Unique and passionate interests/hobbies

@Flutterbug9 @Jynx 

Thank you both so much for starting this thread!

One of my biggest special interests is playwriting, especially when it’s woven together with WWI history.

There’s something about that era, the letters home, the sheer scale of the change in the world, and the personal stories tucked away in the trenches, that feels so important to capture through storytelling. I love the challenge of giving those historical 'fragments' a voice on a stage. It’s definitely my version of a 'deep dive' where I can get lost in the research and the dialogue for hours 💚

🤔

@MatchaToad @Flutterbug9 @Jynx 

lol, maybe 40 years ago

unique special interests didn't please adults in the 1980s

so not even i like my hobbies, they are so boring and vanilla

I have 2 areas that I am passionate about that I don’t talk about off the forums due to timing and other things never feeling right.

one area is model trains.  My ultimate goal is to have a working layout in my garage, trains being about 3cm in height (not quite as tall as Lego characters).  More on that another time.

my other area is genealogy aka as family research.  I have always been someone who enjoys researching things, looking for answers.  Searching until I got answers or exhausted all avenues.

I initially starting researching my fathers ancestors as my father knew almost nothing of his ancestral background.  Few verbal things handed down through generations, nothing as verification though.

all my mother could tell me was my dads eldest brother and sister in law were known as Fred and Trix (not their real names, names created as part of post).  Took few years of research, all done well before introduction of internet) for me to find out the actually names.

I was very lucky in Federation year.  Distant family member in another country emailed me and sent me very large, detailed record of one branch on my dads side starting with details of birth and death place plus photo of headstone in England from couple hundred years ago

with assistance of DNA testing I’ve been able to clarify one mystery regarding who was birth father of my maternal grandmother and siblings.

i first started researching my ancestors more than 30years ago.  Lot of initial research was attending local family history centre and spending couple hrs one night a week scrolling through micofische and microfilm on specially designed equipment.  One evening I came across details containing name and few other items of a distant relative during his time at a affluent boys school.

genealogy is an area I can, and do, become complete absorbing with.  Time ceases to exist.  Some days only thing that I have noticed is the room being dull due to commencement of sunset.

family trees are living documents as they are never completed.  One of my direct ancestral family trees having more than 5000 names in it currently with areas in the past I’m still researching and chasing answers and info

@Flutterbug9 3 of my niblings (2 nephews and a niece) got into that, following school projects in late primary school

my dad's side had everyone stumped. My mum said she was pretty sure they were illegal immigrants from russia

a couple of years ago i bought them dna kits for xmas. It's all very much UK based or edges of nordic countries. Following that, they were able to trace it back centuries. Don't know why mum thought russian

@DogMan79 verbal family info was on my maternal grandmothers side their is a connection to Spain.

without DNA I couldn’t prove it.  Everything prior to that kept taking me to Scotland.  2 marriages, few more skeletons in the closest.  All quite complicated, just the type of thing I thoroughly enjoy.

im going to be investigating land titles in various Australian towns as next step

@Flutterbug9 

Thank you so much for sharing that! I completely relate to that feeling of 'time ceasing to exist' when you’re deep in research. There is something so grounding about following a trail of information until the pieces finally click together.

The detail about the microfiche and microfilm is incredible; that’s true dedication! It makes those discoveries feel even harder-earned when you've spent hours scrolling through those records. Finding a photo of a headstone from hundreds of years ago must have felt like finding buried treasure.

5,000 names is an amazing achievement for a family tree! It really is a massive, living puzzle, isn't it?

My Mum has spent years researching our family history, but I decided to take a DNA test myself, and the results were so interesting. I found out I have Romani heritage on my Dad’s side. Since I don't have any association with that side of the family, it was completely unknown to me.

It’s sent me on a massive investigative mission to learn more about Romani culture and history. It’s such a deep, complex area to research, and as you said about your family trees, it feels like a 'living' project 💚

@Flutterbug9  ooo interrsting idea for a thread. Im enjoying and look forward to reading what others write. 

It took me a bit to think of an answer I might like to give to this question. I had to dive into my own head and really think about what fascinates me, and it was a fun exercise. 

I often feel like alot of my interests are niche, as I dont get to share my excitement in real life most of the time. But im not sure if thats really to do with how niche or not my interests are. 

Something I am quite passionate about is film and media that tells a story. Film is the most fun because it combines more elements. But books, and music are also well traversed. 

