If you asked me my favorite hobby at age 5, I would’ve said painting and drawing no questions asked.
Eventually my love for art warped based on critique and struggles I faced with confidence in myself and my work; I made what I liked and I was happy with it, but it didn’t feel like anyone else liked it the same way. I’m sure many people felt the same growing up. It’s so easy to be discouraged when your work is never in the display case or put on a pedestal compared to others.
Drawing every day in my sketchbook with my friends eventually became designing content at various companies and on various commissions. Design had the same qualms as art growing up, but I could detach from design work more and be fine with it living as a sort of visual punching bag. Truth be told, even after pushing myself and gaining great experience, my hobby just became my job and I only created if it was for work or university. I’d exhausted my creativity.
Even around me, a lot of perceptions and consumption of art in the community has also grown into a lot of side hustles or content for views. Working in an ad agency is a whole other wild story on being stripped of a real voice and creativity in my eyes. In my inevitable doomscrolling of rude, condescending comments on artists of every medium online, I feel a little lost on why I do what I do; do I even like what I do anymore when it is never good enough?
Well to this day, my favorite hobby is still drawing (painting is not my cup of tea lol). In this full circle endeavor, I found my childhood self again in the midst of all the chaos and internal crises. Yes, I love art and design, but my art journey will always evolve hopefully for the better. For now, I want to spend more time on what I love, whether it “performs” or not. If you’re also an artist of any sort, stick to it! I’d love to see your work : )
Besides this tangent, my other hobbies include:
- Cooking & Baking – Currently working on making the best omurice in the universe
- Sketching in museums
- Gradually getting my friends to try every flavor bingsoo @ Caffe Bene with me
- Browsing art & design books
- Swimming – I was a comp swimmer for 6 years :0
- Bouldering – Super bad but it’s a fun journey towards improvement
