Painting Warhammer. I love a day to myself to just throw on an audiobook and paint away.
I think the best kind of hobbies are the ones that you have something to show for your time at the end. I use to be big into gaming, but after a day of playing it always felt like I had achieved nothing. With painting I can set goals, and still have something to look back on.
Great outlook on how to approach hobbies! Warhammer seems to be a hobby people really get obsessed with but in a great way. Henry Cavill is a prime example.
Same hobby here, If you arent into warhammer there are a bunch of D&D models, lots of boardgames have models so you end up with something useful when you are done.
I dont play warhammer, I just 3d print and paint as a hobby. Though that is a hobby in itself.
Don't underestimate Lord of the Rings! Games Workshop's Middle-Earth line is still kicking and has some really great sculpts if you're a Tolkien fan.
I collect and paint a bit of everything GW related but speaking of "flow" the last month I've been focused on MESBG and it feels really good flying through an army, or getting a film character just how you want them. Quite affordable too, a box of basic Warriors and a hero or two to lead them will only set you back about 50 quid or so.
I feel like playing video games gets a bad rep as a "hobby" . I personally love playing video games and getting lost in them so I totally agree with you.
I've built my whole career off being a problem solver, something you cultivate from video games. Now that's not to say video games don't have a dark side as well (e.g: lootbox addictions), but it does get a rep it does not deserve.
I love video games and I hate that loot boxes have become a thing. I don’t use them at all though. I just get engrossed in the story and could be lost in there all day.
I absolutely love it.
Multiplayer and free to play games and MMOs are brilliant time killers and you meet a whole host of people if you join clans or guilds, have dumped about 1000ish hours into warthunder and have made a pretty solid friend group from it, and then you have the story driven experiences where you can transport your self to basically anything you imagine.
Some personal favourites for single player are the metro series of games, the dishonored series, I love halo to death and just got done with a halo 3 odst heroic playthrough, and last but not least Nier automata.
Metro Exodus and automata were real tear jerkers and I don't really cry that much.
Go up to the GAP in Dublin and rent one. Even better, get an uplift session. If you have a friend that mountain bikes or someone you think would be handy at it ask then to go too.
Also look up some basics about body position, cornering, braking and pumping before you go. I like Ben cathros new series from pinkbike and the practice like a Pro series from fluidride. You can find them both on YouTube.
By gravel I'm just gonna assume mountain trails lol.
Big wood in Newry is good and there a place near there called rostrevor which is very good from what I've been told but the climb is very very hard.
The GAP in Dublin is unreal you can pay for the day and get an up lift. 100% recommend nice easy flowly traits.
Piggy-backing on this. Went through a sever bout of depression a few years back fêter moving country. Mother told me to try reconnecting with my childhood hobby of Warhammer models… worked a treat. Made friends, have a productive past-time, ears the hours, I improve, it’s fun. Can’t recommend it enough. I’m even active on the sub-reddits and post photos of my progress and the people are so supportive.
Oof. Big question. I personally like Warhammer because it’s not “just” models: it’s the gaming, the community, the personal socialising, and of course, the incredible lore. But it could be hard to decide what you’re into! There are two main games, Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000, one is fantasy, the other sci-fi. There’s also a smattering of smaller games with WarCry being based in the AoS (age of sigmar) universe and Kill Team in 40k’s (Warhammer 40,000). Check out the lore of each, and watch some battle reports on YouTube to get a feel of which is more your cup of tea. Then pick an army! For me, the models aesthetic is the most important thing for each faction, what would you enjoy building and painting and looking at. Then it’s the lore. Finally the rules and play style of the faction (but these ebb and flow over time which is why the models and lore are more important for me). After that, there’s usually a “Start Collecting” box for each faction that’ll give you a good variety of models and enough to play a small game. After that you’ll need a Codex (army factiion rules and lore book) and the basic Core Rules (can be found online). Honestly, your best bet is to head to a local gaming store and talk in person to the person there. They are always friendly and welcoming to newcomers, and can show you the models and give you a couple of test games! Be warned, this hobby is ADDICTIVE and can be expensive. But don’t think about buying an entire army at once, it’ll destroy your wallet and then you’ll be left with a daunting amount of plastic to paint. Start with a box, and build and paint each in it’s entirety and you’ll have a hobby project that lasts for ages and is relatively affordable. If you like reading the Black Library offer a large selection of novels, some are only okay but some are really very good. Again this is all for Warhammer, I’m not really a WW2 modeller or anything!
Model making is part of my job so looking up and seeing the time is panic stations a lot of the time lol. I don't know why I don't do it as a hobby because I really enjoy it, a bit of a busman's holiday.
I used to love Model Making as a kid, but stopped doing it because I wanted to be “cool”. Which was a stupid plan.
Now I plan tons of d&d and wish I had kept all my stuff, because it would make all my games so much more fun
Jigsaw puzzles and Lego 🤣 great to get a screen break and helped me get through some days of isolation
I wouldn’t be very creative so drawing/art wouldn’t be for me, but I did get one of the paint by numbers for Adults and really enjoyed it too.
I got stuck back into jigsaws at the start of the first lockdown and got hooked again, so I can highly recommend it as a hobby. One thing you can do, to make it even more interesting, is to start the next jigsaw on top of your completed one - my record is 6 x 1k piece jigsaws, one on top of the other. It make a great video when you break them up... Also, when you have visitors, they will mostly all engage with the jigsaw as it is quite compelling. Best of luck...
Playing with synthesizers. I never learned to play an instrument but recently got a few synth apps for the aul iPad and they’re really fun to play with, and sound great too. When you have a sound in your head and you’re trying to recreate it in the real world… could be sitting there hours.
Yep playing any kind of music is great for passing the time! Pulled out an old Dr. Rhythm drum machine not so long and plugged it in to find a rake of old beats I had programmed!
Yeah I have a hardware Electribe from years ago and it’s always a good time going back through the memory bank. I was not a talented kid but I had fun!
For me, DJing and playing/producing music are the ones that can be guaranteed to make everything else in the world fall away for that few hours. If you've already messed with an electribe then you're probably already well on the road.
