Have you ever been discouraged or critisized for your hobby or interest?

[The Penguin]

Thanks yeah gotta convince myself to draw for myself I let too many influences stop me.

I would never let anyone prevent you doing your interest.

Jumping back to my comment of Lego, despite people find it odd, there many adult Lego groups around the world. I think the problem is too many people care about what society thinks and everyone expected to follow the norm. Well this is what I think about the norm. F THE NORM.

 

[watersprite]

I would never let anyone prevent you doing your interest.

Jumping back to my comment of Lego, despite people find it odd, there many adult Lego groups around the world. I think the problem is too many people care about what society thinks and everyone expected to follow the norm. Well this is what I think about the norm. F THE NORM.

Yay Penguin. I'm putting that above my easel.

 

[The Penguin]

Yay Penguin. I'm putting that above my easel.

That good to here. I admit I use to be one of those people care about what people think. It took me many years to learn me caring about what people think prevented me doing things I enjoy in life. Because I don't care what people think anymore, I'm a lot happier.

 

[paloftoon]

While a lot of the parental concerns are understandable, so are everyone's individual interests on here. Finding a balance where we can do both what we like and maybe what we don't like or don't like as much is a good solution. Can't expect to like everything or nothing that you're doing in this world.

 

[Myron]

That's horrible it's sad people made you dislike mlp that you felt you had to drop it I've always collected mlp stuff from the original 80s stuff to the FIM stuff but I'm sorry that you got ridiculed over it.

It's OK, I am over it now. I'm glad you like MLP. I still like it and I feel like it could come back as an interest if I allowed it to. I just have to quit worrying about what other people think of me. I'm too sensitive to that kind of thing; I need to be tougher!

 

[The Penguin]

While a lot of the parental concerns are understandable, so are everyone's individual interests on here. Finding a balance where we can do both what we like and maybe what we don't like or don't like as much is a good solution. Can't expect to like everything or nothing that you're doing in this world.

This is hard for me to do which might explain why I'm a loaner.

 

[tachyon]

This is very true.
I am, very often, discouraged and criticized for my paintings. Told to stop all together. However, most of the time I just keep at it. It feels good for ME. And if it can make ANY other person smile or feel happy, it's worth it.

That's the best way - create what you want for your own enjoyment. If others also get something good from it that's a bonus - if not and they have been generous with their criticism, then just ask them if you can peruse their portfolio and offer some insightful feedback

 

[CaveDweller]

Not so much criticised as questioned. Both my wife and my mam couldn't understand why I would spend so long looking at League tables and fixtures working out all of the different permutations. Very recently my housemate questioned how I can spend so long editing video's (put 110 video's on youtube in the last month and built a whole channel from scratch). I just get really absorbed in stuff.

My attitude to these things are summed up by John Lennon -

 

[pax]

This is very true.
I am, very often, discouraged and criticized for my paintings. Told to stop all together. However, most of the time I just keep at it. It feels good for ME. And if it can make ANY other person smile or feel happy, it's worth it.
Do Your thing girl! Don't let others get you down.



^^^that^^^

For what it's worth, Rocco, I really like your paintings. I had a bad time at another aspie forum (yes Myron , I think it was that one...) and when I got your welcome complete with painting, I thought " I'm home".

 

[Shawn D]

As a teenager, I had an obsession with serial killers. I read books, watched documentaries, even watched interviews with them. My family was concerned, to say the least, and discouraged my interest, especially since I was more prone to meltdowns during those hormone-raged years.

 

[Tia Maria]

On the topic of following your dreams, check out this thread with uplifting inspiration (& sound advice) from Randy Pausch, Computer Science Professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams | AspiesCentral.com

 

[Rin]

I love to draw also but I am not very good at it. It's frustrating for me because I have always loved it and have been drawing since I was a young child, but the truth is I have no real talent for it and feel I should be much better at this point than I am. I wish I had a special interest I was good at or a natural talent for something, but perhaps I do and just haven't discovered it yet. But it's frustrating because I'm told to pursue more useful hobbies but none of my interests am I really good at nor are they practical.

