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Twenty Pleasures:
A Look Back at the Hobbies You Enjoyed as a Child…

“Twenty Pleasures” is an exercise assigned by Julia Cameron as part of the second week of the Artist’s Way Program. The assignment involves getting creative, and listing 20 things that you enjoy doing, and then identifying how long it’s been since you last did those activities.

When I completed this assignment I was surprised at how long it had truly been since I’d done some of my 20 pleasures. When I was in elementary school I used to paint pictures of animals using pastels. I loved doing it, and was actually getting quite good at it (in my opinion), but then for some reason I stopped.

This exercise is all about re-visiting those things you love to do most, and remembering that life is not just about work, it’s also about play.

After you complete your list, Julia challenges you to do two things on your list which you haven’t done in a long time. Today, I decided to make a soap sculpture (because it has been a long time since I did something really crafty and creative with my hands, and I remembered once making a soap sculpture as part of class when I was in elementary school and really enjoying it. Also, soap is really cheap).

Here are some pictures from my trip down memory lane:

I started with a bar of ivory soap (my hands smell very clean now that I'm done)
I started with a bar of ivory soap (my hands smell very clean now that I’m done)
Stage 2: Making a Mess
I kept the shavings from the carving on the paper towel for the most part… but I made a little bit of mess. Can you tell what I’m carving?
And finished. IT'S A TURTLE! Can you see it? I had so much fun doing this, and now my hands smell like soap :)
And finished. IT’S A TURTLE! Can you see it? I had so much fun doing this, and now my hands smell like soap 🙂

Do this exercise yourself, AND to help you out I’ve compiled a list of 150 activities you might have once done in your past. You  You can use this list for the purpose of the above exercise, or you could just use it as a way of brainstorming a new hobby you’d like to adopt. Whatever your reason I hope you enjoy my list of

150 Creative Hobbies

Team Sports

  1. Hockey
  2. Ringette
  3. Soccer
  4. Basketball
  5. Baseball
  6. Football
  7. Curling
  8. Volleyball
  9. Rugby
  10. Ultimate Frisbee
  11. Lacrosse
  12. Polo

2 Person sports

  1. Badminton
  2. Tennis
  3. Table Tennis
  4. Raquetball
  5. Squash
  6. Handball
  7. Bowling**
  8. Fencing
  9. Golf**
  10. Wrestling
  11. Darts**
  12. Billiards

Fighting Sports

  1. Boxing
  2. Kick-boxing
  3. Karate
  4. Krav Maga
  5. Jujitsu
  6. Tae Kwon Do
  7. Judo
  8. Aikido

Single Person Sports/exercise/activities

  1. Swimming
  2. Running
  3. Kayaking
  4. Biking
  5. Canoeing
  6. Rock Climbing
  7. Snowboarding
  8. Skiing
  9. Surfing
  10. Skating
  11. Roller blading
  12. Archery
  13. Target Shooting
  14. Fishing
  15. Gymnastics
  16. Yoga
  17. Pilates
  18. Tai Chi
  19. Hiking
  20. Horseback riding
  21. Juggling
  22. Scuba diving
  23. Snorkeling
  24. Baton twirling

Dance

  1. Ballroom
  2. Hip hop
  3. Tap
  4. Modern
  5. Swing
  6. Belly-dancing
  7. Latin dance
  8. Jazz
  9. Ballet
  10. Breakdancing
  11. Pole dancing / Burlesque
  12. Zumba

Creative Hobbies

  1. Cooking
  2. Baking
  3. Cake Making / Decorating
  4. Sculpture (soap)
  5. Sculpture (stone)
  6. Sculpture (clay)
  7. Sculpture (ice)
  8. Sandcastle building
  9. Woodcarving
  10. Scale model building
  11. Flower arranging
  12. Painting (water colours)
  13. Painting (pastels)
  14. Oil painting
  15. Painting (paint by number)
  16. Glass painting
  17. Toll painting
  18. Chalk drawing
  19. Rapping
  20. Collecting (stamps, spoons,etc)
  21. Origami
  22. Calligraphy
  23. Jewellery making (earrings, bracelets, necklaces)
  24. Gardening
  25. Bonsai sculpture
  26. Pooktre
  27. Magic
  28. Photography
  29. Writing (poetry)
  30. Writing (prose)
  31. Puppet Master (ventriloquist)
  32. Sewing
  33. Knitting
  34. Crochet
  35. Embroidery
  36. Quilting
  37. Making dream-catchers
  38. Weaving (baskets, etc)
  39. Scrap-booking

