My Hobbies and Creativity Are Saving My Life

By: Kiana Blake-Chung

In January, I made a declaration that I was going to try to spend the next six months actually being creative and painting/ working on the projects that I’d kept locked in the vault of my mind. My six-month timeline was the self-appointed deadline because I was convinced in January that I had a 15% chance of making it out of 2024 alive and I’d altogether stop trying by my half-birthday if nothing changed. 

It was my own version of death row, and it made it easier to prioritize doing things that I’d enjoy with the last of my time. How you spend your days is how you spend your life never rang more true. I started hosting Bob Ross paint and sip nights monthly. I pulled up my sleeves and began working on the last of my apartment renovation projects. I transformed my plain IKEA wardrobe into the rainbow wardrobe of my realistic dreams. I even got back into making and sending cards. 

A final look at my rainbow wardrobe.

Discovering Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way

When the third person in two weeks told me about The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, I decided to give it a try. If you’ve never heard of The Artist’s Way it’s a sort of rehabilitation program for artists in the form of a book with questions for you to ponder and exercises for you to act upon. The daily practice of writing three handwritten morning pages helped me with integrating discipline when it comes to journaling (a habit I’d long enjoyed but routinely abandoned in times of distress).

The weekly challenge of taking myself on an artist date was met with trepidation because my finances were facing an unexpected strain. My dreams of starting a pottery class were dashed by my lack of disposable income. I still managed to head to museums for cheap (or free), paint in the park on a blanket, or go hunting for cute buttons in the garment district. Most of my artist solo dates became group activities in an attempt to make the most of my time. If a friend wanted to hang out, why not just invite them into my plans?

By the end of March, I realized that I’d once again begun to conceive of a future far beyond my original June cut-off. This couldn’t be right! I pulled up my Daylio app, expecting to find a sea full of bad days but didn’t. When you spend time doing the things you enjoy, it leads to an overall good day. An abundance of good days becomes a good life. Say it ain’t so! Finding and cultivating hobbies I enjoy was not without effort, but I have some tips that helped.

A self portrait of me in the process of making the greeting cards I sell in my online shop.

The five hobbies you “need” to have:

They say that you need five hobbies: one to make you money, one to move your body, one to build knowledge, one to be creative, and one to evolve your mindset. (I have no idea who ‘they’ is, but I’ve heard many people refer to the fact that ‘they’ say this.) I think the simplified list of three hobbies is more doable. In my opinion, Movement, Creativity, and Knowledge deserve to be prioritized (because what even does evolving your mindset mean?). Additionally, having a hobby that makes you money has a way of making you hate that hobby a little bit. At the least, it changes your relationship with it. (This is how I feel about writing at this present moment. See also: writing barely makes me any money.) I think it’s horrific that our society pushes us to monetize every little thing we do. 

Last Spring, I got really into bike riding and taking long walks, courtesy of my now ex. Neither of those were comfortable to continue in the winter months so I took up free cardio dancing classes through ShapeUp NYC. I’ve come to find that the rumors are true– you do feel better when you are getting some form of regular exercise, much as I hate to admit it. 

A view from my after work bike ride

As a kid, I was a voracious reader; this was yet another hobby I’d disconnected from in my adulthood. My deteriorating attention span made it nearly impossible. I started listening to audiobooks on Spotify when I found out you can listen for up to 15 hours a month. When I surpassed 15 hours a month, I got a library card so that I could get a Libby account. I’ve found that in order to stay engaged with them I have to focus a bit on what’s being said, which I can do if I’m walking or even cleaning, 

Time Management— making time for hobbies 

One complaint I often hear from people is that there’s no way to find the time to dedicate to a hobby, much less five hours (or three). Additionally, when we’re depressed, our energy for hobbies and even our desire to engage in them can become depleted. And yet— often I’ve spent an entire day on social media rotting in bed and hating myself for it. Placing limits on the apps I use has helped me with my usage tremendously. The One Sec app in particular saved me enough hours that in total it saved me a potential 2.3 months last year! 

I’ve had to become an expert at time management since I got a full-time job. I know how easy it is to succumb to the monotony of a 40-50-hour work week (I am counting both my lunch breaks and the time spent commuting.) However, I try to find bits and pieces of time wherever I can. For example, I’m typing this blog post into my notes app while I’m on the train. I often listen to audiobooks while I walk or bike ride. Lately, I’ve been biking part of the way home after work, which is easier than leaving my home to go out and bike ride.

Captured by my sister Blake on the night of my first Bob Ross paint and sip party.

Finding Low-effort/ Minimal Energy Hobbies 

Oftentimes I talk myself out of engaging in creative hobbies because the clean-up of it has to be factored into the effort it takes. I try to classify my artistic endeavors according to the energy level it takes to work on them. Making cards or acrylic painting on canvas are big ticket items that I can only do when I have enough energy for the setup and cleanup. Watercolors in a sketchbook is a good mid-tier activity for me. When I have very low energy, I try to engage in a creative hobby that I can do lying down in bed— coloring in my gratitude journal with crayons. When I have no energy to make it out of my house to exercise, I try to do some light stretching while I’m in bed. 

Getting started is always the hardest part. Having a little sketchbook has been helpful for me because opening it doesn’t require much energy, neither does reaching into my bedside drawer for a box of crayons. For all your hobbies, try to find one that you can do while horizontal that requires minimal cleanup. (This could be watching TV or movies, but if indulging in too much television only makes you feel worse, go for something else.)

A quote from Job 33:28 in the Bible.

Remember capitalism sucks and prioritizing your joy is essential to your wellbeing. The catch-22 of being depressed is that the energy it takes to do the things that will help TREMENDOUSLY with your wellbeing is missing. You can climb out of the hole bit by bit when you harness the minuscule  amounts of motivation you generate to propel yourself forward.  I’m not suggesting it’s simple to do, but I am saying it’s worth it. 

S/O to Kalia Blake for editing

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Check out my feature in Rent Blog’s article on

Creative Hobbies to do at Home!