The purpose of expression is to experience inner life in a way that we and others can receive with the senses.
Please discuss. How does this play out in life?
I’ll start us out. Particularly in this time of COVID-19, hobbies are a wonderful way to spend time. They’re a voluntary activity, a form of play, that we engage in when we want, for as long as we want. Whether we’re gardening, writing a computer program, blogging, painting a picture, making music, cooking a special dish, knitting a sweater, sewing a mask, or carving wood, we are expressing what is inside of us so that it can be perceived by sight, hearing, smell, taste, and/or touch.
Sometimes the expression is fleeting, as in a musical performance or culinary delight, and sometimes it is more durable, as in a work or art or a handmade piece of clothing. Always, we are sharing—whether for ourselves or for others, too—our imagination and/or feelings in an external way. This is a healthy means of self-care that results in physical and mental enjoyment for us and perhaps a wider audience as well.
Today’s message reminds me that hobbies—I have had many over the years—provide a concrete way for me to give form to my dreams, thoughts, and emotions. They are not simply a way for me to pass time; they are a healthy means to keep in touch with my inner world and share it with the outer world. Note to self: Hobbies are as if not more productive than chores.
How about you? Do you have hobbies, and if so, how do they enrich your life and the life of others?