When I lived in Japan, What is your hobby? always followed up the standard introduction questions: What is your name?, Where are you from?, and How old are you? You were expected to have a hobby, just the same as you were expected to have a name and age. Hobbies take on a high art form in Japan--the proper equipment and uniform are de rigor. Could it be that the intense cultivation of hobbies is perhaps one of the reasons the Japanese generally have a long, healthy lifespan? While in Japanese, I generally answered the question at different times with Tea Ceremony, reading, running, cycling, and/or traveling. Since I left Japan, I hadn't really spent much time thinking about my hobbies. When was the last time you were asked or asked someone the hobby question? Think about...why don't we ask about hobbies? Hobbies are good, they give an outlet for all the stresses of life, they give provide us with meaningful activities after retirement. I think many people do have have hobbies, but many others don't. But we don't actively engage in talking about people hobbies unless we seek out others that are like minded. Or occasionally someone who is passionate about their pastime inundates us with their passion.
Last year, I was on an interview, One of the questions was: What are your hobbies? It had been decades since I have fielded that question, so I floundered. Unsatisfactorily, I answered--hmm...uhhhmmm..reading?, uh, and oh TRAVELING. I really like to travel, yeah, that's it traveling, I used to travel all over the world but now I travel to Oklahoma from California and I uh stop at National Parks--so uh, visiting National Parks is my hobby, yeah, that it!...National Parks. Needless to say, I left the interview knowing that this wasn't my strongest question.
But, food for thought. What are my hobbies now? I know I have them. But I don't really want to include reading. I read because I am a Librarian, I am a Librarian because I read--reading is part of the fabric of who I am. Photography? I went on a couple of photography MeetUps and felt woefully inadequate. I am not overly interested in F-stops, moving past the preset on my my camera, or the technical side of digital photo processing. I will crop an image here, contrast an image there, but that is about it.
Then it hit me--Experiential Photography is my hobby. When I have my camera with me, I see the world in a whole new light. I am more cognizant of what is going on around me. I spot things that I would have passed by. Snapping the photos includes the intense pleasure of finding something that I think will translate well into an image. It is the experience of seeing the world in a different way. It is the seeking out this experience that is my hobby. But it doesn't stop there, I want to share that experience with others. So I have developed what I think is a unique side to my hobby--I create photo greeting cards that I send to friends and family with inconsistent regularity. I experience a spark of joy when I pen the message inside and I hope that it will brighten the recipient's day. In this I think that I have been successful. A friend has recently told me that I inspired her to begin the creation her own greeting cards--cross stitch is her medium. I just sent a packet of my greeting cards to one of my Mom's friends who wanted to buy some--in the package I explained that her appreciation and desire to send sparks of joy originating with me was payment enough.
More and more frequently now that I recognize that this is my hobby--I take my camera and myself someplace. The nearby Huntington is a frequent outing--I have a membership that gives me daily access to the gardens--hours before the public is allowed in. I also go on adventures with my camera, just seeing what I see while walk around. I have discovered that what I enjoy, is taking macro photos. Seeing the world up close is fascinating. And I feel like at times I am channeling Georgia O'Keeffe when I focus in on a part of a flower or object. I find the part gives the eye more to consider and the imagination a chance to interact. Roses are a favorite, fortunately the Hungtington has a fabulous rose garden for me to wander around in. I also enjoy giving myself a task--today I will look for leaves or today I will look for things for My LA series, etc. I also enjoy capturing the artwork that I see in
museums--again the Huntington is a favored location. When I get home, I load my photos into my camera to see which images pop for me. I might spend 3 or 4 minutes cropping and adjusting the image to get what I want to share. Then I load the images onto a flash drive and head to Sam's Club for one hour processing--I might get between 1 to 10 copies of any one image. Once I get the images, I search for a suitable 5 x 7 notecard to mount it on. I am a regular customer at Paper Source and love to browse through their cards to find the perfect background for my card. The finally, I decide who might appreciate a particular image. This is what I like the best--considering the unique personalities of those I care for and then trying to match up an image that they will appreciate.
There are times when I send out the same photo to everyone--holidays or if one particular photo resonates with me. I am always happy to share my world with others so if anyone wants to become part of the Photo Card Club, I am happy to add them. This is what I call Experiential Photography. I am happy that I have identified this as my hobby--this means that I will feel a specific value to what has become a very fulfilling activity in my life. Consider what your hobbies are? Recognizing them as such can bring you great joy. And asking other people about their hobbies, makes a connection with the essence of others that knowing their jobs, names and age never can. So what is your hobby? I would really love to hear.