Something that I’ve been absolutely thrilled to see as of recently is the resurgence in analog hobbies. For those who don’t know, an “analog hobby” is anything that doesn’t require Wi-Fi to do, and they’ve seen a big comeback lately. I’m sure you’ve seen the videos on social media of girls doing embroidery/cross-stitching, picking up crocheting, or showing off their Kindles. This has led to the creation of “analog bags,” which are pretty self-explanatory (bags that people bring around that have all of their crafts and such stored in them).
I’ve always loved to crochet and knit, and I’ve had some generation of a Kindle glued to my side since I was six, so this trend is right up my alley. However, I have also added cross-stitching and movie journaling to my list of hobbies, and I’m loving it. I’ve been obsessed with playing a podcast or movie and working on my cross-stitch. It’s been so relaxing, and I’ve noticed that my screen time has drastically dropped because I’m going for my latest project over doom-scrolling or watching Reels. I thought that I’d share some of my favorite analog hobbies as of late and why I’ve loved them, but try to find your own as well! I was watching a video from Amanda at Swell Entertainment where she mentioned that you have to find what hobby fits for you rather than just pick up a hobby because it’s “trending,” and I couldn’t agree more.
Cross-stitching
I used to cross-stitch when I was younger (and then gave up) but recently decided to pick it back up again after watching my roommate work on her own cross-stitch project. While you can make your own patterns, I picked up three kits that already had everything you needed in them, complete with embroidery hoops and patterns. These kits range in price from less than ten dollars to close to 20, and vary in skill level and complexity. I’ve loved bringing these projects around with me everywhere, and it’s so cool to see them slowly come to life. Even better, my roommates and I have started decorating the walls of our apartment with our finished projects, giving even more life and coziness to our apartment!
Movie Journaling
I’ve talked about my love for movies in several articles, and I will ramble on about the films I’ve seen to anyone who is willing to listen. Similar to cross-stitching, I had tried bullet journaling when I was in high school but had ditched it after a short amount of time. However, a few months ago, I bought a bullet journal on sale at Michael’s and started using it to document the movies I’ve seen and have loved it. I love taping in either a print-out of the movie poster or my actual movie ticket (you can still print out physical tickets at some theaters!), choosing colors and designs that match, and working on a page for that movie. It’s become such a fun outlet for my movie habit, and even though I’m terribly behind in logging my movies, I love curating special pages for each one I see.
Reading on my Kindle
I was given my first Kindle when I was six, and I’ve had some version of it by my side since then. While I am on my third Kindle now (RIP Kindles one and two, you are missed), the core habit has remained the same. It’s so much easier to carry my Kindle around with me since it’s lightweight and smaller than an actual book, and I can house several books on there in case I finish one or get bored of another. My favorite thing to do is check out e-books through my library back home on Libby and send them to my Kindle — it saves me money and supports the local library back home! Another plus — I recently got a library card at the local library in my college town, as they offer cards to the JMU students, and I highly recommend getting one!
Crocheting/Knitting
This may be one of my longest-running analogy hobbies, and it’s definitely a favorite. I picked up crocheting during the pandemic, and since then, I’ve made clothes, baby blankets, and stuffed animals, which has been so much fun. While I haven’t had time to crochet or knit recently, I’ve slowly begun to pick it back up again, and have been pleasantly surprised to find that I still had the muscle memory of it!
So maybe this is your sign to put down your phone and pick up an analog hobby! While these are some of my favorites, I have seen so many other kinds of analog hobbies floating around (I might try those Murdle puzzle books next), so there’s definitely something out there for everyone! Give it a try, find your passion, and create your own analog bag!