The world today demands us to be so invested in our work that we often forget to look beyond that. Most of us spend our entire day living in the loop of eating, work and sleep. However, anything and everything is certain to need a break to function properly. Now, for some or most, there are hobbies to indulge on. But a lot of us aren’t familiar with developing one particular hobby and end up fidgeting between multiple things. A lot might say that it is a sign of instability, but I look at it in a way as a sign of being keen to explore. In fact, in this process, many often end up finding something that they can be ready to name as a hobby.
Or if I may quote C.S. Lewis, “You never know what you can do until you try, and very few try unless they have to.” Of course, it isn’t a necessity to lay hands on things out of one’s comfort zone, but for all we know, doing it might lead us to a happier place.
On that note, according to my ever wandering head, here are a few things that everyone should try their hands at, at least once in their life. A lot of these are a result of personal experience and a few which I’m yet to try myself.
Vector Illustration
A vector illustration can be defined as a digital artwork produced as a result of lines, points and curves.
The secret recipe for a good creation is the right use of layers and shades. Too often, there is a misconception that to be good at creating a vector illustration one has to master the art of pen-paper drawing. I wouldn’t say that I never believed this misconception because that was exactly the reason why I hesitated before trying it out. But I’m not going to lie, once I started I never wanted to stop.
At initial stages, it might take hours behind a single image. But with time, you actually do get better and I might be exaggerating it a little but it can even turn out to be a life-changing experience.
There are several applications where you can give it a try. I would suggest Autodesk Sketchbook for mobile users or Adobe Illustrator for PC users. Apart from that, there are other options too, namely, Adobe Illustrator Draw, Infinite Design, Photoshop Sketch and many more.
And for those who want to learn before actually trying it out, YouTube is always there.
Bake a Cake
Keeping aside all the possible baking disasters, this is something that will always leave a mark. In fact, with the arrival of the pandemic, I’m sure a lot of us must have already given it a try. I did too. Till date, I have never survived baking without messing up the icing or sometimes even the entire cake. But it has always been something that I enjoyed.
It might seem that it is necessary to own the right ingredients and equipment to bake a good cake, but believe me, when I say, that is not true. Try baking one from complete scratch and use a gas stove instead of an oven/microwave. If there were a word better than satisfying to describe the end result, I would definitely use that.
Photography
Almost all of us must have tried our hands at this at least once. It might be a matter of applying the perfect skills while capturing the moment, but years later, the same pictures can bring in a strange but happy kind of nostalgia. True, one must learn to live in the moment instead of trying to capture it using an electronic device, but for a lot of us, it is exactly that moment when we’re capturing it, we’re living a wholesome life.
I believe the art of photography is more than just capturing a particular second. The stories we try to tell using mere words are often better described using a captured moment. In fact, there is an added advantage too, the willingness to do it actually can push you hard enough to get out of the house for a breath of fresh air.
Write Poetry
The ability to create something beyond one’s imagination using a few words is something that has always fascinated people. Poetry gives us a medium to write and feel things which we never even got to experience. On top of that, one doesn’t even need to have an excellent vocabulary to tell a tale through words dancing to a rhythm. All you need is a little bit of time, a little bit of effort and your mind wandering to places unexplored and honestly, the words will come right to you.
Prithvi Theatre, The Hive, Tuning Fork and The Habitat are home to a few of the most amazing open mic poetry sessions on some days of the week which definitely must not be missed.
Go on a Food Trip
For all the foodies out there, a food trip is equivalent to heaven. Taking a break from the regular outing and dedicating an entire trip only towards indulging different varieties of food is always a good idea. This trip does not have to be from one restaurant chain to the other because that’s not exactly pocket friendly. Instead, what I would suggest, go to small stalls and food courts and try stuff which you’ve never had before. And in-between keep it in mind to take breaks to avoid health disasters.
Scrapbooking
This is something that has been constantly replaced by technology. One might ask, why to put so much effort if one can capture stuff in an electronic device. But how do you capture the physical essence of a souvenir by an electronic device? These things deserve a home and not just a memory taken up in the camera or phone. Moreover, you have the freedom to organise it the way you want to. In fact, going through it later can be extremely refreshing and aesthetic to look at. It might be called “Old-fashioned” by many, but it is a really fun thing to do. If us humans can have a home, why can’t our memories have one too?
Some of these activities might be a bit time consuming and not suitable for many. Some might still not settle, because obviously, why settle for less when there’s more? But how will you ever know if you don’t give it a try? Because, honestly, things are always better understood and figured out when done yourself.