being a serial hobbyist is a recession indicator.
we're all crafting through the collapse!
It seems like everyone is suddenly into needlepoint, watercoloring, or collaging like it’s the pandemic all over again. With inflation climbing, new tariffs on practically everything, and travel plans slipping out of reach for most, people are trading vacations and shopping sprees for embroidery kits and bread starters. But it’s not just nostalgia, it’s economic self-soothing.
And I get it. For me, hobbies are a response to a world that feels chaotic and expensive, a world that lacks play and curiosity. A world that prioritizes AI development instead of education, a world that is shifting away from reading novels, and from building with hands and pride of ownership.
The rise of serial hobbyism, to me, is less about free time and more about finding comfort, control, and a mental vacation that doesn’t cost $500 a night plus resort fees.
I miss the world where building, making, and imagination was the default boredom option. It honestly pains me to see children on iPads during meals when…