It will depend on you as a person. I will tell you things that helped in my experience:

• Buying things isn’t the same as starting. Although ordering is seductive false substitute for it. Don’t buy things until you need them. If you want to sculpt clay start with some dirt and a fork. Only when your 10hrs in do you buy things. (Obviously caveats abound but generally use the imperfect things you have)

• it can be overwhelming deciding what hobby to invest in; they pile up and each takes a little mental effort to sustain even in purgatory. This tends toward guilt in the long run. When new things arise, write them down, don’t start them, there is time. Even if you have to choose randomly, all are valid, commit to it for at least enough time to do something.

• planning can become an all consuming task. If you find yourself on your phone during the weekend; just get up and start. If you want to do wood working; just get up go collect some sticks and start making a chair. It will be shit, it may not even be functional, but begin, and you will learn more from that and be more energized than a month contemplating.

• Know the difference between something you enjoy watching, and something you want to do. It’s ok if you just like watching people make sculptures, there are plenty of other hobbies, it’s not a black mark on your creative ego.

• Don’t immediately seek external validation or comparison when you do start. Odds are you will be shit. And thats ok. If your interest wains without external validation; it might be that you crave the validation of being good at something and not a hobby. You can still succeed with that being your aim; but it is a long road to walk and the validation you seek will be hard won. You chances of success increase if you can find a hobby which you enjoy, and that you could happily perform in isolation after a ling day. If you find that then external validation will be a sweet and unexpected reward before you know it.

• if you have projects that have been abandoned, and weigh on your soul. Be willing to set them free. Value them for the experiences they gave you. Give them to someone who will use them. It might be bittersweet but much of their value is in memory. If you ever decide to restart you will be surprised how quickly you reach the same level of completion.