Hey guys, I hope someone can help me because I haven't been able to find much help… :(
I've got a lot of spare time on my hands and I really need some help.
I want something I can do where I'm outside. I'd love to do something where I need to spend time inside and outside. I guess the best example of this would be using a digital camera: Photos are taken outside and then the digital camera is plugged into the PC inside to view and edit the photos.
I've been following a You Tube presenter named Ted Forbes. Ted is a photographer who runs the channel called Art of Photography. https://www.youtube.com/user/theartofphotography
He is really informative and interesting to listen to. At the moment he is running a series of "exercises" where he outlines an aspect to consider and then sets a project over the next week or so. The emphasis is on the process of creating photographs, not anything to do with technical equipment - so in theory you could do it just as well on a smart phone as on a high end DSLR.
People are welcome to submit their completed photos to facebook or Instagram, or just to follow along for themselves. If you are interested in getting some "training" related to how to create artistic photographic images OR if you are looking for a community to engage in, then this could be worth investigating, especially since you could do it at your own speed to a level which suits you.
Don't forget to bring your wallet though. It can get $$$.
Your reply is much appreciated!
I'm not looking at doing photography as a hobby and I just used photography as an example of something that involves me going outside and also inside as well.
Keeping a diary/journal?
I'm already doing this, but thanks for the suggestion!
I recently got into Disk Golf.. but the name 'the pensioner' suggests that this may be too intense.. its sometimes worse on the body than regular golf.
How about volunteering at your local gardens? Many groups need someone to manage their files/websites/facebook page/etc and that would be an "inside" job. The "outside" would of course be the work done in the garden. Or maybe the local Men's Shed?
Darts, cheap hobby, and if you join social club will make heaps of mates.
If you have any artistic leaning, maybe try walking to some scenic areas, taking a picture and trying to recreate it when at home. Pencil, painting etc.
Google "Meetup".
You will probably find a group to join. Political, sport, special interest etc
I recommend cycling
The only thing more offensive than being a camera nerd is being a bike nerd in full sponsored Lycra. Be a plane/drone nerd and do your photography from the air. Start with a Bixler and work your way up.
Join the SES or if you're in a volunteer-served area, your local fire brigade. You'll learn lots of skills, hang out with great people, and be helping the community.
Become a BBQ master?
Pokemon Go
I always want to be domino topller
Family tree?
Bungee jumping?
become an alcoholic, there are bars with beer gardens so it covers the inside/outside part too
Lawn bowls.
Get into gardening. No matter if your backyard is huge or small, just grow shit. It's free, you'll be occupied time-wise and it'll be beneficial to your long term physical and mental health.
And the inside bit will be researching about the plants/veges/fruit trees being grown, how to take care of them, how to keep insects/pests off them, pruning techniques etc.
I also would suggest gardening, but no growing shitty shrubs or flowers that absorb your time for minimal return.
I would suggest growing thing for your consumption.
To get you interested and give you some ideas, I would suggest watching this interesting old bastard, Jeff Heriot from Buderim in QLD.
I may have lost you at this point, but stay with me.
Jump onto Jeff's uTube Channel (HERE) and check out all the marvellous things he is doing in his own backyard.
If you have your self a "Wilma", she may also take an interest.
Best of luck with your endevours Cobber
22 responses (mine is 23rd), and the OP lost interest in participating… or maybe he got re-elected? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzjRwNUQDRU
One of the best political adverts I have seen.
OP asked a similar question 5 years ago. Either he hasn't found anything or he's bored with what he took up. Maybe OP will ask again in 5 years time.
Indeed. 5 years ago he also did not participated in exchange of ideas. Makes you wonder… why bother responding?
I think that must be OP's hobby, making new forum post every now and then, asking the same questions again and again without googling first- though he probably doesnt even realise it.
Cycling! After years of playing team sports and never having been interested in individual sports I assumed i was going to end up having to play golf as i got older….how wrong I was. I bought a road bike and turned up to my local bike shop ride. I've made more friends in the last 3 years that I did in the 10 years preceding. I regularly get my arse handed to me by blokes in their 70's up local hills etc. Basically we go for rides on country roads to coffee shops in idyllic spots in the hills, we then sit around making fun of the world and laughing noisily like 10 year old boys for an hour or so then we ride home.
Quite regularly we end up in the local bike shop talking bikes or cycling to Dave the shop owner or even, on the odd occasion having a 'lock-in' at the workshop where we talk bikes and drink beers after closing time. A couple of times a year we make a big effort for one of the charity rides where we all sign up and go on an epic ride together to raise money for a charity. Sometimes we go away together for a weekend in the high country or to Adelaide for the TDU (some of the guys were there last week).