I love to dig into all the individual pieces of the puzzle that come together to make the final result. Like the art of puppetry in practical effects, or different animation styles and how they make things look fluid/ lively in movement, or envoke a certain feeling. I love learning about sound design, scores, and foley work. Im really into imagery and symbolism and trying to guess what it might represent. 

In animation specifically I looove how the limitations of physics and reality can be pushed and stretched in ways you dont see in live action.

I love to observe different actors and admire their craft in playing a role, like when they can do some amazing physical feats, or nail that perfectly subtle facial tic that sells the shot. 

I like things that are a treat to the senses. Whether its just a solid score/ soundtrack, or a visual feast like when you watch a movie that looks like a living painting. 

I love when I find things that tell meaningful stories with interesting messages, that really open up my world view or spark curiosity, and get me thinking about it long after its finished. 

In music, I get interested in what instruments are used, imagine what it might feel like to play them. Or with electronic elements how it all comes together to create this cohesive feeling that takes my brain into a flow state. 

Books .... a newer addition. But wow, words can be so emotive and expressive and captivating. I think im a bit disenfranchised with alot of online text, and I forget using words in clever ways can create beautiful pictures. 

I could go on .. 

That felt good to type out ♡ 

@MatchaToad @DogMan79 

@MatchaToad  I dont often hear about people who are interested in learning about WWI .

The way you wrote that though was nice to read and has peaked my own curiosity. when you say screenplay you mean theatre yes? 

@Flutterbug9  Very fascinating stuff reading what you wrote about geneaology! Trying to comprehend doing enough reading to collect around 5000 names is boggling. Also that moment you described about only noticing the passage of time when the sun is setting just felt like a very Ghibli kind of moment. 

@fruitisgood  Your words about not getting to share the excitement in real life summarises the thoughts behind this thread.

a safe, no pressure corner within the forums that invites people to do exactly that ie share things and the associated excitement that they feel they can’t do, and experience, in real life.

a thread that opens the door toward getting to know things about each other

@MatchaToad that sound very interesting. But just on the face of it, it is not something that I could do, with all the sad stories you would find, it would tear me up inside. Plus, I am no good at writing stories. Lol But I think it's fantastic that you are doing this, as I feel the story still needs to be told.

@Flutterbug9 I too started researching my family tree. That was about six years ago. When my aunty died, she had the original of her mother's wedding certificate, which I found useful, but it has been hard to find the right father on the genealogy sites as his name was very common and he had no middle name. I can totally understand how you could very easily spend a day researching and inputting data, as it can become very complex at stages. And you need to keep your train of thought going, without interruptions.

I did the DNA test and still get matches coming to me from the United Kingdom and the USA mainly. But I love it when I get a match in New Zealand, as I have always wanted to go there, so maybe if I connect with a relative, that could be my reason to visit. I had a really bad doubt of depression a couple of years ago, so basically haven't touched the family tree since then, but I have everything on Legacy and have it backed up on two separate hard drives as well as my laptop. But I currently have two other interests that have been keeping me busy.

My main interest is in coin collecting, where I am trying to put together an album for each coin denomination, with the best quality coin I can find or purchase (for not too much) for each year that a coin was minted. And part of the research for this, lead me to find out about error coins, and how some are very valuable, and you could possibly find it in your change. The main one that sticks in my mind, and I am always searching for it, is the 2000 $1 coin. If you look on the Obverse side (heads side) of the coin, it looks like it has a double rim around it. If you find one of these, you could fetch around $1,000 for it depending on the condition of the coin. This is what it looks like.

Because I haven't had any room to sort my collection, I then started collecting the coloured silver coins that are produced for collectors. I have slowed down on my coin purchasing and just buy coins that are in a set that I am collecting. For example they have just released the 4th coin in the Colours of Australia series, and since I already have the first three, I feel that I need to keep the set going, as it will have a better resale value as a complete set. This is what the coins looks like.

These are the first 3 coins in the series.

But both my partner and I go through our change and look for different errors that have occurred on some coins. We do have a Coin Collectors' Corner if coins interest you, where we have discussed error coins and other related topics. I try to keep people updated regarding any new release coin that the Royal Australia Mint are releasing.

My other interest, that I have just started thanks to @SmilingGecko is in crystals and their healing abilities. I am very much in the early stages and have purchased crystal that are good for depression, anxiety and panic attacks. I have all the items needed to cleanse the crystals, so I am nearly ready to start my crystal healing journey.

