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TANGENTS

Sustaining Your Hobby

BY IHTISHAM KABIR
At one time or another, most of us take up a hobby. Hobbies can be anything under the sun, popular ones being collecting stamps and coins, fishing, photography, reading, writing, origami, singing, cooking as well as playing sports. While one can pick up a hobby at any age, the mind is most receptive to new ideas and interests during younger, formative years.
A hobby offers a diversion from the humdrum of daily life, but it usually does not entail an income. For me, a hobby goes beyond the act of simple consumption. Passion and active involvement are required, and usually there is an output. For example, the fisherman or the photographer must be out working with their respective tools to get their "catch.”
Once grown up, many people find it difficult to continue with their hobbies, which they likely acquired with much effort and cost. There are pressures of the job and career. Raising a family comes with its own set of demands. Finally, the receptive, open mind of youth becomes jaded and closed after repeated clashes with reality.
But it is precisely in those trying times that a hobby can be most beneficial. It can release the extra stress and recharge the mind for clearer thinking.
The key, then, is to sustain the hobby through this topsy-turvy journey we call Life.
But how? When I picked up a camera forty years ago, I did not know how long that hobby would last. But when I started practising it with commitment, I immediately benefitted
from photography in numerous ways. So, over the years, I managed to give it enough time and effort and it stayed with me.
Most people who give up their hobby say they don't have the time. But if one is motivated one can make the time. For example, 1 started out with street photography, but when our children arrived, between them and my job 1 had little time to go out for photographs. So I started photographing our children at home. Not only did I hold on to my hobby, but I captured moments of a precious stage of life.
The support one receives from others is important for sustaining one's hobby. It is not automatic, though, and has to be earned. I am blessed that my parents, wife, siblings and children have supported my passion for photography.
Sharing the hobby with others can keep you energized and inspired. A musician may perform for a small group of friends or upload a video of their performance to YouTube; gardeners can share the fruits of their labour. Usually the wider the audience the more mature your skill needs to be.
Another aid to sustaining one's hobby is to have a goal, perhaps an educational milestone or a challenging project. Working towards this goal will give you a reason to engage and bring continuity.
Yes, it takes work and persistence, but if you commit to your hobby for the long haul, it could pay you back many times over.
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