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mrmivo t1_j28w6c4 wrote

Change is inevitable. The only choice is often whether you control that change or if you do nothing and wait for others to make decisions for you. That's the real thing to be afraid of.

Most decisions you make won't be forever, even if they feel like it. People change their careers in their 30s, 40s, 50s, sometimes even start new ones when they're 60. Not making decisions IS a decision, too, just one that gets you really stuck.

The thing with new hobbies is the upfront effort that is required to enjoy them (modern games sometimes have that element too). When I picked up the banjo, I sucked. It looked so easy when others played, but I couldn't even do basic stuff. Only after a lot of practicing and dealing with frustration I started to be able to play tunes that sounded decently.

It's the same with drawing. Any artist whose stuff you like and find impressive, whether it's a modern artist who creates game art or one of the classical artists who painted cathedral ceilings and created sculptures, they all started with stick figures. Programming is the same. You start with understanding nothing to eventually and gradually being able to write complex software or games.

I think one of the problems today is that it's so easy to compare yourself to everyone else. YouTube, social media, etc. No matter what hobby you pick up, you immediately run into people and their videos who have done the thing for years or you see the inevitable, alleged "beginner" who can do stuff that you can't even dream of. You have to completely free yourself from comparison, and be willing to suck. That is not easy.

Like with games, you have to try a number of different hobbies. Start by asking yourself what you'd like to be good at, then break it down and figure out where to start. No skill learning is ever a waste of time. It all adds up over time.

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