Try it once before you buy all the stuff
Six hobbies to have a go at before you commit a cupboard, a small fortune, or somebody else’s Christmas to them.
Before you spend a few hundred pounds becoming a photographer, a guitarist, or the sort of person who owns specialist camping cutlery, give yourself a chance to find out whether you actually enjoy it. That sounds obvious. I have nevertheless managed to ignore it quite expensively. My daughter loved using her aunt’s camera whenever she brought it round. So one Christmas I bought her all the camera gear she’d need. Hundreds of pounds of encouragement, carefully wrapped. She’s taken perhaps a dozen photos with it in four years. My boy loved go-karting, so I bought him a home gaming rig to practise on. The game never even made it out of the wrapper. All the gear and no idea. Although, in fairness, the person with no idea may have been the one buying it. I’d seen them enjoying something and filled in the rest myself. Perhaps my daughter liked taking photos with her aunt. My son certainly liked driving an actual kart; sitting at a screen was a different proposition. Neither had signed up to the hobby I’d helpfully furnished for them. We can do much the same to ourselves. Researching equipment is lovely. You get to imagine being good at something without enduring the inconvenient stage where you aren’t. A shopping basket can feel remarkably like progress. So here are six ways to have a proper go before the spare room becomes a branch of Decathlon. 1. Photography: take some photographs If you already have a phone with a camera, start there. Give yourself an hour and one subject: reflections, your neighbourhood, or whatever’s growing through the pavement. Afterwards, choose five pictures you like and work out why. If it’s handling a proper camera that appeals, ask to borrow one, with its owner there to show you the basics. Or look for a beginner session that explicitly includes equipment. Check that detail before booking; a photography course may expect you to bring your own. Buy when you keep wanting to take pictures and can explain what your existing camera won’t let you do. “It looks magnificent” is an understandable reason to want a lens, but an expensive place to begin. A lovely camera still needs someone who wants to use it. Photo: Jarrod Winkler / Unsplash . 2. Pottery: borrow someone else’s mess Find a one-off pottery class and ask what the price covers. Clay, tools, firing, glazing, and collecting your finished masterpiece can be separate parts of the arrangement. Also check whether you’ll actually use a wheel if that’s the bit you’ve been imagining. You might discover you love the concentration, the feel of the clay, and making something slightly wonky with your hands. You might discover you mostly enjoyed watching someone else do it on television. Either is useful information. If you want more, book another session or look into shared studio access. You can make quite a lot of pottery before needing to discuss a kiln with your household. 3. Rowing: find out whether you like the whole outing A rowing machine can tell you something about the exercise. It won’t tell you whether you enjoy being on the water with a crew, or whether the club’s timetable fits your life. British Rowing’s activity finder is a starting point for finding clubs and Learn to Row courses. Ask your local club about its next beginner intake or taster, what it supplies, and any swimming, membership, or clothing requirements. Availability varies, so don’t assume there’s a session this weekend. Try the actual experience you’re interested in. Then decide whether you want to make room for it regularly. The early alarm is part of the trial if that’s when your club rows. 4. Camping: try one manageable night Before assembling equipment for an expedition, try a short stay at an established campsite close to home. Borrow suitable kit from someone who can show you how to use it, or ask about a hire package. Check what’s included and whether the sleeping setup suits the expected weather. A ready-pitched tent can remove some of the initial faff, though it won’t tell you how much you enjoy putting one up yourself. If the forecast makes a first attempt miserable, choose another date. There is no prize for discovering camping through horizontal rain. Afterwards, you’ll have better questions than “Which tent is best?” You’ll know whether you need more room, a warmer bed, or a hotel. 5. A musical instrument: make room for the practice Ask a teacher whether you can try an instrument before committing to one, and what you’d need for the first few lessons. Borrowing or hiring may be possible; check the deposit, minimum term, and condition requirements. A lesson helps you begin. Having an instrument available between lessons lets you discover whether you enjoy returning to it when nobody’s there applauding your potential. Give yourself permission to sound dreadful for a while. The useful question is whether you want another go. If you do, your teacher can help you choose something suitable, including second-hand options, without buying your way through every accessory first. 6. Climbing: book the introduction Look for a beginner session at a climbing wall and ask which equipment is supplied or hired. Follow its induction and clothing requirements; the staff can explain what you need for the type of climbing you’re trying. Then see whether you enjoy working out a route, getting stuck, and having another attempt. You don’t need to arrive looking as though you’ve just returned from an expedition. If you keep going back, ask the staff which purchase would make the biggest difference. Your own shoes might eventually make sense. An entire rack of unfamiliar equipment probably won’t. And if you’re buying for someone else… Ask what they enjoyed about the thing they tried. The activity, the company, the place, and the novelty can be tangled together. Buying one part doesn’t necessarily recreate the afternoon. A session you choose together can be a better present than equipment you’ve researched in secret. Check the date and any voucher expiry, and leave them room to say they’d rather do something else. A gift shouldn’t arrive with an obligation to become a new person. The same goes for your own list. “Have a go at pottery” is a perfectly good ambition. It doesn’t have to develop into “Become a potter” to count. Pick something you’re curious about, put the first attempt on your list, and arrange a time to do it. If you love it, you’ll have a much better idea of what to buy next. If you don’t, you’ve had an experience and learned something about yourself. And you won’t have to find somewhere to keep the gaming rig. Cover photo: Alexandra Slo / Unsplash .