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Don't be afraid to use a mix of paints, such as acrylic or watercolor.
CELINA - Whether it's a story on the shelf or a creative skill, the new year is the perfect time to try out a new hobby.
Though seen as a luxury for some with a short amount of free time, hobbies are important to prioritize.
Leisure activities were found to have a consistent benefit on a person's daily health and well-being, according to a three-day study conducted by by the Society of Behavioral Medicine, a non-profit organization.
Whether you're looking to improve your mood, try something new or learn a new skill in 2024, here are a few simple hobbies that won't break the bank:
Painting is a great way to kill time while simultaneously expressing yourself, according to Lake Area Arts Group Board President Sherry Chandler.
A painter herself, Chandler said those interested in painting can get started with a minimal investment.
"There are many different paint products you can try," she said. "Watercolors in different forms, acrylic or oil paint, alcohol inks, acrylic inks, pastels to name a few. It's something you can do without a big investment in supplies to begin."
New hobbies, such as painting or reading, are easy to pick up, don't require many materials and are affordable.
Chandler said she's practiced a multitude of other art forms over the years and only recently added painting into the mix.
"I have tried watercolors, acrylic, gouache, pastels and acrylic inks, but I like watercolor and acrylic inks the most."
She said she enjoys learning something new while also being creative.
"I can paint in my studio or when we are on vacation, outside by the lake or other locations," Chandler said. "It is something I can do alone or with a group. I can also transfer skills I am learning in painting, by adding new ways to decorate the pottery I create."
She recommends prospective artists try looking for painting how-to books or online tutorial videos. But an in-person class where beginners can ask questions and get individual help is the most useful and fun, Chandler contended.
"I would recommend taking a class or two, trying different media at The Lake Area Arts Group gallery in Celina where we offer classes for beginners and furnish everything needed," she said. "This gives anyone an opportunity to try the different media to see what they have the most interest in before investing in supplies."
For more information, visit the Lake Area Arts Group's Facebook page at facebook.com/lakeareaartsgroup.
For those who aspire to get creative but don't want to potentially make a paint-fueled mess, crocheting might be the right hobby.
Katie Lauth, owner of online crochet shop OhioMoon Handmade based in Mendon, said she would suggest those searching for a new hobby try their hand at crocheting.
"It seems hard, but it's not," she said. "It's just learning. It's kind of a new language. It seems like a new language to learn how to read patterns. But once you understand the basics, what the abbreviations for all of the stitches mean, then you can read any pattern and you can do any pattern."
Lauth said she learned how to crochet two or three years ago by picking a pattern she wanted to do and practicing.
"It took me probably two weeks of trial and error, kind of learning what I was looking at," she said. "I watched a lot of YouTube videos and tried it and ripped it out and tried it and ripped it out until it kind of clicked of what I was looking at made sense."
She added that beginners don't need to start with simple washcloth patterns, something traditionally geared towards beginners.
"You can pick a pattern you want to make," she said. "(If) it's something you really want to do, I think that makes it more fun and more motivating to learn it because you have something you really want to make."
Lauth suggested checking out platforms such as YouTube, Etsy and Pinterest for patterns, and to have fun with everything.
"I think you just have to find something that you want to make and learn from that because it's really fun," she said. "It's fun because you have endless opportunities of things that you can make to give people or surprise people with … you want to have a way to just show (people) in your life (you're) thinking about them."
For more information on OhioMoon Handmade, visit facebook.com/ohiomoondesigns/.
New hobbies, such as painting or reading, are easy to pick up, don't require many materials and are affordable.
Though seemingly mundane to some, reading can be an exciting hobby.
Mercer County District Library Director Liz Muether said busy bees can tap into the hobby by starting with audiobooks.
"With the Libby app, you can listen to books and a lot of times that can kind get you started (where) you are, whether you're exercising, driving, walking, or just working around the house," she said.
If residents start by listening to books it can push them to become physical readers, she added.
"Another thing that people can do is if there's a TV show or a movie that they really liked, you could find books that are about that or based on that or in the same time period," she said.
In addition, parents and guardians can implement reading by reading to their kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, she said.
"Just reading at any level can really get you interested in (it)," she said. "Everybody's on social media, so somebody's usually talking about some kind of a book. Kind of listen to your circle. What are other people reading?"
Another helpful tip, Muether added, is to set an attainable reading goal for the year.
"Not like one book a month, but 'I'm going to try to read two books this year,' or something like that."
For Mercer County residents without library cards, Muether suggested adults 18 years or older venture into one of the district's four branches in St. Henry, Chickasaw, Mendon or Celina during business hours with a photo ID to get one. The process is free and only takes a few minutes, she said.
Muether noted that those still lost on what to read should take advantage of the reader's advisory at Mercer Library circulation desks.
"If you don't know what to read, you can come in and talk to any of our circulation staff and we know what questions to ask in order to find a book for you," she said. "There's a lot of different tools online too … we can help steer you in a direction or at least a genre or an author that you might find."
For more information on Mercer County District Library locations, hours and events, visit mercerlibrary.org.
