeper towards the reason you want to draw(sometimes).

Break down what drawing involves and creates. Just create a list of everything that drawing touches. Don't worry about what you think of just right it down.

Then look for groupings of things that when you read them excite you. This is probably the area where your real passion is. Should you draw, that will depend where the deeper passion is?

I wrote more detail on this on my blog: Pinpointing Your Passion

[Trezker]

You should also realize that NOT working on your hobby is way more boring...

[Jarrod]

Originally Posted by Trezker

You should also realize that NOT working on your hobby is way more boring...

Lol, well said. A matter of priorities then