There is so much I could say about this, because of course The Red Abbess, my other substack, is devoted to passion and why it's maybe the only thing that matters, ultimately, and maybe the only thing powerful enough to save us from the mess we're making of this culture.
And yes, the word "hobby" irritates me. as well But I do think some people have hobbies -- pasttimes that aren't passions, and are just ways to, well, pass the time. I don't understand the point of that, when there is passion out there to be experienced, but I recognise that not everyone even understands that there might be more to life than a job and a hobby, and so they do what they can to get by. That's not my choice, but it is a choice, I suppose, and at one point, I got a bit stuck there, so I empathise.
And yes, a spell is a sound made in order to affect the world, and that's exactly what words are, and thus they are by definition spells, which is why I write them so carefully, and why writers are magick-makers, whether they conscious understand that or not.
PS I've always loved that "changed priorities ahead" signs... the Brits are so much better at street signs that the Americans are.
Yeah, I also hate the word hobby. I think I probably used it myself as a way to minimize the importance of my non-moneymaking passions. I called playing percussion, gardening, tennis, music collecting and obsessive music magazine reading, "hobbies." I tried to fight off how society and media made earning money and moving up the ladder, buying a house, a fancy car, etc., the important things to focus on in life. But I wanted none of those things. Luckily my inner conflict with the predominant capitalistic force waned in recent years. Sped up by the pandemic.
Thanks for this piece, Andres. It's great to have so many passions!
Hi Andrés! There may be a few factors at work here. First, for some younger people, record collecting is purely an accessory to fandom (you know, the folks who don’t have a record player but buy albums of the artists they love). This segment of the record-buying population has been written about extensively in articles about the vinyl resurgence. But, deeper than that, is the old but tenacious notion that the arts are not a serious undertaking; they’re ornamental rather than essential. Thus, building a life around music (or any of the arts, for that matter) is viewed as something akin to a hobby. I’d like to think that this mindset has gone the way of the dodo, but I’m afraid it persists. As a music journalist, I still face this attitude from time to time. I’ve been in situations where I meet someone and they ask what I do. I’ve answered ‘journalist’ and they’re impressed, thinking I’m covering politics or wars or uncovering corruption. When they ask more specifically what I do, and I tell them I write about music, they often seem disappointed. Their facial expression changes and they say, “Oh, that’s nice.” Or, “That must be fun.” And, in a way - because I love my work - it is fun. But it’s so serious to me, as it clearly is to you, too. For me, music is life, pure and simple. Music centers me, grounds me, levitates me, thrills me, crushes me, and I can’t imagine my existence without it.
¡Das justo en el punto! Sin duda la palabra tiene un peso específico insoslayable, más allá de que , como escritores, aprendamos a ensamblarlas para dar sentido a nuestros textos. He pasado días buscando ESA palabra que mejor defina mi sentir y mi pensar Comparto, esa palabra y no otra. ¡ Y comparto plenamente tu aversión por la palabra hobby, que degrada todo lo que alude! Abrazo!
Hobbies have always felt like something that’s consigned to the activities of children. As a kid, I collected stamps. It was a hobby, not something I was passionate about, and most likely foisted upon me by one of my parents. But I think, as we get older, and as we begin to have a little more agency in our own lives, we begin to discover what we’re passionate about, and find ourselves devoting time to those passions.
I think that’s probably why the word “hobby”, when used by someone else, always feels a little patronizing to me. Like I’m being spoken down to, like my passions are childlike.
And that’s the power of words - they have impact, regardless of the intent.
I do sometimes hear people talk about their hobbies and I wonder why they refer to them in that way. It could be purely because they are simply a way to pass the time. But I sometimes wonder if it’s their own attempt to minimize the importance of these pursuits in their lives because they’re not seen as “serious” or “worthy”. It’s sad that we still live in a world where people may prefer to censor themselves and not be their fully authentic selves for fear of judgment or ridicule.
Word should never be taken for granted, your choice of words is exactly that, your choice. You have different options when making a statement and you choose your words accordingly. Let's take a look at lyrics, we can all listen to the same song and come up with a different meaning and will most certainly have a different reason why that song resonates with us or does not.
Justo hace unos días aprendí en un espacio de historia que ciertos pueblos consideraban la palabra como un don divino, y el acto de mentir era condenado duramente, porque mentir era como despreciar ese don.
Ni hablar de lo que decimos a veces de nosotros mismos!
Nice post. Some good commentary from readers too. I am quite envious of the Changing Priorities sign - would have been ideal for my last post. Will check out Unsplash.
Like all here, I understand and empathise with this dislike of the word 'hobby'. Words matter and a definition may help: "an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure." I think it's the "done for pleasure" aspect that gives 'hobby' a bad name. It's not "done for money" is the thing.
I could write more but my brain has just closed in the attempt. 'A passion' sounds good and strong. Thanks for this lovely piece of writing.
