First of all, congrats on everyone on sticking it out another day. We all know how hard it can be sometimes.
Second of all. As of 3 minutes ago I hit 5 days sober!!
Yahooo!!
Okay so here is the dealio. I practice the art of drag. It’s a hobby, don’t me wrong.
I don’t have money for prosthetics yet so i can not turn it into a full time job.
But once I get my makeup on it’s like what do I do now?
I need something that can keep my hands busy.
Did any of you pick up any cheap hobbies, I need something to keep my hands busy and mind active. I was thinking puzzles and framing them.
I did pick up knitting needles today and yarn and have been trying that for almost 4 hours today.
To no avail, there is yet a single stitch to be made.
I just had the mentality that I was gonna get the items and make a whole scarf in one day.
Anyway, I have my niece here staying the night with me and we are going to do our makeup and hang out.
I was just wondering if anybody knows of any or if someone has picked up a cheap hobby to keep them active busy and focused.
It’s funny bc I really got into make up when I quit drinking. Idk why but it’s calming for me, like a meditative ritual or something
Do you do any type of performance that you could practice while your niece is over? Idk what else you’re into to make suggestions. I used to make macrame jewelry keep busy. It’s easier than knitting, lol. I like getting outside when I have free time but if I am stuck at home I normally just read.
Hey Vinn.
Welcome and congrats on the 5 days.
Cool pic.
I don’t do any hobbies or art myself.
But……there was someone on here @maxwell (hope you’re well Maxie ) who did some kind of diamond art. Or got a diamond art kit on Amazon. Not sure if that is what your looking for. I thought it looked pretty cool.
You look great! Congrats on your sobriety. There’s a puzzle thread on the site. Lots of members are doing puzzles, showing their progress and completion.
Search in search bar for puzzles.
I “mentioned” you in the puzzle thread!
Some yarn stores (libraries?) offer beginners knitting classes…might help get you started. I took up knitting again after learning a basic stitch decades ago. I am still super basic in knitting, nothing but scarves, but I love making them. Thicker needles and thick yarn help. Definitely ask at a yarn store, they love helping!!
Puzzles are great for the brain and busyness. And they are inexpensive at the thrift stores.
I did a ton of baking as well. Could share your baked goods with others. Adult coloring…also fun. Do you journal at all? It is a nice way to express yourself and get energy and feelings on paper.
I haven’t been around in awhile, my counter says 152 days, not sure if that’s right, but it’s definitely well over a 100, AND I rarely think about drinking anymore, who knew that was a thing after decades of hard drinking??
Yes, I picked up diamond painting, and I still do it. I’ve done pictures & lately I’ve been making a lot of coaster sets. It’s a cheap hobby, I get everything from Amazon, and you basically stick tiny stones to a sticky board. It helped me get thru my many, many attempts to quit drinking and relapsing. And I would not be sober without all the friends I’ve met here!
So happy to see you
Stop by the home thread if your willing.
But mostly keep doing what’s working for ya.
Congratulations on your sober pursuits.
And thanks for the reply.
I know it took me some time to figure out knitting - Youtube tutorials were my best friend. Don’t give up - it is a great distraction. I tried Crochet - for me this has been tougher to master.
I do love doing puzzles (never thought to frame) - that is exciting.
other cheap hobby ideas -
*painting (can do coloring books for adults)
*youtube tutorials on applying makeup (i know i’m not as talented as you)
*diamond painting
*Hiking or other outdoor activity
*Sports teams
*Cooking / baking
*gardening (if you do not have outdoor space - can try indoor garden from seeds)
*reading / writing
Gorgeous! You’re makeup looks great! Well done on 5 days!! Word search puzzles and just doodling with different colour glitter markers kept my hand busy in the early days but now I do stained glass. @maxwell, I love that coaster Maxine! I hope you are well and congratulations on 152 days!!
Love the makeup, personally I can’t do makeup for my life. Even if I tried a lot of times now.
Currently I’m into cross stitch embroidery, pretty much the only sewing I manage to do.
Wish I could knit, but I don’t have enough patience to try and learn from scratch.
Besides that I’m Renovating the s**t out of my house. That’s not a hobby I recommend though, it’s expensive and almost always filled with problems .
I crochet. Somehow knitting intimidates me. I agree that YouTube tutorials are super helpful. There’s help for just about everything on there. I’ve done cross stitch before. And looking into paint by number kits. I like wandering around the craft store!
I’ve also been collecting & caring for a lot of plants. I’ve always had 3 or 4 in my drinking days, but when I quit, I started picking up succulents and small plants. I think my $7.99 (usd) skull cactuses were my 1st ones. Some I actually propagated from an existing one. My spider plant I picked up at a grocery store on clearance day after Halloween. That plant has branched out several spiderettes.
You already got the yarn, get yourself a crochet hook and try that. I swear I tried to learn knitting so many times, I couldn’t make a stitch if my life depended on it. However, crochet I find easy. And I’ve met people who can do both, but say crochet is simpler and works up quicker, so you get your sense of achievement quicker, too.
Cooking and baking is another cheap hobby, everybody needs to eat. And as long as you’re not ruining it completely, you’re not facing extra expenses. Try something new every week. Or cook yourself a holiday, by making dishes from a specific country for a whole week. And then watch a travel documentary from a streaming platform to go with the theme.
I taught myself how to cook from scratch. It was a great way to keep my days full in the beginning. I watched a lot of videos, read a lot about cooking and planned every meal.
& 
s
Word search puzzles and just doodling with different colour glitter markers kept my hand busy in the early days but now I do stained glass. 
That’s not a hobby I recommend though, it’s expensive and almost always filled with problems 