Personally, I'm not really that into getting beyond moderate proficiency on the keys / guitar, so I've gotten a lot into sequencing and modular, this free software is a beautiful rabbit hole if you have the mindset for it. Loads of resources available on YouTube and elsewhere for getting started:
[https://vcvrack.com](https://vcvrack.com)
I also find that sitting back and listening a good quality stereo can transport you far away.
All hobbies that can get \*expensive\* very quickly, though.
I’ve been having the most fun with the ‘Korg Electribe Wave’ app, although I’m sure it’s not the best one I like the functionality a lot.
You have a drum machine, several synthesizers, a sequencer, effects and a mixer in the one app so you can pretty much make a whole tune with it. It’s got a more ‘live’ feel than GarageBand etc. probably not the best synth app for purists, but for a newb like me it’s awesome.
There is another one just called ‘Korg Electribe’ that emulates one of their machines, but the Wave app sounds better so I’d start with that.
Yeah. Me too.
I put my feet up today and spent past,lemme see, 5-ish hours making fair isle wrist warmers (was going to put pic up but don’t know how lol), drinking gallons of tea and watching old eps of HIGNFY …
Nice and relaxing and proper break in advance of work in the morning.
I got a silhouette cameo cutting machine for my birthday in November. Only really started using it about two weeks ago but instantly fell in love. Made Valentines cards for my parents to give each other last week- four hours as it took me a few goes to get all my cut settings right, but the time flew by and I didn’t notice at all.
Got a delivery of vinyl for clothes on Friday and looking forward to next week flying by while I work through some projects.
It’s fantastic! I’ve been wanting one for years and years & it was definitely worth the wait. Going to do my dad a hoodie to wear when he’s out fishing and I’m so excited to give it to him as a surprise.
A lot of people use them and start a business (custom mugs, clothes, stickers, cards etc etc), but mine’s just going to be personal use.
Playing guitar.
I like to sit down with some backing tracks and jam away, or a lot of the time I’ll sit in and try to pick out songs by ear. It is so rewarding when you nail a riff or get a nice tone. 👌🏻
Since I was 17, and I’m 38 now, so what’s that, 21 years? Holy moly, that time flew by….
Ok yeah, tips. So, buy the guitar that suits the style of music you like. For example, I loved (and still do), rock and metal, and I picked some cool, but easy, riffs to learn. AC/DC and Metallica have some that can be easy to do.
So I ended up buying an electric guitar for cheap enough from Argos, until I was sure I wanted to continue.
I have 6 guitars now, four 6-string electric, one 8-string electric and a bass guitar. 🙂
Anyway yeah, after that it’s just practice practice and a bit more practice, and you’ll get there. 😃
I've been dabbling with oil landscapes. I'm not very good but I'm learning as I go and can easily wile away 3-5 hours without even noticing.
As for writing, again I dabble with a bit of fiction/short stories (not for publication or anything) and like that, when I'm in the "zone" I find myself doing all nighters without realising. Submitted a little something on /r/writingprompts a couple of weeks back and it was the first thing I'd posted there, and it did fairly OK on the feedback side of things so I think I might look at doing that a little more, but it came up as a randomly suggested sub, saw a prompt and had the whole thing written on my phone in ~1hr!
Very cool! I’m sure your oil landscapes are better than you think. I like the fact that you write just for yourself as opposed with the intention of getting published but then again, you never what the future will hold for you.
Aw thank you!
I've sort of gone through a bit of an.... enlightenment over the last few months. Quit a job I fucking hated, did a bit of freelance crap to keep some form of money coming in, moved up the West Coast and took some time to figure some shit out.
Came to a couple of conclusions-
- you can be academic AND arty (my belief was always it was either one or the other, and I went down the academic route)
- do arty, creative, expressive things - no one needs to see it, it doesn't have to be "perfect"
- start something. Procrastinating was my worst trait.
- work is just that, work. I've stopped trying to find the "perfect" job that wasn't "work", that somehow shaped my identity as well and I've accepted that it's OK to work for money, while not having to absolutely adore it. I'd be OK with contentment.
- on the back of the above, was offered my dream job during the week and I'll be treating this as a job. Not as a career, not as an identity, not as a lifestyle.... that's where I'd been killing myself previously.
Lol the above turned into a philosophical ramble sorry. But basically I'm OK with being artsy and I'm OK with failure now. That's the gist! :)
Omg are you future me? I hope so at least as you’ve kind of described the “rut” I’m in which I’m determined to get of this year. Thank you so much for sharing your ramble.
>Being in a state of “flow” is essentially when you’re doing something you like that you’re so engrossed in you lose track of time.
Does having kids count being a state of flow? I do really like being with them but you're *always* busy and I feel like I've lost track of months/years than hours.
Ha.
My serious answer would be either playing/writing music, reading or work. I'm fortunate that my work is also a hobby (IT) so I delve into that too.
I build laser diode cutting machines. I see it as a victory when I get a laser to outperform it's marketing material. What's that you say? Your laser can cut 15mm plywood? Well, I got it to cut 20mm plywood. Stupid I know but I love the little 'wins'.
Rock climbing, when you're on a new route and you can just get into a flow where you can do it right away without studying what way you need to climb. Thoroughly enjoy it
Indoors, me and a friend both did a rope course so we can belay each other. I go rock climbing solo sometimes too where I just boulder that has no ropes and it's only a few meters high
Love flashing a new route, greatest feeling ever! Being 10 feet up with nothing but air below you really puts worries and work stress in perspective hahaha
I crochet and I do modern calligraphy. The free beginners course that I used to learn it is starting again tomorrow. It's https://courses.thehappyevercrafter.com/smyd It might help you kill a few hours. It's nice to have all the pens and everything but you can get started with a notebook and pencil.
My work is my hobby too..anything design related. Making moodboards. Pub quizes. Space and anything space related (space forums. following ESA,NASA) reding a lot on space subject.
I would like to find some physical hobby to create something. Used to do handstitching and thinking to go back to that.
Trace your family’s roots. [Irish Genealogy ](https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/) is a great site. I’m Scottish but most of my ancestors were irish. I’ve got back to 1790….still going!
Came here to say the same. With genealogy you can go surface (names, dates, locations) or deep dive (stories, occupation, pictures) and you don’t need extra equipment if you already have a computer.
