by Audrina Kingston

Created on: March 07, 2008   Last Updated: October 22, 2009

Finding a hobby that you're truly passionate about has to be the greatest joy ever. There are so many benefits for all of us who have hobbies. For me, hobbies do wonders; it gets me in tune with myself, plus it helps me put things in its proper perspective. We live in a busy, crazy world and whenever I get a chance to relax with a hobby and do something for myself, I just go for it. Perfecting the art of finding 'me time' takes a lot of dedication. It took me awhile to learn that I needed to make time for myself, or it wasn't going to happen at all, and hobbies enable me to do exactly that.

I'm someone that is obsessed with all things British - this includes 19th century classic British literature. My favorite classic book is 'Emma,' a novel by Jane Austen whose main character is the adorable, vivacious Emma Woodhouse. There's something uniquely pleasurable in reading text from classic British literature and how impressive the conversations are within. The words have such an impact that I find myself jumping into the scene along with the story's characters. What I also like about the classics is valuable insight into the 'days of old' when people spoke proper English.

I think all writers love to read and are passionate about reading. I tend to read so many books at one time that I occasionally cheat a bit by delving into the world of audio books. Nothing takes the place of the printed page, but when you have a lot going, an audio book helps move things along a bit faster. If you love classics, try listening to the audio version of Thomas Hardy's novel 'Far From a Maddening Crowd.' It's a terrific British classic with the narrative spoken in a delightful English accent.

Hobby number two involves making beaded jewelry. I love to carve out chunks of time on weekends, and evenings to just chill and make beaded jewelry. This hobby isn't something I've been doing since I was a kid, but it's probably the most fun, most relaxing time I ever have.

It all started one morning at work when my lively cubicle-mate brought in Ziploc bags full of homemade beaded jewelry. I thought her designs were cute, but then I said to myself, "I can actually do this." And so I did. Getting started on making beaded jewelry is ultra easy. I just borrowed some books with detailed instructions and full-color pictures from the library and that was it. I didn't need to spend oodles of cash on supplies like Swarovski Crystals - the dollar store had everything needed for a beginner.

All the jewelry

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>