Is writing a hobby for me?

When people ask for my hobbies, I usually list board games, all things Pokémon and building communities. On the other hand, I spend more time writing than I do with any of the others and a vast majority of that writing is not paid work.

I love writing. A lot of my writing is published in this blog or in my Digital Garden but I also write a lot in private. Some of those private writings become blog posts or published notes – or maybe one day published fiction – but not all. My journals is a good example of writing that I intend to never publish.

Wikipedia describes a hobby as

a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. [ - - ] Participation in hobbies encourages acquiring substantial skills and knowledge in that area.

Writing fits that description spot on. I write regularly (daily) but I don’t write on a schedule (ie. 9-10 every Monday morning). I write whenever I have time and when inspiration hits.

Looking back at my blog posts from the past 12 years that are currently available in my current blog, I have acquired substantial skills and knowledge.

So one could definitely say writing is a hobby for me.

Yet, it doesn’t feel like a hobby like all my other hobbies do. Writing is a part of my life rather than an activity I do. It’s who I am.