Introduction

Ask anyone along the streets of Montana how they spend their free time and chances are, they’ll say something along the lines of watching Netflix or scrolling on social media. While Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook seem like a girl’s best friend in the twenty-first century, there are plenty of other engaging and more meaningful ways to pass the time.

So ladies, put your phones down and switch off the television — here are five interesting hobbies to consider spending your downtime on. We trust that you’ll find them therapeutic and fun at the same time, and you might even learn a new skill or two.

1. Photography

The first hobby that’s easy to pick up is photography. When you think of a photographer, you might imagine someone in a large studio space, or someone carrying tons of bulky and expensive equipment. Confusing cameras and niche jargon might even come to mind.

Well, that’s a misconception that many people have about photography. Contrary to what many believe, you don’t need heavy equipment or special cameras to engage in this hobby. In fact, all you need is probably already in your palm right now.

Phone cameras, especially smartphone cameras, will do just fine when it comes to amateur photography. They’re light, easily accessible, and easy to use as well. You probably already know how to operate your phone camera for selfies and pictures.

That said, if you decide to take this on as a hobby for real, do spend some time researching the functions of your camera. These days, there are so many functions to explore and play with, including effects, filters, and even adjustable lighting or focus. You can even research on what are good angles to take pictures from, or what settings work best for the environment you’re in.

To take this hobby up a notch, consider learning some editing skills to touch up pictures you’ve taken. Simple phone apps or software work fine and will take your pictures to the next level.

2. Baking

The kitchen is a place of almost unlimited potential. If you’ve only been using it for making dinners, why not try using it for baking, too? It’s a challenging hobby, one that requires lots of patience and learning, but it’s an enjoyable one nonetheless. The best part? You won’t have to go to the confectionery store anymore, with brownies, cupcakes, doughnuts, and all other sweet treats made from your kitchen instead.

Admittedly, some recipes are much harder than others, so try starting with simple recipes. A protip is to look at the number of ingredients needed for the recipe. Usually, the lesser the number of ingredients, the easier the recipe is. Delicious cakes like carrot cake and cheesecakes can be easily made under an hour, or brownies and chocolate chip cookies for chocolate-lovers.

You don’t have to worry about not having an oven, either, with many no-bake dessert recipes available online. These include lots of things like no-bake banana pudding, no-bake tarts, and even no-bake pies! Simply look up the recipes, get the ingredients, and voila, you’re ready to start this new and tantalizing hobby in no time.

3. Blogging

When you were younger, you probably read magazines and interesting columns like Aunt Agony or opinion pieces. Now with technology, anyone can start writing their own blogs, too, including you! This hobby is great, especially for those who love communicating, sharing new ideas and penning down thoughts.

Think of your blog as an open journal — you can write about anything you want, whether it’s about baking, exercising, clothes, or even your opinions on current affairs. It can either be public or private, depending on what you are more comfortable with. You can even choose only certain friends to be privy to your musings if you prefer.

To get started, what you’ll need is an account on a blogging site. You can create one on either mobile or desktop for free on sites like Wix, Wordpress, Medium, or Weebly. Each has its own specialty, so feel free to do some research and explore before getting started. For example, Wordpress is great for easy setup and zero site maintenance on your part but tends to have ads and limited monetization options. In comparison, Wix has beautiful templates and images, but with limited traffic and storage capabilities. And with all things online, you might even consider playing a game or two on the latest sites if you happen to encounter a writer’s block while blogging.

4. Art and Crafts

If using words is not really your thing, not to fret as you can still easily express yourself with arts and crafts. There are plenty of options for you from painting to pottery. You can even start with something really simple like drawing and sketching with materials you already have in your home.

A great aspect of art is that you can opt to do it alone or in a group, depending on what you like. Individually, all you need is the materials and a chunk of time to just invest in your art. It’s okay if you start off a little rusty or if your art doesn’t look as good as you had thought it would — all it takes is patience and practice. Try setting up a routine if possible, or a fixed time to work on your art every day.

Alternatively, doing art in a group is also an option as you can find many art classes in your city. Art classes are good especially for mediums that require a lot of materials, such as pottery with electric spinning wheels, clay, and glazing services. With classes, you’ll get access to these otherwise expensive materials, not to mention a community of fellow art-lovers to do it with.

5. Gardening

Nowadays with easy grow kits, you don’t need a green thumb to be a gardener. Unlike in the past where gardening involved a ton of heavy lifting and back-breaking work, today, gardening can be an extremely therapeutic and satisfying hobby to have.

There are endless variations of plants you can choose to have in your backyard, be it flowers, fruits, herbs, vegetables, and even trees. Before you start your gardening hobby, it’s a good idea to plan what you would like to see and what grows well in your area. For example, tropical plants like cane and palm trees grow very well in humid areas, while flowering plants like catmint and pansies grow well in colder environments.

Another plus point about gardening is that you can easily involve your family. Spend hours playing with your children in the garden, and eventually perhaps even serving and eating the yummy fruits of your labor.

Conclusion

All in all, these five hobbies are great ways to pass the time apart from staring at digital screens all day. From photography to baking, they are meaningful and productive and will make your days that much more enjoyable.