Your Abandoned Hobbies Aren’t a Graveyard—They’re a Garden

The Hobby Graveyard

I’ve heard people toss around the term “Hobby Graveyard” quite a bit on the internet. Oftentimes, it’s used by people with ADHD to make light of their abandoned hyper-fixations and projects. With supplies collecting dust in the far corners of their homes, they consider them dead.

It’s easy to view them that way—the crocheted blanket that couldn’t keep an infant warm, the camera that’s been uncharged for months, the paint brushes stiff with dried gauche.

When we send these parts of ourselves off to “the graveyard”, we invite guilt and shame. We tell ourselves that we wasted money, time, and energy on a hobby that maybe lasted a month. We become sad and we toss them aside to the graveyard, mourning the loss of our shortly beloved hobby, framing the whole thing as a failure.

But what if it isn’t a graveyard at all?

A Shift in Perspective

What if those piles of supplies and a few finished projects are actually seeds that you’ve planted? Some break the surface, flowering as they grow, and others never quite bloom past a small sprout. Regardless of the amount they’ve grown, seeds do not equal failure—they mean growth. Whether only a small sprout of potential or a fully developed plant, there is potential in the seed.

Every so-called abandoned hobby planted something in you as well. Maybe it was a new skill, a bit of joy, or an escape from the world around you for a while. Maybe you only tried calligraphy for a few weeks, but now every time you write someone’s name on the envelope of a card, you do so with a bit of flair. Maybe you only made a few stickers, but now they are displayed proudly on a journal or laptop.

These are never wasted time or efforts, but flowers scattered throughout your garden of life and experience.

Why We Abandon Hobbies

Let’s be honest: sometimes hobbies fade because life gets in our way. Sometimes, the dopamine wears off faster than expected. Or sometimes, it simply gave us what we needed in the moment and then its purpose was fulfilled.

We’re taught to measure success through continued dedication, mastery, or monetization. But what if success is sampling joy? What if success means giving yourself permission simply to try, and not holding yourself to “sticking it out” for fear of perceived failure—not forcing yourself to “try harder”, leading to burnout and resentment of something that maybe was meant to only ever be a sprout.

The Hidden Value in Your Hobby Garden

Supplies as Stepping Stones

The box of polymer clay might inspire you to use it with your partner, family, or friends. You might make a memory of your shared activity, even if you never sell charms on Etsy.

The camera is just waiting for someone to tell you about a special moment they want you to capture for them, preserving their memories for life. You make a lasting impact, even if you’re not booked through the season.

One day, you make a new friend, and you have an archive of ideas and inspiration to draw from. Then, you find something in common, even if you aren’t currently doing that hobby.

These hobbies aren’t dead—they’re dormant.

Cross-Pollination

Skills can often transfer from hobby to hobby or to another aspect of life. Maybe photography taught you to look a little closer in life to find beauty. Maybe working with clay taught you that leaving your fingerprint in your art is meaningful, rather than a flaw. Maybe journaling turned into writing articles, and writing regularly helped you while continuing your education.

These skills are not dead. They are just waiting for their time to be awoken again inside of you.

Experimentation

The skills you acquire through the hobbies that land in your “graveyard” are proof that you were brave enough to try. You stepped out of your comfort zone and invested time, money, and energy into trying something new. That in itself is something to find pride in.

Reframing the Hobby Graveyard

The next time you look at the pile of abandoned supplies in the corner, don’t look at it as a graveyard–see a garden. See the things you learned, the journeys you embarked on, and the version of you that yearned to create. Don’t hold shame or resentment for “giving up” on your hobbies. Be proud that you now have seeds planted, just waiting for the right time to grow a little more.

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