What Do You Do In Your Free Time?

 By Kait Carson

A friend asked me that question, and it gave me pause. It wasn’t one I expected or had anyone ask before. Unless you are a well-known author or under contract to a publisher, the more usual question is: But what do you do all day? Writing is work, hard work, but it doesn’t entail regular hours or punching a time clock, and years can go by before a writer’s efforts bear fruit, so civilians may not recognize our labor. Those of us in the trenches know better. My friend is not a writer, but she was a full-time mom. She understands that perception often differs from reality. Her husband once asked her what she did all day. She had a wonderful, pithy response, but not one I can share in this space.

Because most people think writing is what I do in my free time, the question took me by surprise. And I had to think about it. The answer is: a lot. I haven’t thrown pots in a while, but if I can find a place to rent kiln time, I hope to get back to it. I crochet and have graduated from afghans to sweaters. Living in Maine, I’ve paused scuba diving in favor of snowshoeing in the winter and hiking in the snowless seasons. Wildlife and nature photography is another passion. And let’s not forget baking, much to my waistline’s detriment. Spring is coming, and that means gardening. I’m grateful for the sixteen-hour days we have in my part of Maine. Lots of time to write all day and still head to the garden after work. So, that about wraps up what I currently do in my free time, but wait, as they say on daytime game shows, there’s more!

I’ve got a fistful of bucket list projects. My mom was a fantastic knitter, but she never had the patience to teach me. Last week’s Wirecutter (the product review section of the New York Times) featured the best fiber craft kits for adults, including two scarf knitting kits. Coincidence? I think not. Now I’m on the hunt for a needlepoint kit. That’s a skill I’d like to refresh. And while I’m at it, embroidery sounds pretty good.

What about you? What do you do in your free time?

Kait Carson writes the Hayden Kent Mysteries, set in the Fabulous Florida Keys, and is at work on a new mystery series set in her adopted state of Maine. Her short fiction has been nationally published in the True Confessions magazines and in Woman’s World. Kait’s short story, “Gutted, Filleted, and Fried”, appeared in the Silver Falchion Award nominated Guppy Anthology Hook, Line, and Sinker. Her nonfiction essay was included in the Agatha Award-winning book Writing the Cozy Mystery. She is a former President of the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime, a member of Sisters in Crime, and Guppies.

 

Creativity Beyond Writing

 Creativity Beyond Writing

Artistic types, like writers, often don’t limit their talents to one form of art. We thought it would be interesting to tell you how else we let your creativity play or simply let off steam.

K.M. Rockwood - I’m afraid I’m not particularly creative. When my fingers were more nimble, I liked to design & stick embroidery projects, but I don’t any more. I let off steam with aquatics exercise classes and walks on wooded trails near where I live.

E.B. Davis - I cook, imagining the end result and then creating dishes from scratch.

Kait Carson - Crochet, throw pottery, and one of these days, I’ll get back to drawing.

Martha Reed - I’ve tried my hand at painting. To let off steam I go for an hour walk every day while I listen to disco music on my earbuds. I’ve been seen busting some moves down the sidewalk but the neighbors know I’m a writer so they cut me some slack. 

Lisa Malice - I am a virtuoso whistler. Sometimes, while in the shower, I whistle up my own tunes, melodies with a style that seem to reflect my love of movie musicals. 

Nancy Eady - I like to knit, cross-stitch, draw and paint when I can.  A lot of days I decompress by playing match-3 games on the computer like Candy Crush.  Probably I do that too much. 

Shari Randall - I spend a lot of time wishing I was as talented as many of my friends in the fiber arts (looking at Linda Rodriguez and Ellen Byron) but my hands just won't cooperate! My main hobby right now is Pilates and yoga, which are also great for letting off steam. I adore dance, but my hubby's too busy for ballroom dance classes right now. Maybe someday I'll get to take that tango class I've dreamed of.

James M. Jackson - I'm a decent wildlife photographer (particularly birds), and I've composed choral music.

Connie Berry - I love intricate craft projects like sewing and knitting. Wish I had time to indulge. I let off steam by reading (spending time in another time and place).

Sarah Burr - I loved designing digital art, which has come in super handy as an author. I design all my promotional materials; nothing is more therapeutic than diving into Canva and creating images for my books. It helps me unwind, but it also helps me think about my characters and the world they inhabit. I also love to play video games to turn off my mind completely.

Molly MacRae - Cooking and making handmade books, but never cooking my or anyone else’s books.

Grace Topping - Like my home staging character, I enjoy home decorating and helping friends stage their homes. To let off steam, I listen to audiobooks, especially at night when I can’t sleep. 

Debra H. Goldstein – Reading always. Seeing Broadway musicals whenever I can.

Lori Roberts Herbst - Cross stitch is a favorite hobby of mine. I also enjoy passive forms art, such as attending plays, musicals, and movies. Letting off steam involves a long walk or immersing myself in my reading.

Annette Dashofy - I used to quilt, but I can’t see well enough up close anymore to make those little stitches. For letting off steam and for cardio, I like to dance. I’m really bad at it, but I only do it when no one else is home.

Heather Weidner - I used to be a rapid scrapbooker, but times and technologies have changed. I create most of my photo albums online now and have them printed. I do like to try different craft projects. I love making holiday ornaments. I dabble mostly. I don’t really have a go-to medium. But I do have a craft room full of all kinds of supplies for whatever project is next. During the Pandemic, book blogger Kristopher Zgorski turned me onto diamond dot painting. It was so much fun, and it reminded me of the old paint-by-numbers with tiny beads. 

Korina Moss - I like word games, logic puzzles, and jigsaw puzzles. It’s satisfying to solve any kind of riddle. 

Marilyn Levinson - I knit, often creating my own patterns; I'm a good cook. I relax by doing Sudoku puzzles.

Margaret Hamilton - I find creativity in garden photography. I do my best plotting walking the dogs, weeding, and swimming laps.