I hope I haven't bored you with my interests. And I hope you all have a lovely day.

@fruitisgood @MatchaToad @DogMan79 @Jynx @tyme @RiverSeal @Aegis @Bow @creative_writer @Shaz51 @Captain24 @Fluttershy1 @heartathome @Chasingsunsets @PeppiPatty @TAB @MissGremlin @NightFury @Bunniekins 

@Mustang67   One of the things my mum collected was coins.  After her death I decided to keep the A5 size folder in which the collection is.  I have never added to.  I do enjoy looking at the predecimal coins and the round 50cent coins in the sleeves in the folder

@Flutterbug9 I don't know anything regarding the pre-decimal coins, but those round 50c pieces are made up of 80% silver and are fetching between $28 and $45+ AUD based on its 80% silver content, far exceeding its 50 cent face value. Bullion dealers typically buy them for around $30-$31, while premium, uncirculated, or mint-state coins can sell for over $75 to $150+ to collectors. So don't lose those ones.

And just while I was trying to find a picture to post, I found out that there are fake round 50c coins out there. Since the silver price went through the roof, a lot of people have been selling their round 50c pieces, so I would say this is why people have made fakes, to try and collect while the silver price is up.  

You have to be so careful these days when purchasing coins, because there are so many different fake ones out there. 

@fruitisgood 

That is a great question! When I talk about playwriting, I do mostly mean theatre and stage plays, although if it ever could be adapted to be a film that'd be incredible 💚

There is something so unique about the energy of a live performance, how the dialogue has to carry all the emotion and the history directly to the audience in the room. I love the challenge of taking a massive historical event like WWI and finding a way to make it feel personal and intimate on a stage 💚

@Mustang67 

I completely understand that! It definitely tears me up, too, sometimes. There are days when the research is really heavy, and I have to take a step back, go for a walk, or look at something completely different to just reset 💚

I think that's actually why I feel so driven to write it. As you said, those stories still need to be told, and giving those people a 'voice' on stage feels like a way of honouring what they went through. It’s my way of making sure they are never forgotten 💚

I hope this is unique enough for this thread. 

I like to turn rocks and pebbles in to motivational art work. 

I mostly go to a beach down the coast a bit to collect rocks. But I have rocks from all sorts of places; my mum bought me back some from her recent trip to Tassie, I have rocks from a beach in Cardiff in Wales, from the carpark at Legoland in Windsor UK, from our airb&b in Hereford north London. And any other random place that has rocks and pebbles and they catch my eye.

I get to sell my artwork at a local country market and the amount of people that comment on my art saying our unique and beautiful my work is still surprises me and brings a smile to my face. 

@MatchaToad I truly think it is fantastic what you are doing, and I was even tearing up reading your reply, that you at time need to take a step back, go for a walk, or look at something completely different to just reset. And I totally get that.

My interests fluctuate. I have had many along the way. 

They include...

• Collecting basketball cards
• Collecting Kinder Surprise toys
• Tamora Pierce Fan fiction and role play games
• Writing html and creating character profiles for role play and writing. 
• Paint pouring
• Photography
• Cross stitch
• Line dancing
• Goosebumps books
• Collecting golden books
• Crossfit
• Lifting weights and running 1/2 marathons
• Dinosaurs
• Sip and Paint
• Collecting movie tickets. 

More recent interests and hobbies include...

• Ghost tours and Paranormal investigations
• Expedition Big Foot
• Scottish history 
• History 
• Historical dramas
• Fantasy novels
• Medical shows and medical dramas 
• Tarot, runes and spirituality
• Drawing
• Colouring in
• Paint by numbers
• Writing 
• Bright coloured puzzles
• Lego
• Crystals
• Reiki and energy healing. 
• I have my own crystal bowl (heart chakra) and have a done a course teaching me to play it. 

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@Flutterbug9 wrote:

This thread has created following a recent chat with @Jynx   a thread where everyone is welcome to share about their unique hobbies and/or interests.  

topics and things that people may not have talked about or shared outside the forums due to fitting into “social expectations, views and opinions).

 

A safe place for anyone to share, as much or as little, about hobbies and interests they are passionate about.  

