At my first real band gig a few weeks ago, it was really an eye opener. I invited one guy, a musician who replied to one of my ads and we hung out one time. He was actually there when I got my pink guitar…or should I say, I wouldn’t have gotten it at all if we didn’t hang out that day and we decided to stop by a music store and I came across it.
Anyways, he invited about 6 anime-loving coworkers to my gig. After my band performed and there was a break, I hung out with them on the patio and got to know them. Since they obviously now my interest, I was eager to learn about theirs, and I went around the table asking them one by one.
At first, many seemed quiet, or tried to act like they didn’t have anything. The thing is, some, like the rapper and bassist kinda put aside their hobbies in exchange for the average adult work life. They ‘don’t have time’ anymore.
One was shy to say she liked crochet, but once I heard it, I asked if she did amigurumi and was amazed by her. It was something I tried to get into but dropped it. All in all, they all had this spark when they talked about their true interests, even if they have since put those ‘childish things away’.
It was definitely an eye opening moment for me, because I too once retired from music after high school as I figured I didn’t have a career in it, or couldn’t compete with more talented people so I figured, ‘what’s the point?’. But after years of not having a hobby, talent, or interest, and wasting so much free time not achieving anything, it kinda breaks my heart when I see others drop what they were once so passionate about.
So many adults, especially young adults and millennials are just so depressed these days, and we don’t really have much to look forward to. If you live in an expensive city like me here in Toronto, than everything just seems to expensive to even think about affording. Houses? Pfft, condos themselves are already over half a million dollars.
But that’s why I do want to push and inspire others to at least get back into their childhood hobbies or to pursue those things that they have deep interest in even if they don’t think it will lead to anything. Anything that can bring some happiness to us, along with anything that keeps us learning and keeps our minds strong is important, more so in this digital age.
So if you want to pursue your passions as an adult, here’s some serious tips for you:
1. Acknowledge That ‘It’s Never Too Late’
So you stopped playing piano 10 years ago, so what? You’re already a full-time working adult with kids? …okay and? What does that have to do with pursuing your passions? For some reason, adults seem to think that, if they aren’t doing something they love by a certain age, it’s just behind them, but that’s not true!
You may have passed the deadlines to audition for some school spelling bees, but there are adult spelling bees here and there. Maybe you thought about becoming a designer and selling your own clothing line…yeah you didn’t go to school for it, but you can still take classes or share your creations online. You can still practice and work on that art.
Hobbies are food for the soul and it keeps our mind learning and active. Anything you can add to your daily life that will make you a little happier, your week a little brighter, or even just relax you when you’re stress isn’t something to be avoided.
I’m trying very hard to think of a hobby, talent or passion where there is actually a deadline and I can’t think of one. Even if you think a trend has passed, there will always be people who are still interested and who will still love to work with you or consume whatever you put out. It’s never too late!
2. And That You’re Never Too Old
One excuse I hear from lots of adults on why they don’t do what they’re really interested in is because they feel they are too old. Like, okay, I would get it if you were interested in a physical sport that tends to have more child athletes like Gymnastics or Skating, but even then, you really aren’t too old to start or become good at it.
You may be at a disadvantage, but you can still rebuild strength and flexibility. You may not be able to do some crazy tricks, but isn’t it better to just…do something in that than to never do it? Like, once you start, you’ll keep improving. You just gotta worry about doing the best you can do. I’ve seen so many elderly people getting on crazy talent shows like America’s Got Talent and Dancing with the Stars.
Did you know Susan Boyle was about 48 when she went on Britain’s Got Talent? Many talent agencies and record labels would have rejected her for her age and looks, but she took a chance and achieved the singing career of her dreams. I’ve also heard of many people writing books after the age of 60. It just goes to show that they can still learn, have fun, and go somewhere with their passions!
3. Stop Comparing Yourself
On the above note, it’s very easy to compare yourself to those who started years before and are thus obviously better than you. It may feel like they’re lightyears ahead and you have lots of catching up to do, but…why do you need to get to their level in the first place?
When I picked up guitar, trust me, I had those thoughts at first. Everyone was far ahead of me, more talented than me, but after talking to quite a few guitarists and realizing they’ve been playing for 10 or 20+ years, I realize, I have time! If anything, some of them still need to do 20+ takes to get the perfect cut, and many can’t or have never performed live like I have.
