Lack of Interest

[rbloch66]

When I was younger, I used to be interested in different things.... drawing, playing guitar, singing, different projects... etc. What I loved about those activities was that I could immerse myself in any one of them and literally "lose myself" for hours. It was a great feeling. I got a lot of satisfaction from developing my interests to a point where I would be quite good at them.

 

More recently (over the last 10 yrs,) I spend a great deal of time on the internet and usually end up learning about a wide variety of things and I enjoy researching all about these different activities. A few examples are: guitar building, learning to caricature, marquetry, flash software design, wood carving.....

 

I start out by finding something that catches my interest to a point where I feel like I could really get involved in it. Perhaps even create an income from it. (I've never been very good at working for someone else for any length of time.... job hopping is another issue I have... but that's another post.)

I acquire the necessary knowledge to begin, and somewhere very shortly after that, the interest just fizzles out. After a while, this gets expensive with the cost of books, equipment, tools, and so on.

 

I know that I have sufficient talent to succeed at anything that I choose to apply myself to, and honestly, it sometimes feels more like a curse than a blessing....... maybe too many options. I don't know.

 

This is definitely a trend for me and it is extremely frustrating.

 

Why is it so difficult to follow through?

 

Any insights or constructive criticism would be appreciated. Thanks.

[bijoux27]

I have some of those tendencies as well.

 

You seem to be a passionate person and that's great : ). But you need to work on your consistency for different projects and hobbies. Maybe if you had someone else to learn/grow with on a particular hobby, like a partner, or you had any other kind of motivation to stay, it would keep you more determined in advancing your interests.

[Lionel Hutz]

Sometimes the imagination inflates your expectations. As a creative type as well I know what you mean. Sometimes your inspiration is a bit curbed. I make music and do different designs using different mediums. Sometimes you just come accross these blocks. Like take writers block for example, sometimes you need to either take a step back and regroup or just go with a stream of thought. Its especially frustrating since you might start projects or songs and not finish them, that will really take a toll on how you judge you own ethic.

 

When im not feeling creative, I go to museums or listen to live music. That usually does it.(permitted I have the time from my job) give it time and dont give up on yourself. Youll look back on work you might have thought was crap and its strenghtens your portfolio. One patron may enjoy it while you hate it. Thats why you are creative, things are never good enough, not in a bad way though. You always think "I can do that better."

[Galaxy_Shell]

I suffer from a similar issue. Through out high school, I would spend a lot of my time teaching myself about any interest I had. I have just finished my first year of college, and this summer has had a rough start. I have no motivation to finish anything I start or even hang out with friends. I have nothing to inspire any action. I often find myself sitting in my room thinking about the things I could be doing, and ultimately frustrating myself.

[Lily04]

I have the same problem. Thought I had A.D.D. for some amount of time, but mostly it's that I need momentum to keep going. I find that surrounding myself with passionate people who care about the project helps to keep it going. Maybe a good suggestion would be to immerse yourself with others (i.e. join a group/club) and they will help you to keep going? i.e. if you're interested in playing the guitar; join a band? Or take guitar lessons? Usually if I pay for something, that provides incentive to keep going... look into clubs in your neighborhood, perhaps!

 

Hope that helps.

 

Lily

[rbloch66]

I appreciate the input and there are some very good suggestions made.

 

The one thing that was not addressed, and I guess it's really the answer I'm looking for is:

 

Is the lack of interest a sign that the activity no longer fits, or am I simply giving up for some reason that I'm not aware of. Should I try to stick with things longer...? Am I not approaching it correctly....? Am I expecting too much....?

 

Things seem like such a good idea at some point..... and then they don't.

 

Developing the new ability is a great feeling. But then I find myself asking "Which way do I go?"