 

tagging a some people to start with.  Please feel free to tag as many people as you like.  (if tagged please don’t feel you need to respond.  Thread is a fun, relaxing place for anyone who wishes to share)

@Jynx @tyme @RiverSeal @Aegis @Bow @creative_writer @Shaz51 @Captain24 @DogMan79 @Mustang67 @Fluttershy1 @heartathome @Chasingsunsets @PeppiPatty @TAB @MissGremlin @NightFury @Bunniekins @MatchaToad 

 

 

 

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Hey @Flutterbug9 , 

Great thread! 

This thread has been spotlighted on the main landing page. Feel free to add a picture to the first post of this thread so it appears on the main page.

Sorry if I'm not making sense!

@Flutterbug9  I have done genealogy for years , not so much now but found it very interesting 

@tyme , @NightFury , @Mustang67 , @Bow I have teapots collection now now 

@Shaz51   Do you collect teapots of a particular shape?  That have a specific theme to design painted on them?

Any shapes or designs @Flutterbug9 

Any kind 😊

Hi lovely @Flutterbug9, love your thread here 🤩, DNA and genealogy would be so interesting!!! Love reading everyone’s hobbies and interests!

love your coins @Mustang67, awesome pebble art @Bow so cool, love your list @NightFury and @Shaz51 love your teapot collection ☺️, I wonder what teapot you are using today and which one for tomorrow 🫖

I have to have a bit of a think about mine 😀, I’m not sure if mine are unique interests but I love animals ☺️

-all animals esp dogs and frogs 🐸 

- lucky enough to get tadpoles and follow there life cycle

- built a frog hotel 😂 (yes it’s a thing lol)

- have a big interest and passion in dog training and scent detection work.

- love psychology and delving deep into things

- Love taking photos, only recently got back into taking photos (thanks sane fam for all your friendly encouragement for the pics I have shared even though for some reason quality isn’t as good on the forum 😜 lol) 

I’ll have to think of other things too! 🫶

Tagging some more friends ☀️

@MissGremlin @Rosepetal96 @SaltwaterSoul @Dimity @Emelia8 @Oaktree @Blackcloud @Cuddlebear @Judi9877 

@Flutterbug9 @Chasingsunsets My new emerging hobby/interest at the moment is snapping photos of native botanicals that I observe on my walks during the week. 

At first it was a strategy to build some positivity into my life, but it has soon blossomed into something I truly enjoy:

@Chasingsunsets  one of my childhood homes was across the road from some bush land which was pretty swampy and wet. I remember going over the road and collecting buckets of water with tadpoles in them and taking them home and watching them grow into frogs. 🐸 

I got into a bit of photography when my daughter was younger. I loved to sew her clothes, mostly a vintage old school vibe from vintage fabrics and embroidered tablecloths and stuff. But she doesn’t appreciate handmade clothes anymore and hates photos! So I have an expensive DSLR camera and lenses that I haven’t touched in years. 

@NightFury We have a few things in common. They are:

• Photography - I used to be a Wedding Photographer with my ex husband
• Cross stitch
• Medical shows and medical dramas 
• I want to start to investigate my spiritual side - I have been told that I have abilities
• Colouring in
• Crystals - I have just started collecting crystals and I have been ordering crystals/stones that help with psychic abilities, as well as ones that help with depression, anxiety etc. I have the items I need to cleanse the crystals, now I just have to start putting my intensions into the crystals and start using them. I have purchased a book called Crystals by Cassandra Eason which I want to start to read as well, so I have more of an idea of exactly what I am doing.

I see you have an interest in Ghost tours and Paranormal investigations. I love all that sort of stuff, but after watching a few different shows where people have gone on a ghost tour and a spirt has followed them home and caused them some not so nice problems, I have had a rethink about going on any ghost tour. Have you had any scary moments?

Awesome photos @Rosepetal96 !! That’s such a cool idea!! I love it!! So much colour to find and see 🥰🌈🌼, look forward to hearing what you find on your walks 🤩

@Bow omg that’s awesome!! I also did the same when I was young before I had the ability to make my own pond for them- atm only a clam shell hahah. Some best childhood memories!! You would have captured some incredible photos I wonder if you thought about taking up photography again and if so what you would like to photograph 😎. I may or may not have brought a camera recently haha but haven’t uploaded any photos from it here yet. Not sure how they would look if better resolution here or not? 

@Flutterbug9, how’s all your hobbies going? What is taking your interest atm? 🥰