AtoZ Blog Challenge: H is for HOBBIES

Most creative people, at least the ones I know, do more than one creative activity. Writers paint or knit or take photographs. I am the same. I like to paint abstracts in acrylics, and

Cleo's Collar by Linze Brandon

have recently discovered the pleasures of oil painting. My latest canvas is 60" by 20" and was inspired by a book I bought with the lead glass window designs of Frank Lloyd Wright.

I also dabble in counted cross-stitch, where I prefer patterns of 20,000 stitches or more. Even designed my own pattern or two upon occasion.

The weirdest thing I do is to decorate my writer's journal. I keep personal journals online (with serious encryption for privacy) but let out my need to "sticker" and draw in my writing journal. I have also seemed to inspire at least two of my writers' group members to start doing the same.

My non-creative hobbies include fly-fishing. I mastered the technique in minutes, and have been known to catch a trout or two. It is not something that I get to do very often, but there was a promise made that Hubby will book us a weekend break in trout season, and then I can go indulge this need of mine to cast a line. He prefers to take photographs, but the scenery is so beautiful that I don't blame him if he spends most of his time with his camera instead of his fishing pole.

I also like archery. I don't do it competitively, only socially, if there is such a thing. I like the discipline and enjoy spending hours shooting arrows in our back yard with my compound bow. Yes, it is a weapon and the arrows I use can inflict fatal wounds, but safety is always of primary concern. So much so that I have trained my dogs to always remain within my line of sight, but not in the direction in which I am shooting the arrows.

I have shot arrows at water-filled balloons and big red apples for my husband and the resulting photographs were rather spectacular.

I am also a Manchester United football fan, but have not had much time to watch any games this season. As captain of a Superbru group of fans, The Broomstick Gang, I like to think I know my game, but so far this season, my team has not been playing up to expectation. Maybe next season?

Do you like sports? Do you have any non-creative hobbies? I like these activities for relaxation only, but have had a moment or two of inspiration for a story. Does this happen to you?