As I aqua jogged, I watched people climb up only to jump down. One woman in particular caught my eye. She stood high above the pool like she was on top of the world, the only one there. Gracefully, she spread her long arms into a cross pose, with perfect posture, chin high, swimming cap framing her face. She took a deep breath and concentrated. Then she leapt.

She flew downwards in a controlled way: time slowed down just for her. Her fingers hit the water first, the rest of her body following in a tight package like she was a former Olympic diver. And then she got up and did it all again. As did the line of little boys and girls, bigger boys and girls, and even more senior boys and girls. Whatever their age or physical shape, they were all like children queueing for a treat.

Drawn to the jump, marching to the staircase in a steady flow, time after time again. It must feel like flying.

Which is exactly what my salsa teacher said she felt whenever she did salsa spins. “Are you enjoying it?” she’d asked me. “Yes, doing spins and turns puts me in a good mood”, I’d replied and I must’ve been smiling.

What about blogging as a hobby, then? Does it still make me fly, smile and spin, after all these years? The best feeling is when inspiration to write strikes, though it passes in a nanosecond and needs to be downloaded into a story immediately so that the idea doesn’t disappear. Not even the idea, but the angle, the precise words that sprung to mind. The opening sentence. You know that feeling when a text just writes itself like you’re on autopilot?

That inspired feeling used to visit me regularly, bringing joy to my day the way salsa spins do, with the same magnetic pull that divers have to the pool. But with work, war, and worries galore, I feel drained of creative writing ideas these days.

Then I saw Australian blogger Amanda’s repost where she philosophises about blogging and even quotes a 5-year-old blog post of mine. “Is blogging still a thing?” five-years-ago-Amanda asks in her post.

In 5 years, the world has changed, and so have I. But is blogging still a thing? remains a good question. I remember when a friend asked me that, many, many years ago. I was offended, and still am, because commercial blogs are very much alive and she obviously meant the other kind of blogging. The kind you do just for fun.

Who even does things for fun anymore? Doesn’t everything have a goal, an end game, a hidden agenda? Isn’t everything in life a sort of reality show where the weakest is dropped off? Even children’s sports clubs get very serious very early on. Hobbyist blogging over here on WordPress is like a secret society. No one else seems to have heard of the concept. Maybe it’s better that way.

Having said that, I’m not sure SEO and lists will help non-monetary bloggers grow, though of course it depends on your topics. For us just-for-fun folks, it’s more about engagement and personal interaction, taking a genuine intrest in others (!!!), and enjoying whatever it is you do.

As for me, I’ve been quite active on the off-screen hobby scene, dancing and swimming several evenings each week. I’ve even wandered into the land of drawing, something I never had as a passionate hobby, but dabbled in some 25 years ago. And now, after occasionally drawing Pokemon figures and Minions with my kids, I’ve noticed an interest awaken. I’ve attended a few weekend courses, only 2-3 hours at a time, and I’m on the lookout for more.

I like the tight time frame, the focus, the fact that someone else decided what I’m drawing. All I have to do is concentrate on what the line looks like on paper. No phones, no distractions, no goals. Great for counteracting stress and too much screen time, just let the pen follow the eye. It’s extremely relaxing and soothing. “Meditative”, another student said.

Is it a hobby or more of an interest if you only do it once or twice a year? In any case, it’s just as valuable as long as you enjoy it.

Ps. These are my first practice pieces after decades of not owning a pencil. I’m working on getting the shading right. A while ago, I was talking with some bloggers about drawing and was encouraged to post pictures. Voilà!

Hope you’re having a good day?