I’ll say it once, and I’ll say it again “hobby hopping” is a made up phrase that people use to shame ADHD people for no reason.
“Hobby hopping” is only a problem if:
- You have so many unfinished projects that it has become a hoarding situation (and you are not willing to get rid of any of them).
- You are having financial issues because you keep buying new supplies and equipment.
- The picking up and putting down projects is a result of you finding it hard to enjoy things long-term (and that’s a problem not for practical reasons but because you deserve to live a life where you’re not stressed out or guilty over the things you enjoy???)
This whole “you need to pick something and stick with it” thing that always has a weird moral undertone has got to stop. Because you know what? People saying they “love to try new things” or “like to learn new skills” is viewed as a positive open-minded thing, but “hobby hopping,” which absent the three conditions above is the same thing in my opinion, is a negative phrase that implies someone is flighty, unfocused, and undedicated.
You’re allowed to try new things and be like nah this is not for me??? You don’t have to stick with something just because you thought you’d like it, or you bought a lot of supplies for it. How are you gonna become the cool absent-minded yet mysterious professor-type who knows how to do everything if you limit your skill acquisition based on fake rules?
Personal advice for healthy hobby hopping. Context, I always have a list of things I want to learn and right now it includes: machine sewing, wood burning, knitting, crochet, and digital art.
I frequently end up getting the supplies to learn these new things on sudden impulse, but that’s actually a result of me putting a restraint on my hobby hopping: Unless I’ve sat down and done a lot of research before deciding I want to get into ____ thing, I don’t let myself buy what I deem as expensive supplies. BUT: I do let myself buy supplies for hobbies on my list with absolutely no research when I can find them supper cheap. Ex: I went to a mega thrift store the other weekend, and they had yarn and knitting needles. Yarn was $1 per skane, and the many pairs of needles were 50 cents each. I suddenly realized knitting needles come in different sizes, so I Googled “What is the best knitting needle size for beginners?” Google said six, and I walked out of there with yarn and a pair of size six knitting needles. Prior to this, I found a book on how to knit for $2. Have I used them? Not yet. No prob: I am out $3.50 to have the stuff on-hand for when I’m ready for it. I have not allowed myself to buy the $120 Kintsugi kit I want because that is a lot of money to have it sit around.
ALSO: Join the ADHD Craft Swap and Shop group on Facebook. It’s all people destashing craft supplies to recover a bit of money they’ve sunk into hobbies they’re no longer interested in. Which means: Other hobby hoppers can get new supplies dirt cheap, and people who have dropped hobbies can recoup some of the cost of supplies. Also the posts are so funny. “I bought $100 worth of molds for soap, and I found out I hate making soap. Destash in comments.”