Hobbies are strange things. They shape who we are, yet they also let us escape ourselves. I have plenty of interests, but a few hobbies always pull me back. Fishing, model railroading, miniatures, orchids. They aren’t just pastimes. They reflect something deeper.

At first glance, hobbies seem like a form of self-expression. They show what we care about, how we spend our time, what excites us. A model railroad isn’t just a collection of tracks and scenery. It’s a world I build, a story I tell. My fishing isn’t just about dinner. It’s a journey of patience, skill, and quiet triumphs. Orchids demand care, and in that care, I see a reflection of my own persistence and curiosity.

But there’s another side to it. A paradox. The deeper I go into these activities, the more I lose myself in them.

When I fish, my identity fades. I lose myself totally in the moment. Not only am I not thinking about work or current events, I’m also not thinking about myself. My mind becomes totally immersed and lost in the moment. It is profoundly freeing and a relief from the burdens of everyday life.

The same thing happens when I paint tiny details on a miniature or arrange scenery on a model railroad. Time disappears. Self-consciousness dissolves. The hobby takes over.

This back-and-forth, between shaping identity and transcending it, is what makes hobbies so powerful. They ground me and free me at the same time. They remind me who I am while also giving me a break from being myself.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about this in relation to my art practice. Some of the most powerful artists did this dance between self and something beyond. Frida Kahlo painted her pain and identity with brutal honesty, yet her work reaches far beyond her personal story. Jean-Michel Basquiat’s chaotic, layered paintings were deeply personal, yet they resonate universally. Joseph Cornell built shadow boxes filled with personal meaning, but they invite you into a dreamlike space beyond Cornell.

This is something I’m exploring in my own creative work. How can art be both personal and expansive? How can it capture who I am while also reaching beyond me? These are the questions on my mind at the moment. My hobbies might be showing me the way.

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