 

[Adora]

I love to draw also but I am not very good at it. It's frustrating for me because I have always loved it and have been drawing since I was a young child, but the truth is I have no real talent for it and feel I should be much better at this point than I am. I wish I had a special interest I was good at or a natural talent for something, but perhaps I do and just haven't discovered it yet. But it's frustrating because I'm told to pursue more useful hobbies but none of my interests am I really good at nor are they practical.

You described my feelings about my own drawings too.i have also drawn since I was a kid but I feel like I should be better than what I am,but I also have heard that artists even if they are good can be their worst critics and hate their own drawings,i have had some people say my drawings are good but in my eyes they are never are what I want them to be.

 

[JDartistic]

These stories about our unique hobbies are so inspiring!

My childhood obsession was rare books. It started at the local used book store & even at age 10, I was buying old books. If it was old & smelly, even falling apart, I purchased it. No one wanted them anyway.

I now have a rare book collection, including a first edition Edgar Allen Poe of his essays, the first Cosmic Consciousness, the first edition Burroughs nature essays, the first illustrated edition of Faulkner's May Day, & a serious collection of first edition comic books.

I may not get rich, but no one criticizes my collection anymore!

 

[JDartistic]

You described my feelings about my own drawings too.i have also drawn since I was a kid but I feel like I should be better than what I am,but I also have heard that artists even if they are good can be their worst critics and hate their own drawings,i have had some people say my drawings are good but in my eyes they are never are what I want them to be.

My gift is metaphor. It's a strange talent & hobby. There's certainly no money or success to it.

But I say if you love doing it, then do it! Even if you don't think you're good at it, keep practicing bc u love it. Then one day, after 10 years or so, you will have a WOW moment. It's called the 10,000-hour rule. That's when u cross the line from average to exceptional. [emoji7]

 

[Walsie]

You described my feelings about my own drawings too.i have also drawn since I was a kid but I feel like I should be better than what I am,but I also have heard that artists even if they are good can be their worst critics and hate their own drawings,i have had some people say my drawings are good but in my eyes they are never are what I want them to be.

Likewise, and I have quit for years on end as a consequence. When you're mediocre, what's the point? Nobody ever encouraged me in that direction, let alone I was any good, until I stumbled on an art website for all levels, and all because I was a big fan of Doctor Who. I'm still mediocre, but now I can get feedback on how I can improve. It's a hobby that is also excellent brain exercise.

 

[Adora]

Th

Likewise, and I have quit for years on end as a consequence. When you're mediocre, what's the point? Nobody ever encouraged me in that direction, let alone I was any good, until I stumbled on an art website for all levels, and all because I was a big fan of Doctor Who. I'm still mediocre, but now I can get feedback on how I can improve. It's a hobby that is also excellent brain exercise.

thats good yeah I think at times we are hard on ourselves and like someone told me before we should draw for your own enjoyment and not someone else's I think it's best to learn like I am trying to to ignore any negative opinions.

 

[DuckRabbit]

Socially acceptable hobbies: Eating, drinking, sports stadiums, rock concerts, putting your life on hold to await the arrival of a royal baby or its name. No deeper intellectual meaning or technical skill required for any of these. They are emotion-based as opposed to cerebral ('systematising').

And they call Aspergers inflexible! Look at all the above prejudice towards the interesting interests of Aspergers. This is like nuns in convent schools of the old days who used to break up special friendships between pupils, as if there was power in the solitary focus and exclusivity that threatened them; you had to be bland and like or dislike everyone equally.

Thank goodness Beethoven, Mozart, van Gogh, Gates and Zuckerberg et al., had hobbies that they weren’t discouraged from or that they persevered with despite discouragement/ rude remarks/ no sales.

 

[Naomi]

I love to write. Often my parents will tell me to 'stop focusing so much on your stories', but how will I ever complete a novel and attempt to publish it if I don't focus on them?

 

[musclecarman]

well I get critisised for having an intrest in dolphins some people make jokes about Japanese eating dolphin meat and harpooning them (mainly my same gender)