‘’Job is a way to survive and hobby is a way to enjoy life while doing so.’’


When we were a kid, we had so many hobbies. We used to play, paint, read and so on. But while growing old, these hobbies got lost somewhere being replaced by assignments, and work, and a fight for survival. This pandemic has made us revive those hobbies and connect with our inner child. During these past few months, we all did something which we have not done in a very long time. Some pulled out their paintbrushes, some wore back their aprons, some took out their guitar, and some held their pen again. We all found the artist sleeping inside us.


Before lockdown, my weekends were usually spent meeting friends, going to movies, shopping, etc. I guess this is applicable to most of us. But then the world suddenly came to a halt, and as we were locked inside our home, they’re nothing to do anymore. We were like a kid lost in a fair where all the lights have suddenly gone out. The kid was left wondering where to go and what to do. But then, they found a ball inside their pocket and started playing with it. Similarly, all of us found something inside our pockets. I found that I have not only one but many things to play with. I cooked, read, painted, and wrote. Everything stopped being so chaotic then. It helped in releasing the stress and gave some positivity in those uncertain times. It also made me reconnect with my inner self.


We all had some hobby at one point in life but somewhere in the hustle-bustle of life, we forgot to invest time in it, and it got lost. It took us a pandemic to go back to those activities that brought us comfort and joy. Though I could not stop asking myself, once the lights in the fair are back and the world goes back to normal, will we still be doing these little things that make us happy? When we go back to normal, I would still love to see someone strumming guitar in their balcony, or someone posting pictures of the new dish they cooked. We saw people posting so many pictures of sunsets, the plant that grew on their balconies and yard, I would love to keep seeing them.


Work and studies are a part of life and our lifestyle is dictated by them. But hobbies are a way to take a break and rejuvenate. Hence, they should also be made a non-negotiable part of life. This lockdown made us do that forcefully, but I hope to make it a habit. I will try to take some time out of my schedule and do something just for the fun of it keeping in mind that Netflix also brings me joy, but it is not a hobby. So, let us all invest some time and make them a part of our day to day life. Let us keep the child inside us happy and keep chasing those hobbies.