Hi. I’m back, after struggling with a lack of ideas over the last month. I feel the need to let you know that I haven’t been lazy, in fact I’ve planned three blog ideas over the span of March and have so far been able to successfully write none of them. Well, I’ve written them – or part-written them – but haven’t been happy with them, so decided against posting them. Therefore, I am here to pick up on a blog idea I started a while back: Hobbies I wish I was good at.
For those of you who don’t know, I’m not all that talented when it comes to having hobbies. At best, I have a total of about three or four hobbies, some of which I really enjoy and have been wanting to find the time to do more often. Currently, I have other priorities in my life, which have been making my hobbies take a back seat. However, now we’re all self-isolating for the next three weeks and I have nothing much to do, what else is there to do than the things I like?
To kick start this adventure, I’ll give you a brief as to my current hobbies (the ones I am good at). Let’s start with something you all know. In my spare time, I really enjoy writing, to the point where I’ve previously published three of my books and I’m almost ready to publish my fourth. When I’m feeling sad, or upset, I turn to my writing. Sometimes I need an escape from bad news in my life, and so I turn to writing, or reading.
Not many people know that I recently applied to get my book professionally published, only to have it rejected, and I think that initial hit, while it was expected, has kind of knocked me down when it comes to confidently writing. I’m also struggling with coming up with creative ideas lately. However, despite this, I know that writing is something I’m good at and I know I want to pursue it, even if I’m finding it difficult at the moment.
With my current struggle concerning writing, I’m turning to my other creative hobbies which include Crochet, Sewing, and I also really like Origami (yes, the paper folding art). I’ve discovered that in some situations I can make really creative and cute gifts for people when I’m feeling nice – such as the flying swan I made my mum which I’m pretty sure she threw in the bin when cleaning the kitchen.
However, this blog isn’t about the hobbies I already have. No, it’s about the hobbies I wish I could do somewhat successfully.
First, we arrive at my all-time favourite: Singing. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Singing? Singing is easy, anyone can do it. I know that. I sing on a regular basis. However, that doesn’t mean I’m any good at it. When it comes to me singing, anything could be better, even the sound of a screaming donkey (flashback to my holiday blog). I find the fact that I can’t sing actually quite upsetting because I love music, and music itself was something that I used a lot when I was younger to escape how I felt. In fact, I’ve even written a blog about my music called ‘Snooping on my Playlist’ which I probably need to update.
If I could sing, I probably would’ve taken music for my GSCEs and my A-levels and possibly would have tried to follow a career in music. However, despite what could have been, I’m glad that I can’t sing, as if I could, you probably wouldn’t be reading this blog right now.
Next, shall we talk about baking? Yes, baking. I mentioned, briefly, about baking in my ‘Nineteen things I’ve learnt since turning nineteen’, and I still have the same point of view… Baking is the hellish version of cooking. And yes, baking and cooking are two different things. I can cook fine, in fact I actually enjoy it a lot (I’ve recently been cooking a bean burger recipe from my favourite cookbook which is so good, and all of my family actually eat it).
I would love to be able to decide I want to make cookies, and then be able to make perfect cookies flawlessly, however that just doesn’t happen. Do you understand that I actually struggle to light our gas oven? How am I meant to pre-heat an oven if I can’t even turn it on?
Yes, baking is difficult, and I think it would probably take a long while for me to be able to pick it up as a hobby. However, I don’t think that it’s impossible to do altogether. While, at the moment, all it does is make me sweaty and uncomfortable, I think that over time (and with a lot of practice) I will one day be able to make cookies that I’m proud of.
(Do you want to know something that’s extremely frustrating for me? I planned this blog like months ago, misplaced the piece of paper, and now I’m having to re-plan while writing because I am the definition of an idiot. That’s what’s really frustrating for me right now.)
Moving on, lets arrive at another hobby I wish I was good at… Running. Funnily enough, I used to be a part of my secondary school’s athletic team and was entered into the 300m race (which ended up getting cancelled, thank goodness) because I apparently had one of the fastest times. However, the sport I was best at was Javelin. There’s something about putting all your energy behind swinging a huge flying pole with a spike on the end, which is amusing to me, and being able to lob one a good twenty metres across a field is awesome. However, my fun ended when secondary school did, and how the only athletic thing I do is occasionally use the exercise bike in my room (which my sisters and I choose to use as an overflow clothes holder) and also yoga (which I’ve set myself the goal to do almost every day).
However, despite this, I’ve never really been any good at running. At least not long distance. I never took part in any cross-country race, or distanced running, and to an extent I’m thankful for it. Despite this, though, I would love to be able to decide ‘I’m going out for a run’ and then jog a few times around the block. That would be pretty cool. I think it would help me gain strength in my muscles.
Something else, which would probably benefit me hugely, is being able to draw. Anyone who has seen the front covers of my book know that they are created digitally, surprisingly in a Word document, and don’t even have a shred of artistic touch in them. As a result, they aren’t the best books to be drawing in the audience I’m aiming them at, and while the covers are correct in that they somewhat match the contents of the books, they’re not fun enough for people to see them and be like ‘Ohh, that looks so good, and it sounds good as well! I’ve got to buy it!”.
I can’t draw, that’s the sad part in all of this, and I don’t think that it’s likely to change. However, my mum and sister (hi, if you’re reading this) are very artistic and I’m debating whether to ask them if they would help me create my front covers. Also, my nan is super talented when it comes to art (I know you’re reading this, hope you’re both okay!).
There you have it! Four hobbies that I wish I could do successfully. If you have, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read today’s blog, your support really means a lot to me, especially at the moment when I’m struggling with my writing and creativity, and am deciding what route to take with my books.
And, talking of my books, I have some questions for you. Currently, the UK – along with about 20% of the world – is in lockdown because of COVID-19, and I was wondering if you would be interested in me putting my books back up for sale, as they were before, for you to be able to read during the next three weeks.
As I have mentioned in a previous blog, I had to take my books down from Amazon as I was pretty unhappy with how they were in general, and where I was when I first published them. I explained about a whole re-vamp I was hoping on doing, with editing my books, re-designing the covers, and just changing everything up to look a little more me. Now, obviously, re-publishing them would only be temporary, as it goes against my hopes to re-vamp, but I would be willing to if there were readers who were interested in giving them a shot over the next three weeks.
Feel free to let me know your ideas on my Facebook, or my Instagram! Thanks. If you haven’t, you can read my last blog here: My Boyfriend’s Animals.
—
You can find me on social media when I’m not blogging.
I have Instagram: @emilybrownauthor
And I have Facebook: @emilybrownauthor