Please find me a hobby that is easy

[Imatorturedpoet]

The only hobby I have is reading. I'd love to be creative, but I'm not at all artistic and have no imagination!

I'm looking for something that isn't too expensive, that I can do at home, fairly easy and will give me a sense of achievement!

I can knit and crochet a bit, but don't enjoy it, possibly due to it causing pain in my hands (fibromyalgia and arthritis).

Definitely not sport, fibromyalgia means I've little energy most of the time and my joints and feet ache.

I'm in my late fifties. I've no interest in video games.

Sorry to be so picky, it's just I've tried many things, but didn't get on with them ... diamond painting was so boring and fiddly for example!

Yes I like the sound of that too. Any particularly good colouring books you'd recommend?

I actually started doing this, with the intention of hiding them locally, but the varnish I bought was so strong smelling I was worried it would make my pets ill and I live in a flat, no outdoor space. What spray on lacquer would you use?

Thank you for the app recommendation, I'll download it now.

Jigsaw puzzles? See Karen Puzzles https://www.youtube.com/c/KarenPuzzles for interesting videos about speed puzzling and unusual jigsaws. You can find jigsaw puzzle groups on facebook where people swap puzzles or sell them cheaply second hand.

Dolls houses? I enjoy that though I haven't had time to do anything for a while and have a dolls house standing in the lounge with half the rooms finished.
Check out Julie Warren's youtube videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/JulieWarren You could buy a small kit and make stuff to go in it.

I love dolls houses, but bought a little kit before and got fed up of everything falling apart because the glue took so long to dry and also the glue got everywhere. I probably don't have room at the moment, I've only a small dining table, also why I'm not sure jigsaws would work at the moment. I used to have a board to do them on, but whenever I put it away the pieces slipped, so I gave it to a friend.

You said you like the night sky, so maybe you could be a citizen scientist for Aurora Zoo: www.zooniverse.org/projects/dwhiter/aurora-zoo/

Basically, you are shown different types of Aurora and try to identify what you see in some footage. It's not hard (children can do it), but it's fun and useful to researchers.

I know you said not sport but what about something like yoga or tai chi? Gentle movement might be helpful or even just doing the breathing parts on your not so good days? Something like yoga with Adrianne which has an active online community but you do the sessions at your own pace and only as much as you are able.

If not that then how about an on-line course? Something like intro to CBT or mediation which might then be applicable to your chronic pain / fatigue/ adhd?

Audiobooks/ true crime podcasts/ puzzles and quizzes

Thanks that looks interesting!

I have done yoga in the past, but there's quite a lot I can't do these days due to joint pain and lack of balance. I've never tried tai chi though.

I'm actually doing a short course about cbt at the moment.

I've never really tried audio books, maybe I should.

Find a real life or online group and try some role playing games or tabletop gaming?

If you can find a 2nd hand cheap virtual reality kit like Oculus you can download a programme called Wander which is basically 3D Google Earth. Go to anywhere on the planet and wander around. I used to do it in lockdown.

Watercolours are actually pretty easy and fun, get some metallic colours and go abstract.

If I were you I'd use my free time to help a cause I care about. Maybe there's a local charity that could use your skills in some way

I bought cheap colouring books from Amazon and cheap colouring pens too. Don't spend a lot of money on them to begin with.

My first book had a lot of swear words to colour in. It just suited how I felt at the time 😂

Join one of the British Trust for Ornithology bird counts? We do the garden bird and wetland bird counts.

I just use a Plastikote one. It does smell, but I do it outside and leave it a few minutes. I put it onto non stick paper prior to spraying and carry it indoors to finish drying.

Genealogy is great fun.

Hi, The kit has a little leaflet to explain, plus there are lots of images and info etc online too. I will send you a message when I log on via website a bit later.

Thank you so much 🤗

I paint stones for local primary schools (using Posca pens & varnish)

And I make birthday cakes.

I'm quite artistic though, but I'll leave them here as ideas. The Song/Story stones are so therapeutic to make and very rewarding when they're so gratefully received.

Also what about hearing readers in a Primary school?

I've painted some rocks too, but after varnishing the first one I stopped, because the varnish was so strong smelling I worried it would harm my pets.

Free online courses or a degree
Creative writing?

There's loads of no odour varnishes I could recommend.