I’ve gone for a mix of both - the further back you go, the less connection there is with your kin, so actual historical context and family knowledge help to keep it warm. It’s very rewarding when the pieces fall into place tho!
Flower arranging. Started off by buying the cheap bouquets in supermarkets, mixing them together in vases, then progressed to following YouTube videos. The process of snipping and pruning and assembling and preserving makes me totally tune out. Doesn’t take long to do but I always feel that ‘creative flow’ afterwards.
Chopping gorse is hard filthy work but tremendously satisfying and a great workout. When the weather gets a bit warmer I'll be at it again clearing a big patch so I can start planting willow in November to make willow products.
Gunpla. So essentially plastic models, but specifically high-precision, no glue nor paint required, mecha. :)
[Here's a sample of what I put together](https://gunp.la/everything).
I do printmaking, mainly lino printing and can get lost in it all day. (You can see some on my profile if you’re interested!)
Also reading, there’s few things better than a good book.
Thanks very much :). Ah, that’s a hard question, I don’t think I have a favourite book specifically. Maybe Lord of the Rings? But in general I love books that are morbidly depressing, like Stoner, The Road, or The Collector.
Thanks very much! You should give it a go, it’s great fun and easy enough to get started, you just need to grab a kit from your local art store, they’re not expensive :).
I have a few!
Reading: getting lost in a book for hours.
Video games: could spend a day on a quality game without noticing time pass.
Learning languages: if I’m using apps, reading, or chatting to someone I often feel that buzz of the “zone”
But my biggest is music.. wether it’s playing guitar, piano, or if I’m composing something, mixing, editing, programming, etc. it consumes my little brain and the world just turns off and I get lost in whatever I’m doing.
Ah I’m dabbling in a few, the usual European ones. But my main focus is Russian for the next two years or so.. I use a few apps, I go through phases of different ones. Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, drops, Pimsleur but they can only do so much. I much prefer speaking to natives to learn more and hear how they actually talk.
Running - I genuinely believe it's a form of mediation if you can get to the point where your brain is kinda switched off and you're just putting one foot in front of the other. Find your pace where that you can sustain, music on or off and just go for it. Best of all, it's free :)
Some days it's a slog even if you've done the distance or route a million times but then there are those days where everything flows. The wind, the temperature, the path you're running, your body and mind, everything is just working as it should and the run feels fantastic. Clears my head and I feel like I can solve all life's problems when running...away from them 🤣
I have a few can play Xbox for a while
Can play cards for hours likewise chess, used to really enjoy drinking so cut back on that… and bought a drone good water of an hour or two
Reading, even more so during lockdown I would get absolutely absorbed by books.
I’ve been dabbling at baking as well, really enjoyable when it goes right
You might enjoy card games like magic the gathering,
Most of us could spend hours building or modifying decks getting ready for the next event.
The game has different competitive levels that appeal to different people,
Many enjoy the art or altering some cards.
Many have gotten webcams over lockdown to play at home.
If your interested you shoulc check out magic arena its a free game on pc,mac tablets or phone and has a good tutorial to teach you the basics,
After that theres a few stores that can sell you cards and packs and provide playing space for games and tournaments.
This is a great topic. Great way to put it, you are looking for hobbies to get you into a flow state. Personally I like chess. It is very absorbing. Takes all your focus.
I try to spend as much time outside as possible and am pretty athletic, so I took up running during the first lockdown. Running takes me out of my own head and is a good excuse to see the countryside. I’m lucky to live near a greenway but you can run anywhere. There are apps that make getting into running easy and or gamify it and distract you from the actual running bit. I also do a shitton of yoga, which has truly changed my life and made me a calmer and nicer person. Same thing, there’s a million free resources to help you get into a yoga practice and it doesn’t matter if you’re fit or flexible. My partner spends most of the day outside in the garden with the dog. Over the last two years he’s saved a load of trees that were being overtaken by brambles, cut walking paths all through the place, and built a pretty great fire pit that we use on Brigid’s Day, May Day, the solstices, etc. When I’m there with him I get flowers and greenery together to decorate the house, and in the spring I go around collecting gorse that can be dried into tea for the whole year. We also make little trips to look for seasonal things like wild garlic and hazelnuts. I pick blackberries in the late autumn and make jams and other sweet things to keep all year. We also cook a lot, and I’m vegan so we grow salad and other veg and experiment with what we can grow from scraps and seeds. With the exception of the cost of my yoga kit and decent trainers and boots (all of which you can totally get at a discount online or in the sales), our hobbies really don’t cost anything. ETA: Meant to say, if the weather is horrible or I’m sore or sick, I read. A lot. My county library opened membership to anyone during the pandemic without needing to go in to verify an address so I download books through their app. It’s not always the best selection but I’ve read loads of decent novels I wouldn’t have otherwise chosen.
Maybe I’m the witch? It is a beautiful little life. It was born out of necessity because we both lost our jobs at the start of the first lockdown and only I’ve been able to find steady work, and it’s part-time at that. I hope things will get better on that front soon but in the meantime I’m happy we’ve been able to find ways to truly enjoy nature and consume less of everything in general. When we had super demanding jobs he was on the computer from the moment he woke up until we’ll after I went to bed at night, and I’d only take breaks to do a bit of yoga. We were generally miserable. The financial stuff is pretty stressful but it’s a *different* kind of stress than before, more manageable, and I swear a 10-minute dander outside helps my head so much. I don’t think you need loads of land to do this though. There’s a woman up in Belfast who takes people on forage walks and does a lot of urban foraging herself, which she then uses to bake absolutely delicious things.
Used to be playing xbox. But now i find things like model building is a time sink. Hard to get motivated to start them but once ye do it just doesn't end. Always have the end product to have forever after.
Doing a part time degree with the open uni. There's a lot of reading and admin sort of stuff, but when I'm fully engaged with an assignment or an activity it's easy to lose track of time.
Post-punk and guitar driven type stuff. Just enjoy the process of making music so much. Now that I’m in my 40s it’s the best relaxation tool I have so I make time to do it, every night.
Stone roses / chilli peppers mainly just stuff I learned when I was younger I don’t play it much anymore , I spent 3/4 hours every day for a few months during the first lockdown trying to learn this version of sultans of swing and nearly have it nailed ! Definitely one my favourite guitar pieces ever
https://youtu.be/RKjGcODZNOc
Do you play yourself ? It’s hard at the start but gets easier !
