Lately, I've been putting a lot more emphasis on my alone time. Now, hear me out, I'm not trying to pretend I'm the world's biggest introvert or I've found some secret to loving myself (neither of those are true). I've just found myself seeking others' company at all times of every day. It's fulfilling to spend time with loved ones, but I realized that it was keeping me from understanding myself fully.
My main method of enjoying my own company and figuring myself has been finding new interests alone. Things I've seen around that seem up my alley but no one I know well is into as well as digging up old interests that still bring me joy. I'm referring mostly to shows, movies, and books when I say "interests." Some examples of what I've been getting into lately are Yellowjackets, The Walking Dead (again), Miller's Girl, and Fruits Basket (yet again).
I know this might not be revolutionary to most, but I'm a shared interest type of person. I love listening to music my friends recommend, watching things together they like, or borrowing books from them. Sharing interests is a love language for me. Thus, making it difficult to find time or motivation to get into things alone. Choosing my own interests seemed like a waste of time when I could be progressing in something someone I care about told me I'd like. Silly, I know, but I just didn't realize I wasn't watching or reading anything just for me anymore. They were nearly all shared interests chosen for me by someone else.
The hardest part of not sharing common interests is having nobody to talk to about the things you like. However, I raise you the idea that people who love you will listen to your rambles about things they don't know anything about. It's true! My people do it for me all the time, and I love when they tell me about things they love that I know nothing about. Also, who knows? Maybe your yapping will lead to them getting into it with you, even if that's not the goal.
It's good for the sharing to be a decision made by you. You looked into the thing you were hearing about for yourself alone, but you know one specific person in your life would also probably enjoy it. So, you get the option to share it! If you want to, though, because sometimes it's good to keep things for only yourself.
On the topic, I'm also a big fan of solitary hobbies. I always have been. I've dabbled in crochet, jewelry-making, DIY clothing, tarot (though that's more of a spiritual activity than a hobby), and - of course - writing. I like to walk or sit outside by myself as well as doing these hobbies in the privacy of my own room. It's a bit strange that it took me so long to notice I didn't watch or read much in my personal free time along with these other activities. Now that I have, I'm working towards finding fulfillment from finishing shows, films, or books on my own.
That's part of why I started this blog: to shout my thoughts about what I like into the void when I fear I've "bothered" my loved ones about it too much. It's also giving me an incentive to finish what I start alone. There's a voice in the back of my head saying, "Wouldn't it be really cool to write a review on this once you're finished?" It drives me towards the end of whatever it is I'm engaging with. It's been so fun so far!
Side note: I've wondered if I should mess around with a comment or chat-box feature on my site. Not sure if anyone would use it, but I'd love to talk to whoever stumbles across my site without them having to reach out to me in DMs on social media. It'd be nice to not only share my thoughts in review form but to hear what you guys think about them too. Maybe we can share interests or excitement about solitary ones together. We'll see!
Thanks for reading this far if you have. These were just some thoughts that have been swirling around my brain and needed out. That is what the point of a blog is, so here we are! Also, expect weekly writing challenge updates (if I manage to keep up with it) in the near future as today is the first week of the month we picked for it. I look forward to seeing how I do with that!