Hobby and Poetry Pairings for the New Year
The new year brings fresh energy, perspective, and opportunity. Many of us are eager to leave behind the old and welcome the new, evidenced by the popularity of new year’s resolutions. If you’ve set intentions for 2023, perhaps trying a hobby is on your list.
As writers, we’re often drawn to creative or meditative activities. Why not find inspiration from one passion as you cultivate another? Whether you want to learn a new skill or find a way to unwind, get inspired through these hobby and poetry collection pairings.
Knitting and Ten Poems About Knitting
Give knitting a try! The activity’s repetitive and tactile nature is shown to decrease anxiety. Plus, you earn the satisfaction of creating a wearable, personalized item with your own two hands. Watch tutorials on YouTube, or join Ravelry, a free community website for knitters.
Although poetry and knitting might seem disparate at first, both involve creativity, help improve mental well-being, and require honing skills to create a clean final product.
To pair with your knitting, check out Candlelight Press’ Ten Poems About Knitting, a collection featuring poems by writers ranging from Gwyneth Lewis to Emily Dickinson.
Yoga and All Along You Were Blooming
Whether you want to take a group class at a local studio, follow along from home with a virtual session, or create your own flow, consider incorporating yoga into your routine this year. This practice can improve mental and emotional health, just like writing and reading poetry.
Morgan Harper Nichols’s All Along You Were Blooming pairs perfectly with yoga. Many of Nichols’s poems include themes of healing and mindfulness, central elements of this practice.
As you begin your practice, be sure to reference our poem and yoga pose pairings.
Gardening and A Thousand Mornings
Bring some green into your life by gardening. Maybe you’d like to care for a few houseplants, grow herbs in containers on your patio, or plant veggies in your yard. Search #plantstagram on Instagram or listen to gardening podcasts to easily learn how to successfully cultivate and grow a garden.
Like poetry, connecting with nature through gardening teaches us about patience and growth. Both help us feel more grounded and centered, proving gardening is a natural fit for poets.
While you’re sitting in your newly planted garden, consider reading A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver. This collection is an ideal read as you begin your gardening journey, due to the iconic poet’s reverence for nature, a poignant theme throughout the book.
Hobbies are enjoyable and rewarding while helping you to relax, be creative, and learn valuable skills. Hopefully, these pairings encourage you to take on new hobbies this year. Interested in more poetry inspiration? Check out our new year poetry prompts and tips for setting reading and writing intentions in 2023.
