We’ve all put down hobbies, whether it’s because we got busy or we left a structured team environment.

Those hobbies still exist. You can still play football or scrapbook about your mood. It might fit into your life a little differently than before. That doesn’t mean you can’t pick your old hobby back up.

Take a moment and remember all the hobbies you used to love and consider if they are something you want to return to.

Your friends and family have interests and hobbies. Maybe you’ve heard your friend talk about their love for baking sourdough bread or you went to watch your sibling play pickleball. Ask your loved ones about their hobbies. Even better, ask them if you can join.

There’s nothing better than being introduced to a hobby by somebody you know.

Browsing online is a convenient way to find a hobby — but just because it’s convenient doesn’t mean it’s easy or the best way to find accurate information. That’s why we started Not Just a Hobby

A key point to remember is that what you see on social media are highlight reels. A post showing a beautifully crocheted scarf doesn’t portray how long it took the creator to learn their first stitch. A video of an adult ice skater landing an incredible trick doesn’t show the part where they fell.

What’s more, social media posts often blur the line between professional and hobbyist. You might wonder why you’re not as good as that home cook you follow on Instagram — little do you know, they actually went to culinary school.

When a hobby catches your eye, do a little research first. Watch some tutorials of the basics. Ask questions online. Visit a store in person to ask questions. Browse social media with a bit of scrutiny.

Many hobbies have meeting locations. These are often stores or spaces dedicated to a hobby. It could be a yarn shop or an archery range.

You might think you need to already be involved in the hobby to visit. That’s actually not true. You can be a complete beginner and visit to give the hobby a try or simply watch others do it.

You can start by exploring your neighborhood. Drive where you’ve never been before or head to your local community center. Ask your neighbors or local storeowners where they like to spend their time.

You can also look online. While hobby locations are easy to find using apples like Google Maps, they’re tough to browse. Maps doesn’t quite understand what you mean when you type in “a fun hobby that’s indoors and cheap.”

We created a [spaces] series to solve this problem and help you browse different hobby spaces to visit and enjoy.