There is so much I could say about this, because of course The Red Abbess, my other substack, is devoted to passion and why it's maybe the only thing that matters, ultimately, and maybe the only thing powerful enough to save us from the mess we're making of this culture.
And yes, the word "hobby" irritates me. as well But I do think some people have hobbies -- pasttimes that aren't passions, and are just ways to, well, pass the time. I don't understand the point of that, when there is passion out there to be experienced, but I recognise that not everyone even understands that there might be more to life than a job and a hobby, and so they do what they can to get by. That's not my choice, but it is a choice, I suppose, and at one point, I got a bit stuck there, so I empathise.
And yes, a spell is a sound made in order to affect the world, and that's exactly what words are, and thus they are by definition spells, which is why I write them so carefully, and why writers are magick-makers, whether they conscious understand that or not.
PS I've always loved that "changed priorities ahead" signs... the Brits are so much better at street signs that the Americans are.
Yeah, I also hate the word hobby. I think I probably used it myself as a way to minimize the importance of my non-moneymaking passions. I called playing percussion, gardening, tennis, music collecting and obsessive music magazine reading, "hobbies." I tried to fight off how society and media made earning money and moving up the ladder, buying a house, a fancy car, etc., the important things to focus on in life. But I wanted none of those things. Luckily my inner conflict with the predominant capitalistic force waned in recent years. Sped up by the pandemic.
Thanks for this piece, Andres. It's great to have so many passions!
Hi Andrés! There may be a few factors at work here. First, for some younger people, record collecting is purely an accessory to fandom (you know, the folks who don’t have a record player but buy albums of the artists they love). This segment of the record-buying population has been written about extensively in articles about the vinyl resurgence. But, deeper than that, is the old but tenacious notion that the arts are not a serious undertaking; they’re ornamental rather than essential. Thus, building a life around music (or any of the arts, for that matter) is viewed as something akin to a hobby. I’d like to think that this mindset has gone the way of the dodo, but I’m afraid it persists. As a music journalist, I still face this attitude from time to time. I’ve been in situations where I meet someone and they ask what I do. I’ve answered ‘journalist’ and they’re impressed, thinking I’m covering politics or wars or uncovering corruption. When they ask more specifically what I do, and I tell them I write about music, they often seem disappointed. Their facial expression changes and they say, “Oh, that’s nice.” Or, “That must be fun.” And, in a way - because I love my work - it is fun. But it’s so serious to me, as it clearly is to you, too. For me, music is life, pure and simple. Music centers me, grounds me, levitates me, thrills me, crushes me, and I can’t imagine my existence without it.
¡Das justo en el punto! Sin duda la palabra tiene un peso específico insoslayable, más allá de que , como escritores, aprendamos a ensamblarlas para dar sentido a nuestros textos. He pasado días buscando ESA palabra que mejor defina mi sentir y mi pensar Comparto, esa palabra y no otra. ¡ Y comparto plenamente tu aversión por la palabra hobby, que degrada todo lo que alude! Abrazo!
Hobbies have always felt like something that’s consigned to the activities of children. As a kid, I collected stamps. It was a hobby, not something I was passionate about, and most likely foisted upon me by one of my parents. But I think, as we get older, and as we begin to have a little more agency in our own lives, we begin to discover what we’re passionate about, and find ourselves devoting time to those passions.
I think that’s probably why the word “hobby”, when used by someone else, always feels a little patronizing to me. Like I’m being spoken down to, like my passions are childlike.
And that’s the power of words - they have impact, regardless of the intent.
I do sometimes hear people talk about their hobbies and I wonder why they refer to them in that way. It could be purely because they are simply a way to pass the time. But I sometimes wonder if it’s their own attempt to minimize the importance of these pursuits in their lives because they’re not seen as “serious” or “worthy”. It’s sad that we still live in a world where people may prefer to censor themselves and not be their fully authentic selves for fear of judgment or ridicule.
Word should never be taken for granted, your choice of words is exactly that, your choice. You have different options when making a statement and you choose your words accordingly. Let's take a look at lyrics, we can all listen to the same song and come up with a different meaning and will most certainly have a different reason why that song resonates with us or does not.
Justo hace unos días aprendí en un espacio de historia que ciertos pueblos consideraban la palabra como un don divino, y el acto de mentir era condenado duramente, porque mentir era como despreciar ese don.
Ni hablar de lo que decimos a veces de nosotros mismos!
Qué genio que sos, te quiero mucho!!!
Nice post. Some good commentary from readers too. I am quite envious of the Changing Priorities sign - would have been ideal for my last post. Will check out Unsplash.
Like all here, I understand and empathise with this dislike of the word 'hobby'. Words matter and a definition may help: "an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure." I think it's the "done for pleasure" aspect that gives 'hobby' a bad name. It's not "done for money" is the thing.
I could write more but my brain has just closed in the attempt. 'A passion' sounds good and strong. Thanks for this lovely piece of writing.