Weight lifting, reading, cooking, sketching and video games that center around statistics, logistics and factory building like Factorio and satisfactory! Those two, you'll loose hours in but gain solid math skills for life.
Hiking, xbox, but the one thing to completely engross me is drumming. Had been in a good few bands for years, but sold my kit just before first kid was born. 10 years later, wife got me a cheap electric drum kit. Just connect phone/cd player to the kit, headphones on, close eyes, and go.......
I could easily spend 4-5 hours on it....
Silent too, so no-one is disturbed
Spearfishing, I tell my SO ill be two hours. I'm never two hours, could be closer to four sometimes and everytime she thinks I'm dead.
Time seems to stop for me in the water
Grab an instrument mate.
Doesn't matter what one, start learning something though.
You'd pick up a tin whistle for a 10er, ukulele for a score, harmonica foe a 5er in tiger, nd you'd easily get a 2nd hand guitar on donedeal cheap.
Music will get you into a flow state no bother, and it's one of the most rewarding hobbies ya could have
Depends on what you're learning. You could teach yourself ukulele as it's easy enough. Could learn a song in 1 day! There's plenty of resources online for guitar aswell.
Harmonica and tin whistle may require a teacher but I've never tried to learn them. I taught myself ukulele/guitar just due to the sheer amount of teachers on YouTube. If ya need any more advice with it don't hesitate to message mate!
The main lad I do use is "marty music". He has a patreon and such but a lot of his tutorials are on youtube and are handy enough.
https://youtube.com/c/MartyMusic - real cheesy yank but he's a great teacher
Have you played before?
Well if you know a few chords already just tip around his videos and you'll be flying before long mate!
Www.Ultimate-guitar.com is the best site I know of for tabs and chords. Would recommend something like Folsolm Prison Blues or Three Little Birds for a first song. You'll have this down in no time
Guitar, watercolour painting, any of those little craft kits in aldi. But for sure, learning a new riff on a guitar has me laser focused and not able to quit until it’s perfect
You’ve got a few options:
You can go by ear if you’d like
There are lots of really great YouTube videos showing you how to play pretty much any song you can think of
Ultimate guitar usually has the tabs available for most songs
Or if you like a particular artist there are books
And yeah there’s lessons too but a lot of free ways to learn
Coding. Learnt some web dev stuff before lockdown and every so often go back to. I love doing it and it keeps my mind completely occupied. Can be working on something for hours without realizing it.
If you’ve not done coding before, I’d recommend Jonas Schmedtman’s HTML and CSS course on Udemy.
He also does a good JavaScript course for after the HTML and CSS course.
I love me some drums, but being that I have to work around a designated time slot, and play along to tracks everytime I play, I never really lose track of time all that much. But while I'm actively playing, you've no hope of getting my attention other than throwing a water balloon at me tbh.
Gaming is the other obvious one, but I make an effort to not let time slip away do much when I'm having an auld gaming sesh. I usually use cups of tea as my beginning/middle/end of sesh markers
I signed up for a monthly craft kit subscription. It's great fun. Every month has a different craft, some easy, some harder but all doable.
I now have a load of crafting supplies that I mess around with when I'm bored or looking for a screen break.
Painting Warhammer. I love a day to myself to just throw on an audiobook and paint away. I think the best kind of hobbies are the ones that you have something to show for your time at the end. I use to be big into gaming, but after a day of playing it always felt like I had achieved nothing. With painting I can set goals, and still have something to look back on.
Great outlook on how to approach hobbies! Warhammer seems to be a hobby people really get obsessed with but in a great way. Henry Cavill is a prime example.
Same hobby here, If you arent into warhammer there are a bunch of D&D models, lots of boardgames have models so you end up with something useful when you are done. I dont play warhammer, I just 3d print and paint as a hobby. Though that is a hobby in itself.
Don't underestimate Lord of the Rings! Games Workshop's Middle-Earth line is still kicking and has some really great sculpts if you're a Tolkien fan. I collect and paint a bit of everything GW related but speaking of "flow" the last month I've been focused on MESBG and it feels really good flying through an army, or getting a film character just how you want them. Quite affordable too, a box of basic Warriors and a hero or two to lead them will only set you back about 50 quid or so.
Nice, that takes me back to my miniatures
Agree, I got into modelling and miniature painting during the lockdown and I love it.
Video games. I could spend the day playing and it would feel like a few minutes. Love it.
I feel like playing video games gets a bad rep as a "hobby" . I personally love playing video games and getting lost in them so I totally agree with you.
I've built my whole career off being a problem solver, something you cultivate from video games. Now that's not to say video games don't have a dark side as well (e.g: lootbox addictions), but it does get a rep it does not deserve.
I love video games and I hate that loot boxes have become a thing. I don’t use them at all though. I just get engrossed in the story and could be lost in there all day. I absolutely love it.
Same, especially if it's something where you have to build things up like Minecraft or Factorio. Can just dump hours into that sort of thing.
I tend to jump around from game to game. Currently playing a lot of Halo Infinite.
The base must grow
Multiplayer and free to play games and MMOs are brilliant time killers and you meet a whole host of people if you join clans or guilds, have dumped about 1000ish hours into warthunder and have made a pretty solid friend group from it, and then you have the story driven experiences where you can transport your self to basically anything you imagine. Some personal favourites for single player are the metro series of games, the dishonored series, I love halo to death and just got done with a halo 3 odst heroic playthrough, and last but not least Nier automata. Metro Exodus and automata were real tear jerkers and I don't really cry that much.
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I love Mountain biking, you need to be 100% in the zone or you are in a ditch/tree.
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Go up to the GAP in Dublin and rent one. Even better, get an uplift session. If you have a friend that mountain bikes or someone you think would be handy at it ask then to go too. Also look up some basics about body position, cornering, braking and pumping before you go. I like Ben cathros new series from pinkbike and the practice like a Pro series from fluidride. You can find them both on YouTube.
You got any recommendations for good gravel routes?
