I’m in the process of cleaning out my office/studio workspace in preparation for some house renovations. This has meant slowly going through all of the art supplies, materials, half-finished pieces, bits and bobs, etc. accumulated over the past 7 years. To say I have a lot of such things would be an understatement. If nothing else, this endeavor has made me come to a realization.

Hello, my name is Amanda, and I’m a serial hobbyist.

If it can remotely be considered artsy or craft, chances are good I have tried it. Combine this with my tendency to not want to waste anything if it can possibly be used later, and we’re talking a serious creative clutter problem. Think I’m exaggerating? Cast your eyes on the following.

An incomplete* list of things I have tried my hand at, taken a class or workshop on, or otherwise tinkered around with:

Pyrography (woodburning)
Brush Lettering
Hand Lettering
Watercolors
Guache
Acrylic Paints
Mixed Media Collage
Bookmark Making
Tracings/Rubbings
Charcoal Drawing
Chalk/Pastel Drawing
Pencil Drawing
Pen Drawing
Illustration
Digital Photography
B&W Film Photography (complete with darkroom development and printing)
Clay Sculpture
Ceramics
Miniature Modeling Clay
Plaster Casting
Mixed Media Sculpture
Basket Weaving (thanks, mom!)
Stamping
Embossing
Tie Dye
Shibori Indigo Dyeing
Screenprinting with Screens
Screenprinting with Stencils
Bleach Painting
Sewing
Glazing
Sharpie/Marker Art
Life Drawing
Wood Block Carving & Printing
Linoleum Block Carving & Printing
Scrapbooking
Handmade Greeting Cards/Invitations
Wood Staining and Painting
Mural Painting
Sponge Painting
Paper Mache
Candle Making
Simple Weaving
Dreamcatcher Construction
Mosaic
Stained Glass
Jewelry Design

In case you needed evidence.

Am I good at all of these? Hell no. And I stuck with some longer than others. Some I only tried once. But I still have the materials for an alarming number of these pursuits. And this doesn’t even get into non-visual creative things, like baking or music. Or things more directly related to design, like classes in typography or branding or book cover design (all of which I have also taken).

It’s not likely to stop any time soon, either. Because a creative mind is a curious mind and there’s still more to explore.

Things I would still like to try**:
Bookbinding
Welding/Metal Sculpture
Leatherworking
Carpentry/Woodworking
3D Printing
Laser-Cutting
Calligraphy / Quill Pen Writing
3D Modeling/Scene Building
Paper Making
Paper Curling/Quilling
Letterpress Printing (I have ordered pieces, just not done myself)
Glass-blowing
Blacksmithing (specifically sword making)
Gold Leaf
Bronze Casting (or some other metal)

Yeah, a lot of these are more involved or require more specialized/expensive equipment than in the first list, which is a good part of why they remain untried. But they are on my radar. I’d also like to get better at some of the things in the first list, so I’ll have plenty to keep me busy in my free time.

Meanwhile, wish me luck on my office clean-out. If you don’t hear from me next week, I’ve been buried by art supplies.

Are you a serial hobbyist as well? What kinds of things have you pursued?

*Incomplete because I’m sure I’m forgetting something.
**I also just discovered while writing this that The Contemporary Austin Art School has a whole bunch of interesting classes for adults, so yeah… not abating any time soon.