Hobbies

Hi all,
Having just finished writing and publishing The Reluctant Pom, I'm going to take a break from writing. Only physically mind you because, being a writer my brain is always working on the next book. Even when I'm immersed in one of my hobbies I'm still thinking about plots and names for characters. The main character in my next book is going to be called Gozzer, but I've only got as far has his first name. So while I'm fishing, doing a bit of pyrography or wood work, I'll be trying hard to think up a suitable surname.

I am a great believer in hobbies and think that most people would benefit from doing something creative instead of searching for entertainment. I guess I'm lucky that fishing has been a passion with me for for over fifty years and while other hobbies have come and gone fishing has always been a part of my life.

Other hobbies I've had a go at over the years include. Keeping white mice, which I had to give up when my father decided we are emigrating to Australia. Pardon the plug.

I have had a go at building a flying model aircraft. This was one of my constructive hobbies, the building was great, but I got put off by the number of crashes I endured. Seeing all that hard work crash to the ground isn't very pleasant and it happened to me on a regular basis.

One of my main hobbies during the summer is gardening, even weeding can be therapeutic in a mad sort of way. The trouble is that gardening isn't one of my favourite hobbies for the winter.

I have always been interested in art and I've had a go at many different mediums, watercolours, oils, acrylics, and pen and ink. I have produced some nice pieces that have found there way onto our walls but I've also produced some crap. I painted a lion once that was a bit bow legged and if my wife is ever down in the dumps she gets the painting of my lion out and has a blood good laugh. I might dig it out soon and put it on here for a laugh.

More recently my hobbies have taken on a woody theme, I have done  some pyrography and some scroll saw work and have even started to do a bit of inlaying with both wood and polymer clay.

Here is a wooden vase that I finished last week, which shows a bit of inlay work with some  pyrography thrown in for good measure.

Now you may be thinking that a wooden vase would be about as much use as  a rubber nail because it will leak more then the Titanic, but it doesn't matter because it is only for my wife's clay flowers.

My wife also has more hobbies than she has time for and is always moaning about having to stop to do some cooking etc. There are several other hobbies I'd like to have a go at like etching and wood engraving but time is a real issue.

I guess it is a shame that hobbies on on the decrease because nowadays it is so easy to get on the computer and do some social net working or play some electronic game on a tablet. I fear that making the effort to try an hobby is fast becoming a thing of the past and I'm just glad that I have some great hobbies because they have seen me through some rough times.

Don't get me wrong about computers and tablets by the way because I love them both and spend many happy hours on my kindle fire. However, I try to divide my time between entertainment and creation to get a balance. Entertainment is fair enough but it doesn't even come near to providing the pleasure that comes from creating something with your own hands.
If you would like to see some more of my pyrography please click Here to go to my website.