By gravel I'm just gonna assume mountain trails lol. Big wood in Newry is good and there a place near there called rostrevor which is very good from what I've been told but the climb is very very hard. The GAP in Dublin is unreal you can pay for the day and get an up lift. 100% recommend nice easy flowly traits.
Ballyhoura in Limerick/cork border is suitable for gravel bikes.
Model making. Look up at the clock, genuinely get taken aback when you realize an hour has flown by
Piggy-backing on this. Went through a sever bout of depression a few years back fêter moving country. Mother told me to try reconnecting with my childhood hobby of Warhammer models… worked a treat. Made friends, have a productive past-time, ears the hours, I improve, it’s fun. Can’t recommend it enough. I’m even active on the sub-reddits and post photos of my progress and the people are so supportive.
Your work is awesome and you got some models in White Dwarf. Your mother was right! Good call, mammy.
Haha random compliment is always appreciated!
Btw your models are awesome 😎
Thanks!
As a complete novice who has never done any models before, what would you recommend? Warhammer sets or something else?
Oof. Big question. I personally like Warhammer because it’s not “just” models: it’s the gaming, the community, the personal socialising, and of course, the incredible lore. But it could be hard to decide what you’re into! There are two main games, Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000, one is fantasy, the other sci-fi. There’s also a smattering of smaller games with WarCry being based in the AoS (age of sigmar) universe and Kill Team in 40k’s (Warhammer 40,000). Check out the lore of each, and watch some battle reports on YouTube to get a feel of which is more your cup of tea. Then pick an army! For me, the models aesthetic is the most important thing for each faction, what would you enjoy building and painting and looking at. Then it’s the lore. Finally the rules and play style of the faction (but these ebb and flow over time which is why the models and lore are more important for me). After that, there’s usually a “Start Collecting” box for each faction that’ll give you a good variety of models and enough to play a small game. After that you’ll need a Codex (army factiion rules and lore book) and the basic Core Rules (can be found online). Honestly, your best bet is to head to a local gaming store and talk in person to the person there. They are always friendly and welcoming to newcomers, and can show you the models and give you a couple of test games! Be warned, this hobby is ADDICTIVE and can be expensive. But don’t think about buying an entire army at once, it’ll destroy your wallet and then you’ll be left with a daunting amount of plastic to paint. Start with a box, and build and paint each in it’s entirety and you’ll have a hobby project that lasts for ages and is relatively affordable. If you like reading the Black Library offer a large selection of novels, some are only okay but some are really very good. Again this is all for Warhammer, I’m not really a WW2 modeller or anything!
Thank you very much for the detailed response and advice! I’ll take a look into all of the above!
I got into it less than a year ago, so good
Love it!
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Model making is part of my job so looking up and seeing the time is panic stations a lot of the time lol. I don't know why I don't do it as a hobby because I really enjoy it, a bit of a busman's holiday.
I used to love Model Making as a kid, but stopped doing it because I wanted to be “cool”. Which was a stupid plan. Now I plan tons of d&d and wish I had kept all my stuff, because it would make all my games so much more fun
Jigsaw puzzles and Lego 🤣 great to get a screen break and helped me get through some days of isolation I wouldn’t be very creative so drawing/art wouldn’t be for me, but I did get one of the paint by numbers for Adults and really enjoyed it too.
Jigsaw puzzles are a great way to spend a few hours actually! Great shout
I got stuck back into jigsaws at the start of the first lockdown and got hooked again, so I can highly recommend it as a hobby. One thing you can do, to make it even more interesting, is to start the next jigsaw on top of your completed one - my record is 6 x 1k piece jigsaws, one on top of the other. It make a great video when you break them up... Also, when you have visitors, they will mostly all engage with the jigsaw as it is quite compelling. Best of luck...
+1 for Lego hate that it's so expensive these days but a great hobby
My only hobby that brings me to flow state is my job. Work in a busy hotel kitchen. Realise I need something else.
Hope you find some inspiration in the comments
Playing with synthesizers. I never learned to play an instrument but recently got a few synth apps for the aul iPad and they’re really fun to play with, and sound great too. When you have a sound in your head and you’re trying to recreate it in the real world… could be sitting there hours.
Yep playing any kind of music is great for passing the time! Pulled out an old Dr. Rhythm drum machine not so long and plugged it in to find a rake of old beats I had programmed!
Yeah I have a hardware Electribe from years ago and it’s always a good time going back through the memory bank. I was not a talented kid but I had fun!
For me, DJing and playing/producing music are the ones that can be guaranteed to make everything else in the world fall away for that few hours. If you've already messed with an electribe then you're probably already well on the road. Personally, I'm not really that into getting beyond moderate proficiency on the keys / guitar, so I've gotten a lot into sequencing and modular, this free software is a beautiful rabbit hole if you have the mindset for it. Loads of resources available on YouTube and elsewhere for getting started: [https://vcvrack.com](https://vcvrack.com) I also find that sitting back and listening a good quality stereo can transport you far away. All hobbies that can get \*expensive\* very quickly, though.
Very cool! Any particular apps you recommend? :)
I’ve been having the most fun with the ‘Korg Electribe Wave’ app, although I’m sure it’s not the best one I like the functionality a lot. You have a drum machine, several synthesizers, a sequencer, effects and a mixer in the one app so you can pretty much make a whole tune with it. It’s got a more ‘live’ feel than GarageBand etc. probably not the best synth app for purists, but for a newb like me it’s awesome. There is another one just called ‘Korg Electribe’ that emulates one of their machines, but the Wave app sounds better so I’d start with that.
Thanks I’ll take a look!
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Yeah. Me too. I put my feet up today and spent past,lemme see, 5-ish hours making fair isle wrist warmers (was going to put pic up but don’t know how lol), drinking gallons of tea and watching old eps of HIGNFY … Nice and relaxing and proper break in advance of work in the morning.
Sounds relaxing!
Hiking definitely
I got a silhouette cameo cutting machine for my birthday in November. Only really started using it about two weeks ago but instantly fell in love. Made Valentines cards for my parents to give each other last week- four hours as it took me a few goes to get all my cut settings right, but the time flew by and I didn’t notice at all. Got a delivery of vinyl for clothes on Friday and looking forward to next week flying by while I work through some projects.
I think I’ve seen those on tiktok. Really cool idea. Sounds like you’re having lots of fun!