In the video below, Twoset violin, a very popular Youtube channel featuring two male violinist who have been playing since young and even playing shows in orchestras for years before focusing full time on their channel. Despite their talent, they couldn’t even pass auditions to get into the best music school.
It’s a really competitive world out there! I think this goes to show that there’s always space to improve, but you don’t need to be a master to do things like perform or create a channel. You just have to be good enough to do what you want to do. When I realized that most musicians don’t play Japanese music or don’t care much for rhythm guitar or playing in a cover band like me, I didn’t feel a need to compare myself since.
This goes for anything. Why compare your art to someone else if they’re using a different means (pencil, marker, watercolour, tablet), and have a different audience? When I look on Fiverr for someone to create an animated chibi of myself for social media, I may personally love one artists style, but clearly, other artists and styles are getting business regardless. Point is, there is space for everyone!
4. Watch Content That Inspires You
Motivation can run low at times. It’s easy to get caught up in your own life, and just focus on what needs to be done, work, taking care of kids, chores, etc, so watching inspirational stuff can reignite that spark and take us to another world, or at least get us daydreaming and excited.
If you can find a documentary or anime where you get to follow characters who are also learning what you want to learn and you see them achieve their goals, it can be really motivational. You can also just watch Youtube videos of people doing what you love, anything really.
It’s a great way to get insight as well. You’ll not only learn a lot, but maybe you’ll realize it’s not as hard as it looks and/or that your goals is achievable. It’s always inspiring to see people do what you want to do.
5. Get Your Materials Out Or Book Lessons
Okay, so now that we got past the mindset aspect of it, it’s time to actually get started. The easiest way to convince yourself ‘it’s not the right time’ and to continue procrastinating is because you don’t have the materials needed to pursue your passions.
You can’t practice guitar without guitar. Can’t practice art without art supplies. Can’t become a baker with no pans or mixing bowls, etc. So if you’re serious about pursuing your passions, the first step is getting whatever basic materials you need to get started. Basic materials, just to step in and make sure you’re serious and ready to commit before investing in additional stuff.
If you’re interested in something else that requires people, a certain environment, or a teacher, such as martial arts, sports, floral arrangement, etc, then it may be worth it to invest in lessons or get a membership to a gym so you can more easily use the facilities.
6. Make Time For It…Seriously
Everyone has time or can make time. As much as we love to say we’re busy and this and that, we can always make time for the things that matter for us. There’s always a way to reschedule, to cut time-wasters, or to just spend less time on things that aren’t as important.
It’s also funny when people used to say ‘oh I’m too tied up, when I have time, I’ll pick up that hobby’, but then when the pandemic came around where they had no job for 2+ months, they still didn’t do it! Excuses are just excuses, it’s a way to make us feel better about not pursuing our passions.
The hardest part is getting into a rhythm, or making it a habit. It doesn’t have to be an everyday thing, but aim to incorporate it at least a couple times into your week. If you’ve invested into lessons, then that’s great as you’re more likely to commit since you paid for it. The video below has some great ideas on how to find time for your hobbies.
7. Find Like-Minded People
It can be a lonely world, especially when it comes to hobbies. I’m sure we all have interests in something that none of our friends are into or our family thinks is weird, and it can cause one to feel so shy or embarrassed that they don’t ever get into it. With the internet, along with community groups like Hangouts, you can find someone who likes what you like somewhere.
But on top of finding people who are into the same interests, it’s good to be around people who just have the same goals or similar ambitions to you. For example, if you wanted to lose weight or gain muscle, being at a gym where everyone is also working hard at improving their health and body will help push and inspire you. It’s the same idea as surrounding yourself with entrepreneurs and financially savvy people instead of people who like to party and splurge if you really want to be rich one day.
Let’s say, you have or had an interest in cosplaying. Naturally, a lot of people think of costumes as something saved for Halloween, or they think it’s only for kids and weirdos. It’s natural to feel self conscious about even trying it if everyone around you looks down on it. But once you attend your first convention where there are many cosplayers who are proudly displaying their work, you’ll gain more confidence.
Make an effort to find and surround yourself with a couple people who share your interests, or attend conventions and clubs now and then to feel re-inspired and gain confidence in your hobby.
