ALL people need something to do that involves their hands, color and no words or screens: painting, Legos, building bird houses or furniture, knitting, making candles, gardening, stringing beads, throwing pots, building a kayak, crocheting, making jewelry, sewing, doing make-up, making mosaics or stained glass windows, composting, papier mache, weaving baskets, scrapbooking, building models (airplanes, trains, or whatevers), making mini-landscapes, weaving, glass blowing, canning fruits and vegetables, making perfume, book-binding, arranging flowers – pick at least one and do it at least once a week

Quiz for Understanding

Washing dishes counts

• True
• False

The house should be clean before you take time to do your hands-color hobby

• True
• False
• So $&^(@* false that if you dare think (much less say) this, I will slap you

Unless you have won city/ county-level prizes in your hobby, never ever give something you made as a gift

• False
• True
• True, unless you are honestly happy about receiving similarly ‘made with love, not talent’ gifts and you wear/ eat/ display/ use whatever results of unprofessional efforts you are given

Be sure to pick something age-appropriate, no Legos if you are over 14

• True
• False

If your shtick is gardening, it is honorable and just to go into other people’s gardens at night to trim, weed and plant for them without their knowledge

• False
• True

Pick a hands-color hobby that will make you money

• True
• False

Share your interest with whoever is interested without ever getting upset if they lose interest

• False
• True

Singing counts as an option

• False
• True
• True only if you are wearing a costume, moving your arms around and are sure no one can hear you

Read It’s Great to Suck at Something: The Unexpected Joy of Wiping Out and What It Can Teach Us About Patience, Resilience, and the Stuff that Really Matters by Karen Rinaldi for additional inspiration

• False
• True