I was skeptical about cycling as i thought it would be me by myself grinding out lonely hours in the saddle. I rarely ride by myself and most of the time I am turning down invites to go riding with groups of mates. The bikes are also full of expensive little bits of alloy and carbon that are both cool and to any guy with an interest in techo little bits of goodness that you can fettle around with, highly addictive. Finding your little bits of carbon for a bargain could be a fulltime job for an OzB fanatic are the internet is permanently full of cycling bargains.
Regarding the 'lycra' aversion most of the worlds seems to have, other cyclists dont care (as long as you dont wear white knicks) and as i tell my friends, I know I look terrible but i dont care, if anyone else wants to look they do so at their own peril.
Oh and it is a great hobby for getting fit, getting fresh air and doing something positive both for yourself and hopefully for your community.
And for the indoor portion he can use an indoor trainer and Zwift!
All over that, zwifting 2-3 times a week, brilliant. A video game where you get fitter!
I don't have a trainer yet… I'm stuck outside with the rain and magpies at the moment!
Although My new bike is on Layby, only a few weeks left, then comes the trainer and all that comes with it!
@sykeau: I leave home early and get home late. Previously my only option for a midweek ride was a 4am start to get some Kms in before work. Not something i wanted to do regularly. Other option was riding in the dark with lights at 10pm after I got home, also not an option. Riding to and from work also not an option as I live 50km from work (both directions) and there are only paths part way, I would have to take my life in my hands on gridlock roads for big parts of the journey, in the dark on the way home through gridlock madness.
With Zwift I can get home, jump on the bike and knock out an hour in the garage at 9pm then go to bed. Extra rides are alerady paying dividends with my weekend rides. Great invention.
@2ndeffort: Yeah I can see how it is beneficial for you! And definitely wish there were more bike paths out my way! Although I catch the train for part of my commute just so I can get on the bike. 40-50Km each way is too much for me to take each morning. haha
Golf, have a hack on the course and then spend time indoors buying new clubs which you hope will improve your game (at least that's my plan) :(
Build a bunker
Cycling, Yoga and Video Games is how I spend my free time.
I highly recommend the first 2.
cycling will get you outside, keep you fit, save you petrol.
And Yoga!! OMG. As someone who spent most of their life sitting in a chair and staring at a screen. Yoga has unlocked so much from my body. My range of motion was extremely poor and I had chronic back pain. So yeah less pain, and able to move freely. I'm constantly surprising myself with my enhanced mobility, focus & stability. Don't be embarrassed to try it. I'm a 35 year old male, have a bit of gut and I'm stripping down to my togs for hot yoga sessions regularly.
You're never to old to start either of these.
Your replies are much appreciated!
Unfortunately, I'm still in a similar position to 5 years ago in terms of finding a hobby I can spend my time on and it really sucks… :'(
pokemon go?
Im surprised nobody's mentioned joining a gym. You could learn calisthenics if your keen to spend most of the time outdoors. Add cardio with either a jog or cycle and you've got yourself a great hobby. The beauty of weight training is that it's multifaceted, you can spend just as much time researching nutrition, workouts and form as much as you actually lift.
If your still not convinced consider the fact many people consider resistance training the greatest thing you can do with your time, thats not spare time, that's time full stop.
Start painting. I started painting a few weeks ago on my balcony and love it. Hoping to go to other spots around Sydney and when I go camping :)
I've recentlty had a similar issue where I was bored and trying to find hobbies.
I've found my winter hobby - skiing, and love it. I used this method to figure out what I was interested in:
1) make a bucketlist
2) add to the bucketlist by thinking back to when you were a child - what did you do that was just incredibly fun?
Thats it. Just doing that and looking through my rose coloured glasses I've made a huge list of stuff that I wanna at least give a solid go within the next few years. A couple of examples:
Whittling, Swimming, Hiking, Camping, Horse Riding, Wakeboarding, Water Skiing, Tennis, Singing, Playing an Instrument, Rock Climbing, General fitness (think running, gym, that kind of stuff), Cooking, Boating, Archery, Hunting, Surfing….
The world is your oyster. Just do a bit of research and you'll find something eventually.
For me it's not so much finding the hobby, but then getting the money/time/motivation to do it.
TLDR: make a list, try to do at least 1 activity for at least 3-4 weekends within a 3month span every year
Photography is a fantastic hobby. I've made some great friends doing it.
Also try fishing or golf, at your age