Losing interests in what I usually love

Self-Care Lounge Challenges
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Are there ways I can “recover” my interests? (or something else idk)

Ever since I got into poly, it feels like I have been mostly unable to do what I love, like playing video games and drawing. Back in secondary school and during the school holidays I was invested in my hobbies and didn’t think about my interests in it dying.

I got into one of my favourite courses in poly and even made friends (which was a huge milestone for me because I barely had any classmates who were my friends back in sec sch). Maybe the problem is that I just don’t have enough time (poly is very far from my house), but I have a lot of free days where can I do my hobbies and what I like. Or maybe its art block for my drawing hobby because I’m always not motivated to draw. Initially I didn’t think I will lose interest but it feels like I am

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Try to draw. The great thing about drawingis that it can be anything you want. And if you’re worried about your hobby not coming back, I think if you’ve been doing it for a while, it will naturally come back. The ability to draw is weird like that.

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Hi OP,

Fellow artist over here. Been drawing ever since I was 5-6 years old. I also got burnt out tremendously after graduating university. Thinking about drawing only made me feel tired, even though it’s the one thing I can’t stop doing when I was in high school.

I was always so afraid of losing interest in drawing. I barely drew anything when I started working, even though I had free time during the weekends. All I wanted to do was sleep, watch Youtube videos, and doomscroll on my phone. It made me feel terrible because I felt like I was wasting my limited time.

Fast forward a few years ahead, I got medicated to treat my depression. I started getting used to my workplace, and I started taking care of myself bit by bit (sleeping enough, eating wholesome food, little bits of exercise). Then, I got myself interested in a few niche interests from shows or games, and suddenly, that familiar feeling of inspiration struck me. I was back to drawing again, and it just felt as natural as before. It also helped when I have friends who are interested in the same interests as me–and even if they’re not, they’re just as excited with whatever creations I come up with.

My interest never disappeared. I just needed to rest.

I remember one part of a Hayao Miyazaki documentary, and it was the part where Hayao said that he took a 6-month break between projects, and during that break, he wasn’t creating at all. It was purely a break. So, even if the break lasted for 6 months, a year, maybe longer than a year, rest is still a necessary part in our lives. We cannot create the fire if our fuel is completely burnt out.

To get back that spark, maybe you can explore other hobbies. For me, I like to bind books and do scrapbooking. It doesn’t take a lot of brain power, and it allows me to turn off my brain to just enjoy the making experience. I sometimes go out to urban sketching sessions and draw buildings; instead of trying to come up with a drawing idea, I just draw the thing that’s in front of me, regardless of if it’s a chicken scratch drawing. Maybe you can engage in communal events, like hiking, art jams, live shows, etc.

I wish you the best, OP! I get that feeling of “losing” your interest. But naively, I don’t think you can ever lose that interest–it’s just lying dormant inside your heart, waiting for that spark to light it up once more.

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