Abnormal Hobbies (That Don’t Scale)

Is it possible to normalize doing useless things just for ourselves?

I’m inspired by a message from Hamish Charlton. It’s better hearing him say it in his Australian accent, but it goes like this. He says,

“Let’s normalize having hobbies that don’t scale. Social media didn’t just change how we share what we love, it changed why we do it. Suddenly every hobby has become a side hustle. And every spark of curiosity comes with pressure to perform. And not because we’re greedy, it’s because we’ve been taught to turn our passions into a product. Every. Single. Time. And if you’re one of the lucky ones that’s generally good at something and you can build a life out of it… that’s beautiful.

But that’s not what this is about.

You’re allowed to do things just because they make you feel good. To play music that no-one hears, to take photos that no-one sees, and to be a beginner. Because your joy doesn’t need to justify itself. And your passion? Well that doesn’t owe you a return either. So I’m asking you to let one thing in your life be completely useless on purpose. Not for content, not for income, but just for you.”

– Hamish Charlton (@iamfieldnotes)
Founder of We Are Calamity (@wearecalamity_)

Isn’t that great? I used his audio in a recent post on top of videos of me making art experiments. Yes, there is some irony in creating content about not doing things for content. But the larger point remains true. Curiosity is the reward. Whether or not anyone else gets something out of it? That doesn’t matter.

One of my useless hobbies: I create animations by printing on receipts

Is it possible to normalize having “useless” hobbies? Yes and no. There will always be people questioning how you use your free time, people who don’t get it, trolls who hammer you into alignment with conventions. But there is also an irresistible draw towards people who follow a calling that only they can hear. They inspire us. When we discover these lonely humans doing non-traditional activities it’s our job to encourage them to keep going. Because no, it’s not normal. But it’s also not useless. Stay creative.

Your friend,
Ade