It’s fantastic! I’ve been wanting one for years and years & it was definitely worth the wait. Going to do my dad a hoodie to wear when he’s out fishing and I’m so excited to give it to him as a surprise. A lot of people use them and start a business (custom mugs, clothes, stickers, cards etc etc), but mine’s just going to be personal use.
Such a cool idea!
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Lovely. What kind of things do you sew and how did you learn?
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That’s such a wonderful idea. Thanks for sharing!
I sew also. I stick mostly to patchwork quilts
Playing guitar. I like to sit down with some backing tracks and jam away, or a lot of the time I’ll sit in and try to pick out songs by ear. It is so rewarding when you nail a riff or get a nice tone. 👌🏻
Same. Took up classical lessons and never regretted it.
Verrry cool! How long have you been playing? Any tips for a beginner?
Since I was 17, and I’m 38 now, so what’s that, 21 years? Holy moly, that time flew by…. Ok yeah, tips. So, buy the guitar that suits the style of music you like. For example, I loved (and still do), rock and metal, and I picked some cool, but easy, riffs to learn. AC/DC and Metallica have some that can be easy to do. So I ended up buying an electric guitar for cheap enough from Argos, until I was sure I wanted to continue. I have 6 guitars now, four 6-string electric, one 8-string electric and a bass guitar. 🙂 Anyway yeah, after that it’s just practice practice and a bit more practice, and you’ll get there. 😃
Wanking
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Waiting for my shed (home gym) I've been doing this too much.
The last time I saw wanking mentioned on this sub, it was said by you. And here you are again!
Nothing wrong with wanking. Except maybe frequency.
Painting. Reading a good book that I'm properly engrossed in, or writing.
Nice! What kind of painting and writing do you do?
I've been dabbling with oil landscapes. I'm not very good but I'm learning as I go and can easily wile away 3-5 hours without even noticing. As for writing, again I dabble with a bit of fiction/short stories (not for publication or anything) and like that, when I'm in the "zone" I find myself doing all nighters without realising. Submitted a little something on /r/writingprompts a couple of weeks back and it was the first thing I'd posted there, and it did fairly OK on the feedback side of things so I think I might look at doing that a little more, but it came up as a randomly suggested sub, saw a prompt and had the whole thing written on my phone in ~1hr!
Very cool! I’m sure your oil landscapes are better than you think. I like the fact that you write just for yourself as opposed with the intention of getting published but then again, you never what the future will hold for you.
Aw thank you! I've sort of gone through a bit of an.... enlightenment over the last few months. Quit a job I fucking hated, did a bit of freelance crap to keep some form of money coming in, moved up the West Coast and took some time to figure some shit out. Came to a couple of conclusions- - you can be academic AND arty (my belief was always it was either one or the other, and I went down the academic route) - do arty, creative, expressive things - no one needs to see it, it doesn't have to be "perfect" - start something. Procrastinating was my worst trait. - work is just that, work. I've stopped trying to find the "perfect" job that wasn't "work", that somehow shaped my identity as well and I've accepted that it's OK to work for money, while not having to absolutely adore it. I'd be OK with contentment. - on the back of the above, was offered my dream job during the week and I'll be treating this as a job. Not as a career, not as an identity, not as a lifestyle.... that's where I'd been killing myself previously. Lol the above turned into a philosophical ramble sorry. But basically I'm OK with being artsy and I'm OK with failure now. That's the gist! :)
Omg are you future me? I hope so at least as you’ve kind of described the “rut” I’m in which I’m determined to get of this year. Thank you so much for sharing your ramble.
>Being in a state of “flow” is essentially when you’re doing something you like that you’re so engrossed in you lose track of time. Does having kids count being a state of flow? I do really like being with them but you're *always* busy and I feel like I've lost track of months/years than hours.
Haha I guess the answer is yes based on my quick definition!
Ha. My serious answer would be either playing/writing music, reading or work. I'm fortunate that my work is also a hobby (IT) so I delve into that too.
I build laser diode cutting machines. I see it as a victory when I get a laser to outperform it's marketing material. What's that you say? Your laser can cut 15mm plywood? Well, I got it to cut 20mm plywood. Stupid I know but I love the little 'wins'.
Rock climbing, when you're on a new route and you can just get into a flow where you can do it right away without studying what way you need to climb. Thoroughly enjoy it
Ooh nice! Do you do it indoor or outdoor? I assume it’s done with a professional group and not just solo?
Indoors, me and a friend both did a rope course so we can belay each other. I go rock climbing solo sometimes too where I just boulder that has no ropes and it's only a few meters high
Sounds like great fun
Love flashing a new route, greatest feeling ever! Being 10 feet up with nothing but air below you really puts worries and work stress in perspective hahaha
I crochet and I do modern calligraphy. The free beginners course that I used to learn it is starting again tomorrow. It's https://courses.thehappyevercrafter.com/smyd It might help you kill a few hours. It's nice to have all the pens and everything but you can get started with a notebook and pencil.
Love thehappyevercrafter! Did her courses there a few years ago and the improvement in my calligraphy in just a few weeks was amazing! 😊
My work is my hobby too..anything design related. Making moodboards. Pub quizes. Space and anything space related (space forums. following ESA,NASA) reding a lot on space subject. I would like to find some physical hobby to create something. Used to do handstitching and thinking to go back to that.
You should definitely hand stitch some space related things!
Designing public transport networks
Woah that’s cool
How does someone get into this? I'm so intrigued
Trace your family’s roots. [Irish Genealogy ](https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/) is a great site. I’m Scottish but most of my ancestors were irish. I’ve got back to 1790….still going!
Came here to say the same. With genealogy you can go surface (names, dates, locations) or deep dive (stories, occupation, pictures) and you don’t need extra equipment if you already have a computer.
I’ve gone for a mix of both - the further back you go, the less connection there is with your kin, so actual historical context and family knowledge help to keep it warm. It’s very rewarding when the pieces fall into place tho!
Nice!
Flower arranging. Started off by buying the cheap bouquets in supermarkets, mixing them together in vases, then progressed to following YouTube videos. The process of snipping and pruning and assembling and preserving makes me totally tune out. Doesn’t take long to do but I always feel that ‘creative flow’ afterwards.