8. Create An Achievable Goal
While not everyone may be super goal-oriented, goals at least give you something to work towards and keeps you on track, especially if you’re a beginner.
If you’re running just to run, that’s nice and all, especially if you can just build that habit and keep to it…but we’re talking about sparking that passion in you and perhaps taking it places. Maybe you can aim to join a marathon one day, and work towards finishing it. This will give you a goal that will ensure you keep improving and pushing yourself.
If you’re just getting back into crochet, you can just work on mastering your basic knots and completing a beginner’s project. If you’re getting into parkour, you’re not going to be jumping between buildings anytime soon…I hope. Just work on getting your vaults down, and being able to climb a basic wall with ease. Learning an instrument? Think of a pretty easy song you’d like to learn and work towards that.
After you achieve your first goals, this will give you the confidence and affirmation you need to start achieving other, bigger goals. If you jump in with a super big goal, you may easily get intimidated and start procrastinating when you realize just how far that goal is, so start small. You can read more about setting goals the right way in my other article.
9. Proudly Share Your Interests
While you may have your community of like minded people, it’s still good to share your interest and goals with other people, like friends, family or coworkers. One thing that makes people a lot more interesting is that they have something that they’re into that they can talk passionately about. Perhaps they’re interested too and may join in!
For example, when I started practicing guitar more seriously, my mom would talk about how she tried and she was re-inspired to play. My unofficial grandma also saw me playing and was re-inspired. She was able to find a guitar somewhere and would just strum for fun.
Even my little cousin visited one day, and when she saw my guitar, she expressed how she wanted to play that instead of piano. Turns out, she’s also an anime fan like me and we watched the same inspiring band anime. I gave her a lesson, took her to the music store, and that convinced her grandma to buy her one.
Of course, when it comes to my bandmates, they had musical goals as a kid but they have since given up on them. Them seeing me pick up guitar and asking them to join me on this band journey re-inspired them to try this music thing once again and it ended up working out for all of us. A lot of them are now considering music more seriously, and that’s amazing!
Point is, as opposed to finding your community which would include people who are already interested, sometimes you never know who around you may actually be interested too, they’ve just been discourage, or are procrastinating, or just felt alone. And now that you’re here, it’s something you can do together! Otherwise, at least you’ll have a supporter or someone who can hold you accountable. If they’re a doubter or nay-sayer, make it a mission to prove them wrong!
10. Take A Leap Of Faith (Optional)
Last, but definitely an optional choice, is to take a leap of faith. What does that mean exactly? Well, it will be different for every person or every hobby. Point is, if you see or are given an opportunity, even if you don’t feel 100% ready for it, take that chance. There’s a competition? Why not apply for it? Maybe you have a business idea for your passion, like you want to become a producer, you gotta start somewhere!
Usually, what turns ‘just a hobby’ into something bigger is the openness and drive to taking it farther. For example, I could have just played guitar for myself in my bedroom, and that’s fine and all…I’m still embracing my childhood passions after all; But, because I decided to also make a band and start a music blog, it can become something much bigger, and through these means, if successful, music can become not just a hobby but a career and I’ll be allowed to invest more time and money into it long-term.
So many people have turned their hobby’s or interests into careers, and that’s how we get actors, musicians, artists and designers, astronauts, athletes and Olympians, and so on. As we said in the beginning, just because you’re an adult, even if you’re 40 or 60 years old, that doesn’t mean opportunities will never come your way. There’s things you may have like inspiration, insight, and experience that youngsters won’t have, and that can be your advantage.
While it’s great just getting back into your hobbies that spark joy and peace into your life, just don’t cut yourself short of possibilities and opportunities if they come your way, or you have a great idea on how to take it farther. Sell your art online or take commissions, enter those competitions, take those leaps of faith!
Conclusion
I hope this article has inspired you to take a chance and has given you some useful tips and tools to pursuing your passions seriously. Life is too short to spend it miserably, always working and living for other people. Make sure you spend some time doing things you like and perhaps pursuing your crazy dreams and childhood fantasies like I did with my band.
If you’d like goal achievement and self confidence tips, I have quite a few articles in my blog. Definitely check it out! And if you have any questions or would like personal advise, feel free to contact me! I’d love to help! 🙂 Also feel free to let me know if this has helped you in anyway. I’d love to hear from you ^_^