[munificent]

About a decade ago, my main "hobby" was writing. I finished and self-published two books that ended up way more popular than I expected.

I understandably was fairly burned out by writing after that. I also tend to cycle out hobbies. So I got into making electronic music for a bit. (Fun but hard.) Lately—a surprise to me—the hobby that's been the more rewarding is knitting. I think I just really needed a more tactile thing to do in my free time. I've been really enjoying knitting and it's so much fun picking up a new skill.

But the whole time, there's a little voice in the back of my head going, "You know, if you spent this time working on a new book, you'd get more money and recognition..." Hitting middle age and starting to really feel the finite nature of time definitely doesn't help.

I wonder if it's something similar for you where it's easier to sink time into random projects before you start thinking of your time as a finite economic resource.

[sodaplayer]

It's easy for me to quickly idolize the authors of books and blogs I have read—yours included (thanks for writing GPP)—and it's often I think I fall into the trap of feeling like I need to dedicate all my free time into practicing and learning software and computer science topics.

I also got a small collection of synths and grooveboxes, so seeing you start your Tiny Wires channel was a nice reminder that even those authors have things outside of software.

One of my favorite moments lately was just hanging out with my wife in the living room after setting up all my synths there and just jamming with her present as she also worked on her hobby.

[munificent]

> One of my favorite moments lately was just hanging out with my wife in the living room after setting up all my synths there and just jamming with her present as she also worked on her hobby.

That sounds so nice!

[nathan_douglas]

You sink your time into "random projects" and accomplish things. I sink my time into random projects and the time, money, artifacts acquired, and knowledge gained just sluice into the void. We are not the same :)

[munificent]

I've been very lucky that a couple of my hobbies have turned out well, but for every one of those, I promise you I have a dozen more that are just complete time wasters. :)

[nathan_douglas]

In all seriousness, I try to think of my projects and hobbies as sketches in a sketchbook. I might not be much of an engineer - sometimes I think I was built for a job that doesn't exist yet - but I feel like I learn from everything I do, and that has to count for something.

I hoped at some point I would produce some magnum opus that would make it all worthwhile. I thought that would happen in my twenties, and then my thirties. In my mid-forties, I think I just want to do little sketches for the rest of my life, always hinting at something and never revealing it. I can do actual work at my job. Which, based on my personal finances, I will also have for the rest of my life :)