Hobbies That Will Absolutely Beat The Boredom: fun classes and activities to enjoy once you’re an empty nester or any time!

When my youngest got her license and I was beginning to feel the “empty nest” feeling I decided to find something fun to do. I signed up for a jewelry making class with a friend. My friend only came to one or two of the classes, but honestly just having her name on the list gave me a sense of calm to do something so out of my comfort zone. I really enjoyed the class and was having a great time making jewelry at home as well as in the class. My daughter asked me what I was going to do with everything I made and I didn’t have an answer. She suggested I sell my pieces at craft shows and home parties. I thought about it and decided to give it a shot, and so my hobby turned in to a business for about eight years. I was always nervous selling what I made-would people like it? As I did a few shows I saw the response was positive and so I signed up for fundraisers at some local schools, more craft fairs, and started selling online. I loved coming up with an idea and watching it come to life. However, this feeling didn’t last forever. I started to feel, you guessed it, bored!

Michele-Lee-Designs — Some pieces from when I was making jewelry

I began thinking about what to do next. A friend of mine was taking a pottery class and asked if I’d like to take it it with her. Sounded great to me as I’m always looking for something fun and creative. It was a slow start but let me tell you working on the pottery wheel is so much fun! I didn’t even care if my pieces fell apart, just manipulating the clay was so therapeutic (great for my rheumatoid arthritis and my mental health!) I took classes for about a year and a half and while none of my pieces were noteworthy, it was a really fun experience.

Now I’m back to thinking about what to do next. Some activities I think might be interesting, either classes or as a one time activity, include: