I got into an interesting conversation today on the nature of hobbies with a friend of mine.

Our husbands are both primarily gamers in their spare time, which means that they spend many hours at a stretch engaged in an activity that ultimately produces no tangible goods. This must be enjoyable to a high degree to the participants, or why would they engage in it otherwise? This group of fellows is quite diverse in their gaming hobby, too: They play massively-multiplayer online roleplaying games like City of Heroes and World of Warcraft as a group/guild, they get together in real life (often in my dining room!) for Dungeons and Dragons, WoW collectible card games, and Mechwarrior miniatures, and hang out in forums dedicated to–you guessed it–gaming. There is a huge social aspect to their gaming, too. They all seem to prefer games that are played in groups to ones that are solo endeavors.

As a former Evercrack and Gemstone III multi-user dungeon addict, I know that computer games in particular can be a pretty heady addiction, but somewhere along the way, I developed a preference for hobbies that produced actual physical items or intellectual property. I like creating things from scratch with my hands, using skills and talents that I have acquired and honed over time. That is why I draw, sew, cook, write, garden, craft, make web sites, and read. Even my exercise hobby is productive–I am achieving a particular look and physical ability level for my body.

I also don’t like to hang out with others while engaging in my hobbies since social interaction takes my focus off my creations. This doesn’t mean that I won’t share my end product AFTER I’m finished, but I don’t want anyone bothering me when I am actually working on it. When I do play a game, I always choose single player titles that don’t force me to group with others to achieve key objectives. When I learn a new song for karaoke, I do it by myself in my living room and car many times before I ever perform it in public.

What kind of hobbyist are you? Are you more about the experience (Doer) than the production of a physical object (Maker)? Would you rather play with others or put all of your energy into the task at hand with no distractions?

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TODAY’S EATS
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1. 60g raisins and oats, 2 T. Just Bunches cereal, 3 egg whites
2. 4 oz. roasted red pepper and garlic flounder, 1 c. broccoli, 1 nectarine
3. 1/2 WW pita, 2 slices turkey breast, 1 slice Swiss cheese, 1 c. broccoli
4. 1/2 c. sliced strawberries, 1/2 c. 1% cottage cheese, 1 packet Splenda
5. 3 egg whites, oatmeal pancakes (1 egg, 30g ground oatmeal, 1/2 T. buttermilk powder), 1/2 c. spinach
6. 1 apple

Water: 16 cups
Supplements: multivitamin, calcium 600+D

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TODAY’S WORKOUT
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* Back/Biceps/Abs (60 min)
* HIIT Run (20 min)
* 100 Push Ups program W1D1 (10 min)