Having hobbies is not an option; it’s a necessity. We tend to abandon our hobbies when life gets busy and stressful, but abandoning our hobbies means we’re abandoning ourselves.
September 14, 2026
Having hobbies is not an option; it’s a necessity. We tend to abandon our hobbies when life gets busy and stressful, but abandoning our hobbies means we’re abandoning ourselves, and abandoning ourselves is the worst thing we could possibly do.
As I mentioned in Romancivity: My Word of the Year for 2026, one of my biggest goals is to be more creative and return to engaging in activities that I enjoy doing more frequently.
I’ve spent the past few years focusing exclusively on work and other things I deemed to be productive, rarely allowing myself to be creative if I wasn’t going to earn a profit or some other form of compensation for it.
I told myself that because I work as a freelance writer, and I write daily, that means I’m being creative daily – but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Putting insane amounts of pressure on myself to write the perfect story for my clients and never writing anything just for the fun of it – just for me – is not me being creative.
Besides, although writing is my biggest passion and greatest strength, it’s not the only way I can or want to express my creativity.
There was a time when I’d sit and make photo collage fan edits, attempt to learn how to draw, and make DIY home decor. I used to study Korean, read more books, and curate detailed playlists and album concepts. I would work on scrapbooks, research for fun, and create characters just because, too.
But at some point, all that stopped. I deemed it unimportant and focused only on the things that I thought would push me forward in my career.
But that was a big mistake. It led me to feel like an imposter every time I called myself a “creative” and I felt like a lifeless cog in society with no purpose aside from working. Plus, it didn’t leave me any room to be bad at things and still enjoy doing them anyway.
So, this year, I’m returning to my creative roots and prioritizing the things that make me happy and rejuvenate my energy when I’m drained. Because I used to think that working and studying were the only things essential for my growth, but I’ve learned that my hobbies are just as important because they’re a much-needed outlet that allows me to express myself, work through my thoughts and feelings, and learn more about who I am and how I function.
That’s why my Garden Hour is all about me taking the time to nurture myself, pour into myself, and do the things that’ll allow me to reach full bloom. It’s a commitment to prioritizing whimsy and fun each day.
But that’s easier to say than to do when your work, responsibilities, and overall busy schedule dominate your life. Hence, the creation of – and importance of – my Garden Hour.
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