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“What do you like to do in your free time?”
It’s a question we’ve all been asked more times than we can count — a classic ice breaker for those looking to keep the conversation going. It sneaks its way into office lunchrooms, awkward first dates, job interviews, and parties where we barely know anyone.
Personally, I’ve always found it a difficult one to answer, not because I don’t have any hobbies, but because I have too many.
On the surface, the asker is making small talk. But really, it’s a way to gauge the kind of person we are. More than ever, our favorite pastimes have become part of our identity. What we do for fun prescribes a label, a group to belong to, and even a kind of social currency. People use their hobbies to network — think the padel phenomenon — or as a way to deal with looming ’millennial midlife crises’.
And the internet has only amplified that. Platforms like TikTok and YouTube are full of niche hobby communities, from candle-making to watch collecting. Each comes with its own aesthetic and starter kit. Take the ’cozy hobby crowd’ who’ve been gaining traction with the arrival of fall: The perfect night means staying in and playing a low-stakes video game. But don’t forget the fall-scented candle, fluffy blanket, and Jellycat bear pumpkin plushy that apparently need to be bought to set the vibe.
I’ll admit, I also get swept up in the excitement of trying out yet another crafty activity. Some stick, others don’t. Often, what’s left behind are the supplies I bought, waiting to be picked up again in a few weeks’ time. Realistically, I’m just someone who gets bored easily and needs to shake up routine every now and then. But there’s also this underlying pressure of getting really good at everything we try.
Maybe that’s the problem: Somewhere along the way, we started combining relaxing activities with the number one stressor of all — money. We’re encouraged to make something of our hobbies, to create an Instagram account to share them with the world, turn them into side hustles, or to compete in competitions and come out on top. Otherwise, don’t even bother. And the trend is catching on: Almost 40% of people in the UK report having a second, hobby-related source of income, and around 27% do in the US.
Ironically, that was never the point. The term ‘hobby’ first took on its modern meaning in the 19th century, when it came to describe activities done outside of normal work hours. Hobbies were meant to be pleasurable pastimes, something we could enjoy and improve at, while staying separate from the ‘productive’ parts of our days.
Lately, I’ve been trying to remind myself of that. Sure, I’ve occasionally considered selling prints of my drawings. But even the thought of it sounds stressful — and that’s not why I started creating in the first place.
I'm curious if you can relate. What role do hobbies play in your life?
Anna
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Some numbers
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16%
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When it comes to how Americans spend their free time, reading tops the list at 16%, closely followed by video gaming at 13.7%.
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72%
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Approximately 72% of young people say that hobbies significantly help their mental health, ranking above both friends (53%) and social media (46%) for coping with stress and emotional well-being.
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628
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In 2020, Luxembourg led EU spending on sporting goods (628 PPS), over six times Bulgaria’s 24. PPS adjusts for price levels across countries.
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Read between the lines
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‘Crafts are like medicine!’: Gen Z and the rapid rise of cosy hobbies — Tara Russell, The Guardian (2025)
Screen fatigue is real, and it’s making Gen Z turn to crafts as a form of self-care and social connection. This article explores how these ‘cosy hobbies’ have helped young people find meaning offline.
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What We Lose When We’re Priced Out of Our Hobbies — Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic (2025)
Once a source of joy and connection, hobbies like knitting and fishing are becoming luxury pursuits. The article observes that “hobby inflation” is turning leisure into a marker of class divide.
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Hobbies Too Relaxing? Try ‘Leisure Crafting.’ — Lora Kelley, New York Times (2025)
This article argues that bringing a bit of work logic into our free time isn’t always a bad thing. Through “leisure crafting,” setting goals around hobbies can help people find more meaning and satisfaction outside of work.
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A collection of the earliest hobbies
Before modern hobbies like hiking, cooking or photography became popular, people delighted in the wonderfully odd. Many of these now-forgotten — or downright unthinkable — pastimes reveal the ways early hobbyists found joy and relaxation.
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Plugged in
Why do we have hobbies — The Origin of Everything, PBS
How did we go from picking up hobbies for fun to turning them into side hustles? This episode seeks to unpack that question, taking a look at the evolution of hobbies in the process.
