Everyone has this one question that gets them stumped during an interview or casual familial conversation. For me, one of the most nerve-racking and stress-inducing questions for me is “what are your hobbies?” I know this may seem like a minuscule thing to stress over but for me, it is the question that requires an answer that is impalpable for me to process because I feel like school overshadows the individuality that makes up my identity.
For most young people, school is a fundamental activity that takes priority for days and years of our lives, and as school gets harder, it takes up the time that could otherwise be used to fully explore the identity shaping activity of a hobby. The pursuit of hobbies has always been a difficult thing for me to navigate, especially during winter/summer breaks between school semesters. I always felt a sense of loss whenever school was over— don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed not being in school— but the large chunk of time that I had felt like more of a burden, rather than a great opportunity to explore various activities that could contribute to my unique self. What I would end up doing to pass time was to be productive, doing things that ranged from internships to part-time jobs. Although these were good in terms of experience, it left no time for me to pursue hobbies. I truly felt like I was losing myself and the identity that I wanted to cultivate as a person.
However, this last winter break has allowed me to do the hobbies I was interested in. I made the executive decision that during my winter break I would quit my part-time job and use my break as a time to recenter myself and recharge my momentum as a student. And as it turns out, I was able to find a hobby that has given me joy and relinquish my identity. I figured out that I am really into analyzing, reviewing, and watching a film. I enjoy researching directors, learning about the film, and watching interviews to deepen my knowledge about the film. It had even made me more inclined to write movie reviews on Letterboxd. I always had a gut feeling that I was into cinema, but this past break was able to solidify that. More importantly, it allows me to have more than just writing as one of my favorite hobbies. I am grateful that I was able to get another hobby under my belt. This given break time has made me realize that it is nice to not be always productive when school is out, but in the future, I can anticipate making time for both internships, jobs, and hobbies.
Now that I have found my hobbies, I think the question of “what are your hobbies?” is no longer so daunting. It no longer bears the hefty weight on my consciousness nor the confirmation of my identity.