Nerdspiration: Finding Your Nerdy Hobby

Nerdspiration: Finding Your Nerdy Hobby

Hello, Curious Crowd! As you know, we at NC celebrate the beauty of bonding around a common hobby, something we can share, love, and spend time with. If you yourself are just getting in touch with your nerdier side – sometimes it can be hard to know where your tastes may lie, and that can be the first battle. Being introduced to new things (such as board games, dungeons, and dragons, MMO’s or more) may leave you feeling just a little out of your depth. After all, starting any new hobby can feel a little overwhelming at first!

Yet there’s no reason to fear. You don’t have to have a perfect idea of what you truly want, and learning to share and have fun with new activities is where joy can be found, to begin with! So – if this is the case, where do you start? Some people find joy in diamonds, or even the simple stones found on a walk through nature; others find joy in heading on wild extreme sports adventures – while still more may simply find joy in great food, great company, and great games from a variety of sources.

So – let’s explore this topic together!

What did you love as a kid?

Your childhood is a great source of inspiration for new hobbies. For example, maybe you absolutely loved magic as a child and want to show off some card tricks to your friends. You could learn some sleight of hand tricks, or you could even get a  Bicycle marked deck for contact lenses to cheat a little and create some really fancy tricks of your own. Childhood passions and hobbies are a great place to start if you’re looking to find a nerdy hobby because there are probably countless things you wanted to do as a child but just weren’t hold enough to try. Now that you have more money and freedom at your disposal, it’s time to think back to your childhood to find some unique, interesting, and nostalgic hobbies for you to indulge in.

What Brings You Joy?

Perhaps you are interested in becoming a gamer but haven’t found which genre you are most interested in. If you were to spend an afternoon playing any video game you could, what is it you’d choose? Perhaps you’d love to dive into an MMORPG, such as World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIII. Maybe you’re inclined towards amazing story-led narrative experiences, such as Kentucky Route Zero or more digestible games such as Gone Home and Firewatch. Figuring out that which you feel the most inclination towards means trying new things, but following that which you find interesting can surely help you feel more confident pursuing that direction. And then, something amazing happens – your love will grow!

What Can You Share?

What is it you’d love to share with other people? As a gaming nerd, you may find that moving through online D&D campaigns with Tabletop Simulator or other options could be a great idea to pursue. This very blog you’re visiting now was born of the various passions each of us holds dear, ultimately allowing us to share these experiences with one another and craft our very own platform out of it. This passion can move mountains. You also hold it within. The best thing you can do is share it.

What Would You Love To Get Better At?

If you’re anything like us, it’s just as enjoyable to spend time developing your passion as it is to spend time with it. Maybe you’d love to become the best healer for your party you can be, hitting your hotkey cycles with the speed, accuracy, and supportive aim necessary to get you through the dungeon. Knowing you’ve helped out your team in this way, or have managed to get a higher score in ranked matches, or are able to delve into the lore by outside reading and explaining this to your friends – it all counts! Sometimes the most fun we can have is when we spend time with something and develop our skills alongside it.

Building A Garden

I used to consider myself a “black thumb”, unable to keep any plants alive aside from the aloe I have had for the past fifteen years. Through quarantine, I have been able to slow down and take the time that I needed to develop a knack for taking care of plants. I now have various succulents indoors, and a myriad of potted vegetables outside that I grew from seeds! I never realized that plants could make me so happy, and proud!

Reconneting with Yourself

I’ve also been spending time focusing on what I can do to feel more confident and healthier. Since I have been working from home, I have been utilizing break time that I normally never allowed myself to have when I was working in the office. Now I go out for walks and have set a daily step goal for myself. I have also been taking more time to cook healthy meals. As a matter of fact, judging by social media, a lot of others have taken up a new love of cooking and baking.

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If there is one positive that I can take away from whatever you want to call 2020, it’s that I have learned to appreciate the little things that I have taken for granted for so long. Walks down to the mailbox, texting a friend I haven’t been able to see in person for months, phone calls with my parents, and having a career that allows me to continue working from home.

Despite our current circumstances, we have many opportunities to use this time to find our own authentic tastes, loves, and passions yet undiscovered. Remember, finding your hobby should never feel like work. So with this in mind, we ask you – what is it you love? What have you always wanted to learn or want to improve upon? Let us know which hobby you want to pick up in the comments below!

Stay Nerdy!