What's in a Hobby?

HOBBY stemmed from the time when people would ride a wooden horse as an actual pastime. Subsequently, the expression “to ride one’s hobby – horse” became known. It means, “to follow a favorite pastime”. In the modern times it is popularly called HOBBY.

There are various forms of hobby, collecting is one. The value of collecting involves purchasing or getting a hold of a particular item anchored in the fascination and inclination of the collector. These possessions are well categorized and beautifully showcased. The intensity and extensiveness of the collection may differ from one collector to another. Some collectors may focus on a very specific collection like old postal stamps of Manchester, coins from Bhutan, or antique diamond earrings set on platinum. Others may rather hold more common collection like antique furniture, jewelries, sports cards and the like. Sometimes there are people who collect experiences. They gather experiences of special kinds like when they travel. They may capture these experiences through videos or photos.

Games are also form of hobby. A game is a recreational activity carried out for pleasure, it is either partially or totally controlled. The target and the rules of the game create the challenge and structure. Games existed as far back as primeval age. Because of the enjoyment that games brought about – various selections of games were developed corresponding the unique interest of different individuals. There are several aspects to consider in determining what game should a person engage in. Age, intelligence level, stamina and personality are to be taken into account. The games and its rules vary as well as the involvedness of the participant in attaining the target. Games commonly entail physical as well as mental drive. Hence, they may well help people to be generally sound.

Outdoor recreation is another popular form of recreation. These are activities that are greatly dependent in the open air. Examples would be mountain climbing, trekking, rock climbing, and the like. While apparently relished by some as an adrenalin rush – it is very effective method in education and teambuilding. There are other hobbies that people enjoy – like cooking, gardening, painting composing, software developing etc.

Now what are hobbyists? Hobbyists make hobbies concrete. Hobbyists are people who are passionate about a specific material or an activity. They get captivated with anything that is associated with their hobby. Their collection ranges from magazines and books to different sorts of hobby equipments, gears and accessories. These possessions may well be meticulously arranged and stored in a room dedicated only for the stuff. Hobbyists are ready and willing to invest time and money for their hobbies. They avail of club memberships in places that they can frequent. They allocate a particular time to carry out their leisure pursuits. Their enthusiasm to learn and explore new things gave them a deeper understanding in the field.

Hobbyists are also categorized into different levels depending on the degree of their involvement in their hobbies. Level one is what we would call the Beginner. The Beginner would be someone who buys the “basics.” Basics would mean outfit, equipments and even instructional materials. He would watch the television and tune in to the channel that features his interest. He would start researching about the icons of that particular hobby. Icons could be a person, a team, brand of equipment and the like. He would also get himself familiar with the jargons of the hobby and start speaking them.

Level two would be the Mainstream hobbyist. He would be someone who is more familiar with the hobby. Meaning, he knows the “spots”. Spots could be the places where there are good finds and enjoyable facilities. The mainstream may already belong to a league of hobbyists that pursue the same interest as him. He is comfortable with the jargons of his hobby. He has won competitions. In other words, he is more intense in terms of equipments, knowledge and experience.

Finally, we have the Total hobbyist. The total hobbyist has an unyielding conviction in every aspect of the hobby. He has become an authority and an expert. He knows every detail of the hobby by heart. He could come up with a jargon that would indeed hit in his league. He has been the president of a national club or confederation if not one of the board of directors or the chairman of the board. He speaks in a national tournament and is considered an icon. He is someone who’s got nothing more to prove in terms of the depth of experience or possessions, yet still striving not only to improve himself but the industry as well.

However, there is a sheer wedge between profession and hobbies. A sport or an artistic interest may be a hobby to one person but a profession to another. A teacher may love to paint, while a painter may love to cook. People engage in hobbies to stimulate an interest and derive enjoyment from it as well. Hobby focuses more on self – fulfillment rather than financial return. The irony of it is that, it is easier to make a living out of a hobby than out of a profession. This is because hard work and fatigue is unnoticed when people love what they do. Some traders started from hobbying. Collectors who attempt to pull off a certain line of collection and build it up to integrate connected stuff then they trade in the items. Many of these merchants started as collectors themselves and then turned their hobby into a profession. Just like when games are carried out for the wage. Even creative hobbies can be a potential small business especially when people close to the hobbyist appreciate his work and start requesting to pay him just to own a piece of his work and intend it for a gift. As the appeal of an activity increases, the commercial ventures rise as well. There are a lot of hobby shops opening up in large numbers and thriving both on the local market and online.

Hobbyists and professionals may actually work out a fusion to attain a mutual advantage. Hobbyists and professionals can benefit and learn from each other’s ideas and experiences. But what matters is, that they could facilitate development in whatever field of interest they are engaged in. So what’s in a hobby? OPPORTUNITES!

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