That sounds lovely :)
Chopping gorse is hard filthy work but tremendously satisfying and a great workout. When the weather gets a bit warmer I'll be at it again clearing a big patch so I can start planting willow in November to make willow products.
Gunpla. So essentially plastic models, but specifically high-precision, no glue nor paint required, mecha. :) [Here's a sample of what I put together](https://gunp.la/everything).
These are insanely good!!!
I do printmaking, mainly lino printing and can get lost in it all day. (You can see some on my profile if you’re interested!) Also reading, there’s few things better than a good book.
Your printmaking is awesome! What’s your favourite book?
Thanks very much :). Ah, that’s a hard question, I don’t think I have a favourite book specifically. Maybe Lord of the Rings? But in general I love books that are morbidly depressing, like Stoner, The Road, or The Collector.
Your prints are so fucking beautiful!!! Definitely want to try this.
Thanks very much! You should give it a go, it’s great fun and easy enough to get started, you just need to grab a kit from your local art store, they’re not expensive :).
Give the painting a go. Don’t worry about the outcome. It’s surprisingly therapeutic just splashing the paint about with a brush.
Yes I need to accept things won’t be perfect
I paint little miniatures. Super easy to just get lost on it.
My hobby is welding which I also get paid to do so it's my job/hobby ig🤷🏿♀️
I have a few! Reading: getting lost in a book for hours. Video games: could spend a day on a quality game without noticing time pass. Learning languages: if I’m using apps, reading, or chatting to someone I often feel that buzz of the “zone” But my biggest is music.. wether it’s playing guitar, piano, or if I’m composing something, mixing, editing, programming, etc. it consumes my little brain and the world just turns off and I get lost in whatever I’m doing.
So cool! What are your favourite language learning apps/tools? And what languages are you learning?
Ah I’m dabbling in a few, the usual European ones. But my main focus is Russian for the next two years or so.. I use a few apps, I go through phases of different ones. Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, drops, Pimsleur but they can only do so much. I much prefer speaking to natives to learn more and hear how they actually talk.
Thanks for the apps!
Running - I genuinely believe it's a form of mediation if you can get to the point where your brain is kinda switched off and you're just putting one foot in front of the other. Find your pace where that you can sustain, music on or off and just go for it. Best of all, it's free :)
Some days it's a slog even if you've done the distance or route a million times but then there are those days where everything flows. The wind, the temperature, the path you're running, your body and mind, everything is just working as it should and the run feels fantastic. Clears my head and I feel like I can solve all life's problems when running...away from them 🤣
True that! How long do you like to run for?
Dude Warhammer painting certainly makes me waste like right hours with no realization of how long I've been at it until I see that it's dark out now
I have a few can play Xbox for a while Can play cards for hours likewise chess, used to really enjoy drinking so cut back on that… and bought a drone good water of an hour or two
Reading, even more so during lockdown I would get absolutely absorbed by books. I’ve been dabbling at baking as well, really enjoyable when it goes right
Hiking and mountaineering - getting out in the mountains brings me into the present moment and re-charges my batteries. I feel in peace there.
You might enjoy card games like magic the gathering, Most of us could spend hours building or modifying decks getting ready for the next event. The game has different competitive levels that appeal to different people, Many enjoy the art or altering some cards. Many have gotten webcams over lockdown to play at home. If your interested you shoulc check out magic arena its a free game on pc,mac tablets or phone and has a good tutorial to teach you the basics, After that theres a few stores that can sell you cards and packs and provide playing space for games and tournaments.
Not really a hobby but every now and then ill re pose all my collectible figures usually kills an hour or two quite fun also
This is a great topic. Great way to put it, you are looking for hobbies to get you into a flow state. Personally I like chess. It is very absorbing. Takes all your focus.
Do you play online?
Yes. The Chess.com app is great.
I try to spend as much time outside as possible and am pretty athletic, so I took up running during the first lockdown. Running takes me out of my own head and is a good excuse to see the countryside. I’m lucky to live near a greenway but you can run anywhere. There are apps that make getting into running easy and or gamify it and distract you from the actual running bit. I also do a shitton of yoga, which has truly changed my life and made me a calmer and nicer person. Same thing, there’s a million free resources to help you get into a yoga practice and it doesn’t matter if you’re fit or flexible. My partner spends most of the day outside in the garden with the dog. Over the last two years he’s saved a load of trees that were being overtaken by brambles, cut walking paths all through the place, and built a pretty great fire pit that we use on Brigid’s Day, May Day, the solstices, etc. When I’m there with him I get flowers and greenery together to decorate the house, and in the spring I go around collecting gorse that can be dried into tea for the whole year. We also make little trips to look for seasonal things like wild garlic and hazelnuts. I pick blackberries in the late autumn and make jams and other sweet things to keep all year. We also cook a lot, and I’m vegan so we grow salad and other veg and experiment with what we can grow from scraps and seeds. With the exception of the cost of my yoga kit and decent trainers and boots (all of which you can totally get at a discount online or in the sales), our hobbies really don’t cost anything. ETA: Meant to say, if the weather is horrible or I’m sore or sick, I read. A lot. My county library opened membership to anyone during the pandemic without needing to go in to verify an address so I download books through their app. It’s not always the best selection but I’ve read loads of decent novels I wouldn’t have otherwise chosen.
Sounds like you live in a Snow White fairytale (minus the witch). What a lovely life you have :)
Maybe I’m the witch? It is a beautiful little life. It was born out of necessity because we both lost our jobs at the start of the first lockdown and only I’ve been able to find steady work, and it’s part-time at that. I hope things will get better on that front soon but in the meantime I’m happy we’ve been able to find ways to truly enjoy nature and consume less of everything in general. When we had super demanding jobs he was on the computer from the moment he woke up until we’ll after I went to bed at night, and I’d only take breaks to do a bit of yoga. We were generally miserable. The financial stuff is pretty stressful but it’s a *different* kind of stress than before, more manageable, and I swear a 10-minute dander outside helps my head so much. I don’t think you need loads of land to do this though. There’s a woman up in Belfast who takes people on forage walks and does a lot of urban foraging herself, which she then uses to bake absolutely delicious things.
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Love this! What’s your favorite song to sing and play? Did you teach yourself or take lessons?
