How I Balance Too Many Creative Interests

The “Too Many Tabs Open” Problem

I don't know about you, but I definitely collect creative hobbies like they are Pokémon or something. This reminds me of how I felt in “A Shelf of Side Quests: Always Starting New Hobbies” when my shelves were filled with yarn, paints, notebooks, and controllers. I learn about a new hobby on the internet and then I almost immediately want to go out and buy all the materials so that I can learn it and add to my creative hobby inventory. There's nothing wrong with that, but when you have so many hobbies and projects in progress, it can feel like you have "too many tabs open."

With all of these hobbies, there can be a lot of pressure to just focus on one single interest, maybe you feel like you need to monetize it, and it can possibly take away some of the fun and just turn it into productivity.

I can promise you; you can balance all of these things without it taking away the fun creative joy and turning it into a chore.

The Myth That You Have to Pick Just One Thing

The internet can convince you that you have to pick one single creative interest and "niche down." It can work for some people by helping them strengthen their skills to the point where they are amazing at it, but this isn't something that is functional for everyone.

In psychology and education, people like me, who have a wide range of interests and talents, are often described as multipotentialities: individuals who excel in more than one field and whose preferences naturally span multiple areas of exploration. This isn’t due to a lack of focus but, it’s a recognized and valuable cognitive profile (source). This truly is a strength and not a flaw since we can balance and rotate through multiple outlets.

If I force myself into one box, it can make it feel like I can't express my creativity in other ways and can even suck the fun out of it. It's better to swap through my creative inventory so that I can keep the fun that each creative interest brings me.

Why My Interests Come in Seasons (Not Forever Commitments)

My creative interest inventory is always ready to be shuffled through, but it truly depends on the creative season that I am in. Simply put, a creative season is whatever you are most drawn to right now. There's no pressure to work on a project if that is not what you are drawn to at the moment.

I have multiple crochet projects that I have been working on. A Stardew Valley cardigan for me (when I say I started that about a year ago and have very little progress, I mean it), and two other projects for my coworkers. Crochet has been a struggle for me to work on in quite some time due to the fact that I had taken on so many projects for other people. I have to put things on pause for myself in order to come back to it without feeling like I have to crochet something.

Sometimes you have to step away for a moment and that does not mean that you are quitting on a project. They call it a work-in-progress for a reason!

What Balanced Creative Interests Look Like for Me

When it comes to balanced creative interests, I quite literally go off of vibes! Why do you think my blog is called One Big Side Quest? Each of my socials focus on one of my hobbies so there is always something different. My YouTube channel is for video games, my TikTok is for thrifting content, and my Instagram and Facebook are each a catchall! Here are some of my other hobbies that are always part of my rotation:

• Reading: I am currently in a season where I am reading at least a chapter every night. My husband and I are currently reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone together! There’s something powerful about cozy habits like this, similar to the ones I talk about in “The Ritual of Small Things: Finding Comfort in Everyday Checkpoints.”

• Junk Journaling: A favorite creative outlet of mine because I love the spontaneity of it. Currently, I am not in the junk journaling season, but I have plenty of junk saved up to create with!

• Writing: I obviously love writing since I post a blog every week, however, there are some weeks where the creative juices are not flowing too well. A week or two off keeps me passionate about what I do!

• Watercolor: One of my newest hobbies. I am a perfectionist, so this one has been a hard one to learn, but I have been obsessed with it. It does rotate out quick because I am still learning.

• So. Many. More.: I am always adding new things to this rotation like thrifting, bullet journaling, playing video games, wanting to learn how to play DnD, and literally so much more. I will always be collecting hobbies!

Letting Hobbies Stay Hobbies

There is a pressure in this day and age to turn your hobbies into money and I just don't think that is necessary. Very rarely am I seeking income from any of the things that I love to do. I would be lying if I said that I never wanted to start an Etsy store or have even tried to sell my crafts before. I have always told myself that if I were to make money off my hobbies, it would be off commission and my own time.

I have taken on a lot of projects that my coworkers have asked me to create. I also have a hard time saying no to them, so these projects tend to pile up quick. Some of these projects I am getting paid or given a kit, and others I am just doing out of the kindness of my heart as a gift.

When I have so many of these projects going on at once, I have to prioritize certain projects or else I will burnout pretty quickly. This causes projects to take longer than anticipated, but they do get done!

This is why I believe that it is important to keep certain hobbies as restorative, low-stakes, and just for me or else you can experience burnout from them. Protecting the things that you want to keep as hobbies just as hobbies can prevent you from resenting them in the future.

The Systems That Keep Me from Burning Out

I used to think burnout meant I had too many interests. What I’ve learned instead is that I didn’t have systems that let those interests coexist without competing.

The biggest shift for me was creating interest lanes. I usually have one main focus in a given season, and everything else lives in a more casual lane. Casual doesn’t mean unimportant, it just means those interests aren’t asking anything from me right now.

I also rely on gentle routines instead of strict schedules. Rather than assigning exact times or days, I let my energy guide what kind of creative work I do. Some days are for making, some are for experimenting, and some are for resting and all of it counts. Reading has been on a gentle routine for me as I have been doing it before I go to bed and I am flexible with myself.

Another system that helps is giving myself creative permission slips. Not every idea needs to be finished, shared, or turned into something productive. Some ideas are allowed to exist quietly, just for me. Finally, I keep a running list of ideas for later seasons. Writing them down lets me stay focused on what I’m doing now without feeling like I’m losing anything.

Redefining Progress as Sustainability

I used to measure progress by output and consistency, and that mindset burned me out fast. Now, I define progress by sustainability. Consistency doesn’t always look linear either. Sometimes it looks like slowing down, stepping back, or shifting focus entirely. That doesn’t mean you’re failing, it means you’re adapting.

I measure progress by three things:

• Energy: does this drain me or gently energize me?

• Enjoyment: am I still curious, or am I forcing it?

• Longevity: can I imagine doing this long-term without resentment?

I don’t want a creative life I need to escape from. I want one that can grow with me even when the pace changes!

You’re Not Behind, You’re Just Multifaceted

If you’ve ever felt behind because your interests shift or multiply, I want you to know this: nothing about that means you’re unfocused or doing it wrong. Being multipassionate isn’t a flaw, it’s just how some of us move through the world. Balance doesn’t mean narrowing yourself down or cutting parts of you away. It means letting your interests breathe, change, and take turns without forcing them into a single storyline.

That’s the heart of One Big Side Quest. Side quests still matter, and they still teach you something. And not everything you love needs to become the main plot to be worth your time. You’re not late, you’re not lost, you’re just building a life that has room for more than one thing and that’s not something to fix.

Keep the Side Quest Going

If this post resonated with you, you might also enjoy exploring a few other side quests from the blog:

• Save Points & Reflections: Posts about slowing down, burnout, and redefining progress

• Currently Loading: Reflections on pause seasons, uncertainty, and growth behind the scenes

• Side Quests: Small creative experiments that lead to unexpected lessons

Each one explores a different piece of the same idea: building a life that makes room for curiosity, creativity, and rest.

---

Your Side Quest:

If you didn’t have to pick just one thing, what would you let yourself explore next? Also, take 5 minutes to write down all the hobbies you’ve paused and rate them by how much joy they bring you right now. Keep this list as your next rotation menu!