Instruments you could learn to play

  1. Beatboxing
  2. Singing
  3. Guitar
  4. Violin
  5. Banjo
  6. Piano
  7. Flute
  8. Clarinet
  9. Drums (percussion)
  10. Bagpipe
  11. Trumpet
  12. Horn
  13. Saxophone
  14. Harmonica
  15. Trombone

Things to do just for fun

  1. Kite Flying
  2. Trip to the Museum
  3. Peruse a second-hand shop
  4. Trip to an Art Gallery
  5. Attend a theatre show.
  6. Trip to an amusement park
  7. Attend a concert
  8. Visit a zoo or animal shelter
  9. Spend the day at the beach
  10. Go see a movie
  11. Volunteer (at a shelter, old folks home, etc)
  12. Fruit picking (strawberries, blueberries, apples, etc)
  13. Explore a corn maze
  14. Read
  15. Spa Night
  16. Skipping rocks
  17. Puzzle building
  18. Sudoku
  19. Crossword puzzles
  20. Word searches
  21. Chess
  22. Checkers
  23. Scrabble
  24. Card games
  25. Create card pyramids
  26. Jenga
  27. Dominoes
  28. Learn to meditate

_______________

The blog you’re reading right now is about my personal explorations into growth – the parts that don’t follow a list. This post was written on December 28th, 2012. A lot has happened since then. Here are some of my personal favourite posts:

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Mom

I like the 20 things you used to enjoy idea! Thats a great way to get a reboot when stuck 🙂

Christine Bissonnette

I agree. When I did the exercise I found myself returning to what I used to do for fun when I was a kid, as I found that I’ve become much more work-centered now. Sitting on my living room floor carving a turtle out of soap was a good escape. I spend far too much time at my computer.

[…] 150 Activities/Hobbies to start or revisit when you’re bored […]

Sara

Thanks for your Creative Hobbies list Christine! I was writing a piece for our email subscribers and needed some more creative hobbies than I could come up with on my own. Clear sign that I too am far too work-centered!

Christine Bissonnette

Thank you Sara! I looked at the website that connects to your profile and it looks really interesting. I don’t know if being work centered is necessarily a bad thing. I’ve started to read biographies and autobiographies of people I really respect who became successful, and they all have some sort of obsession about their work. I guess it’s just about finding balance.

[…] a list of 150 ideas to get you […]

[…] point A to point B trips more worthwhile. If you’re lacking ideas, here’s a list of 150 hobbies to get you started. Granted, physical activities mentioned like karate and archery may best be […]

Yes

Sports are not creative hobbies, God! You dumb idiot. Then, you have the audacity

to have a little section called “Just for fun.” Yeah, going to an amusement park is really fucking creative like your shitty soap idea. Now that. . . I don’t even have the word to describe how degrading it is to be considered “creative.” I’m ashamed of you.

Mikey

How old are you? Twelve or thirteen? Because you sound like a troll found in Youtube comments. I found this article very helpful for improving characterization in my writing. Don’t be such a child just b/c you disagree with what activities are in which sections.

Lou

“explore a corn maze” !!! completely agree with ‘Yes’, terrible list

John

If you hate it, you didn’t have to read it. And aren’t you being a little harsh?
This list is actually better than many I’ve found so far.
Unpoliteness usually gets us nowhere in life.
You could simply do your own list if you’re so displeased with this one 🙂

Plumingotn

Completely agree that @#$* is just not on and i can’t stand when people are so ignorant and plain stupid. It really enrages me from time to time.

Sam Dana

real smart Mikey, any hacker with minimal skills can track your comment to your home address, good luck with that one buddy

Sam Dana

I meant Yes, not mikey

TheUnique Shanique

ooo scrapbooking. Thanks!

Plumingotn

I like scrapbooking too! Its sparks interest within my soul belly.
care to meet up and chat about scrapbooking? xx

[…] of us don’t find enough time for ourselves, and this isn’t healthy. This year, be sure to find a hobby or activity that makes you feel happy and allows you to focus on yourself. Maybe this is crocheting, boxing, […]

ScHmooLan

This helped me a lot with filling my list with stuff I want to try out! Now I’m ready to go! Thank you

Plumingotn

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.

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