It's eassy for me to become obsessed with things; I have that nature. My obsessions run from grand (storytelling) to practical (cooking) to sporadic (jewelry-making). When I find something that enchants me, and captures my interest, I research and ponder and keep at it until I understand and master it. At the moment it's crocheting arigurumi creatures.
I've always assumed that storytelling was my first obsession. I began writing stories when I was eight years old and never stopped.
Art came next. For the most part I gave it up after I lost the use of my dominant hand, but I still dabble.
Then quilting, of course, which like writing became a grand obsession.
The other night I was thinking about how quickly I can crochet -- because I've been doing it since I was very small I don't have to look at the piece to make the stitches accurately -- and that's when I realized that crochet is actually my first and oldest obsession. My grandmother taught me the basics when I was four or five years old, and I know I made my first hat without help when I was in kindergarten. Funny that I've always thought of writing being the first instead.
I think anything you do that makes you happy and doesn't bankrupt you or hurt others is a healthy obsession. You don't have to do it for more than fifty years like my crochet or writing, either. But if you do persist, I can almost guarantee you'll become very good at it.
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