Someone I met today was someone I spoke to exactly once before. As a side note, I use the term met loosely because "met" implies that the someone is new. Anyhow, I was dropping into a store to pick up some supplies for my new hobby! (Note to self, make a blog about it). I had circled the art store a couple of times before deciding on what I was picking up today. It wasn't really extraordinary, but it was a matter of preference.

"So are you still doing the tattoo thing?"
"No... The friend who I was going to apprentice with has a lot of side jobs so I didn't want to bother him..."
"Oh that's too bad. Are you doing anything else at least?"
"Yeah, I'm applying for MAC so hopefully I get it!"
"That's awesome! I hope you do too!"
"Yeah! I don't know what I want to do with myself or my life."
"Haha, me neither sometimes."

He scanned all my things, which had discounts! Yay me. Then again, the only reason I got discounts is because I got the email saying that they had a back to school sale. I wasn't about to pick up a hobby without sale prices.

We had both talked about not knowing what to do with ourselves the last time we met... Which was at least 6 months ago. Neither of us knew what to do with ourselves, but we shared a love of engaging our creative side.

For as valuable as science and math is, so is the ability to create or think creatively. It doesn't require a career in arts, but maybe an engagement in it. The ability to synthesize ideas and complete demanding, long-term art projects does speak to a kind of stamina that some people don't have. It was also nice to see someone else who was experiencing the same need to engage creatively while maintaining a job or chasing a career.

I've been shown articles about having a side hustle, and while I've done and do random things on the side... The more important thing to do is engage and find a thing that keeps your day to day interesting. Like this blog, most of what I do on the side isn't particularly profitable, there's still value in maintaining the discipline necessary to do something every day.

Some of it is also knowing yourself. I like routine, but I also like the potential for random encounters and creativity that comes up because of my general disposition.

Either way, good luck to him, and good luck to me as I take on new stuff and learn new skills!