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are our hobbies just consumerism? — existentialjazz, YouTube
This video essay unpacks the culture of collecting, questioning when the joy of owning things turns into the compulsion to accumulate more and more.
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The Quilters — Jenifer McShane, Netflix
Inside a maximum-security prison, a men’s quilting group helps participants discover a creative outlet and meaningful way to give back by crafting personalized quilts for local foster children.
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Hobby spotlights
We all have things we love to do. But what does it take for us to keep showing up again and again? We asked three of our readers to choose their favorite hobby and answer the same question about it: Why do you think you were drawn to it?
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Sofia on crocheting:
"I've always loved creating things with my hands. Crocheting has been an intermittent hobby throughout my life, taking on new meanings over time. When I was a child, my grandmother taught me how to crochet—at the time, it sometimes felt like an imposition, something I did because she loved it so much. But after she passed away, I discovered the boxes of threads she had carefully stored in her basement. Touching them, I felt an unexpected closeness to her, as if a quiet thread connected us across time. That moment made me want to return to crocheting, this time on my own terms, and to carry on something that once meant so much to her."
This picture was taken from Sofia's Instagram account mumo.designs
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Basia on gardening:
"What drew me to gardening was that it gives me satisfaction really quickly. Like many people, I mostly gain satisfaction from achieving goals in a capitalistic way. Gardening is also about achieving a goal, but it's calm and mindful. I also find it wholesome to share my veggies: to give tomatoes to my mom, cucumbers to a friend, or eat the small watermelon I managed to grow with my dad. I even sent a picture to my aunt, because I got the seeds from her. A balcony in a big city isn't the perfect place to grow a watermelon, but it worked, and that gave me joy. While eating it, I thought: If it wouldn't be for me, this wouldn't exist."
Basia took this picture from her balcony in Warsaw
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Beatriz on reading:
"Reading, for me, is a way to return to that sense of childlike play and wonder we tend to lose as adults. I think that's why so many people in their mid-twenties, once the realization of capitalism hits, start seeking comfort in the things that once made them happiest. For me, that's always been reading, and it feels very authentic to who I am. I really like that it doesn't rely on being on my phone, how it stimulates my imagination, and how it hopefully makes me a more empathetic person. Even though reading is traditionally a solitary hobby, it's also helped me find a really nice community through book club meet-ups."
Taken from Beatriz's Instagram story, this picture shows her recent birthday book TBR haul
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Ways to get inspired
Fun Palaces
Fun Palaces is a UK initiative that invites communities to celebrate creativity through free, locally-led events. Through arts, crafts, and other hobbies, participants share skills, connect, and create together.
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Repair Café
Repair Café is a global movement that brings people together to repair items like electronics, clothing, and bicycle, free of charge and with the help of skilled volunteers.
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Prinzessingarten
Prinzessinnengarten is a community garden in Berlin where people come together to engage in urban gardening and sustainable living practices.
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Enjoying NOC? Your friends, family, community and colleagues might too. Here is a link for you to share this edition with them.
Link to this edition
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Through art
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Drawings & Sound System — Tom Sachs, 2024
This exhibition turns luxury consumer items into handmade sculptures, emphasizing the care, creativity, and process behind each piece. Like a dedicated hobbyist, the artist crafts everyday materials into art, reimagining brands and consumer culture to reveal the dedication to crating for crafting’s sake.
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The Wander Society Adventure Lab — Keri Smith, 2018
This artwork invites visitors to embrace unstructured exploration, turning curiosity into a creative, hands-on hobby. The interactive space encourages participants to wander, reflect, and engage with art and nature, fostering a deeper connection to the world around them.
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The Heidelberg Project — Tyree Guyton, 1986
Based in Detroit, this community art project aims to bring art to the local community beyond museum walls. Returning to Heidelberg Street on the city’s East Side and finding it marked by poverty and drug use, the artist began transforming vacant lots into a vast outdoor gallery, armed only with a broom and a paintbrush.
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Our picks
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