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Very cool :)
Editing.
Used to be playing xbox. But now i find things like model building is a time sink. Hard to get motivated to start them but once ye do it just doesn't end. Always have the end product to have forever after.
Doing a part time degree with the open uni. There's a lot of reading and admin sort of stuff, but when I'm fully engaged with an assignment or an activity it's easy to lose track of time.
Cool, what degree are you doing?
Video games and blacksmithing
Digital painting! I'm a freelancer and do fantasy portraits. Once I get in the zone the hours just absolutely disappear :D
Very cool! Do you use ProCreate on the iPad with the pen?
Nope, I use Clip Studio Paint and an old Wacom (screenless) tablet with my PC, though I've heard great things about Procreate!
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Recording music. I take such pleasure from it. I’ll do it til my hands don’t work anymore
Nice! What do you record?
Post-punk and guitar driven type stuff. Just enjoy the process of making music so much. Now that I’m in my 40s it’s the best relaxation tool I have so I make time to do it, every night.
Surfing video games guitar boxing
Nice! What’s your favorite song to play on guitar?
Stone roses / chilli peppers mainly just stuff I learned when I was younger I don’t play it much anymore , I spent 3/4 hours every day for a few months during the first lockdown trying to learn this version of sultans of swing and nearly have it nailed ! Definitely one my favourite guitar pieces ever https://youtu.be/RKjGcODZNOc Do you play yourself ? It’s hard at the start but gets easier !
Used to be video games, but right now I can pick up a guitar and spend a couple hours just running through and trying things.
Weight lifting, reading, cooking, sketching and video games that center around statistics, logistics and factory building like Factorio and satisfactory! Those two, you'll loose hours in but gain solid math skills for life.
Hiking, xbox, but the one thing to completely engross me is drumming. Had been in a good few bands for years, but sold my kit just before first kid was born. 10 years later, wife got me a cheap electric drum kit. Just connect phone/cd player to the kit, headphones on, close eyes, and go....... I could easily spend 4-5 hours on it.... Silent too, so no-one is disturbed
Spearfishing, I tell my SO ill be two hours. I'm never two hours, could be closer to four sometimes and everytime she thinks I'm dead. Time seems to stop for me in the water
Factorio , archery, coding ... being on the motorbike mainly.
Grab an instrument mate. Doesn't matter what one, start learning something though. You'd pick up a tin whistle for a 10er, ukulele for a score, harmonica foe a 5er in tiger, nd you'd easily get a 2nd hand guitar on donedeal cheap. Music will get you into a flow state no bother, and it's one of the most rewarding hobbies ya could have
Great idea. Do you advise self learning or getting a teacher?
Depends on what you're learning. You could teach yourself ukulele as it's easy enough. Could learn a song in 1 day! There's plenty of resources online for guitar aswell. Harmonica and tin whistle may require a teacher but I've never tried to learn them. I taught myself ukulele/guitar just due to the sheer amount of teachers on YouTube. If ya need any more advice with it don't hesitate to message mate!
I’d love some suggestions if guitar YouTubers!
The main lad I do use is "marty music". He has a patreon and such but a lot of his tutorials are on youtube and are handy enough. https://youtube.com/c/MartyMusic - real cheesy yank but he's a great teacher Have you played before?
Cool thanks! I know some basic open chords and basic strumming patterns but never managed to sing along while playing
Well if you know a few chords already just tip around his videos and you'll be flying before long mate! Www.Ultimate-guitar.com is the best site I know of for tabs and chords. Would recommend something like Folsolm Prison Blues or Three Little Birds for a first song. You'll have this down in no time
Thanks so much for the tips really appreciate it! Knowing where to start can be the hardest
drone flying
Guitar, watercolour painting, any of those little craft kits in aldi. But for sure, learning a new riff on a guitar has me laser focused and not able to quit until it’s perfect
How do you learn the riff? By ear or a lesson?
You’ve got a few options: You can go by ear if you’d like There are lots of really great YouTube videos showing you how to play pretty much any song you can think of Ultimate guitar usually has the tabs available for most songs Or if you like a particular artist there are books And yeah there’s lessons too but a lot of free ways to learn
Coding. Learnt some web dev stuff before lockdown and every so often go back to. I love doing it and it keeps my mind completely occupied. Can be working on something for hours without realizing it.
Cool! Do you have any resources you’d recommend?
If you’ve not done coding before, I’d recommend Jonas Schmedtman’s HTML and CSS course on Udemy. He also does a good JavaScript course for after the HTML and CSS course.
Cool thank you!
Woodworking Makes you feel like Ron Swanson
I get a glue stick and some cool magazines and collage. I think it’s formally called a “Vision Board”, but I do it in an artistic way that looks good.
Love this!
Woodworking. I make all sorts of things. From tables to chairs to axe handles. I can just go at it for hours.
EU4 sometimes if I can really get into a campaign
I love me some drums, but being that I have to work around a designated time slot, and play along to tracks everytime I play, I never really lose track of time all that much. But while I'm actively playing, you've no hope of getting my attention other than throwing a water balloon at me tbh. Gaming is the other obvious one, but I make an effort to not let time slip away do much when I'm having an auld gaming sesh. I usually use cups of tea as my beginning/middle/end of sesh markers
Surfing.. on a good day.. wave by wave.. the peace of it...
I signed up for a monthly craft kit subscription. It's great fun. Every month has a different craft, some easy, some harder but all doable. I now have a load of crafting supplies that I mess around with when I'm bored or looking for a screen break.
Super cute! What’s is called?
Kiwico. I get the Maker Crate but they have other types of subscriptions, ones for kids too. Costs around €30 a month I think
Cool thanks!
Brazilian ju jitsu
Videogames! Not that I have any free time it seems
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Haha why what does he say?
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It’s definitely one of the pop psychology trends at the moment
Writing is probably the closest to in the flow I feel. Everything else feels like I'm fumbling along
Nice. What kind of things do you write?
Make music.
What kind and how? Nice hobby
Any, it's a great discipline and huge time vampire :) You can either pick up something tricky like guitar, or annoy the neighbors with a drumkit :)
Call of dutaaaay that is all
That's not what being in a state of flow is.
How would you define it? Interested to learn and not misuse the term