For many people, half the fun of having a hobby is getting someone else hooked on it, too. Sharing a hobby with a family member or friend is pretty simple, but not everyone can get the people they know excited about their favorite past time. Those hobbyists need to find another way to share their activities.
Hold a Meetup for Your Hobby
When I wanted to learn more about photography and get others excited about taking creative portrait photos, I started a group at meetup.com. Starting a group does cost money, although the fee is not too steep. However, many groups that are already in existence do not charge a fee for joining. Join a group related to your hobby, attend a few sessions to get a feel for things and then jump in.
If meetup.com isn't your thing, you may want to search for local Facebook groups. I found a wonderful local photography group that is very active. The members are very passionate about what they do and work together to learn more, help newcomers to the craft and support each other when problems arise.
Offer to Do a Kids' Program Promoting Your Hobby
Libraries, scout groups, summer camps and many other organizations love to have someone show kids how to do something fun and educational. If you can present information about your hobby in a lively manner and can add a hands on component, you'll be able to find an organization willing to have you do a workshop for the children it serves. Over the years, my local library has had programs on jewelry, mixed media art, the history of buttons, electricity, photography, gardening, animal care and more. Each program had something fun for kids to do after or during the lecture. For example, the kids made button wreaths with their moms after learning about the history of buttons and made terrariums after learning about how plants grow.
Write a Column About Your Hobby
If you have a small local free paper or family magazine, you may have the perfect audience to share your favorite past time with. You may even get paid for sharing your expertise, although getting a paying column right off the bat is pretty tough in today's world of tight publishing budgets and job cuts. Look for an angle that is relevant to your area and be sure you can come up with enough material to cover several months worth of columns before making your proposal, which is called a query letter in the writing world.
If you can't find a local audience, consider going online with a hobby blog, a radio show or a vlog. Suzi Blu, Paulette Insall and Jared Knight are just three artists who started sharing their love of mixed media art on YouTube and were able to get people excited about making their own art.
Once you start looking for opportunities to share your hobby, you'll realize that they are literally all around you, from the children's hospital wing to the mom's group that needs a last minute speaker.
Katelyn Thomas - If you can't find me in the spring, I'm out hiking through the wood with a few pounds of photography gear strapped to my back. In the ...
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