what happens when hobbies turn into performance

some joys are meant to stay unseen.

We start reading to feel comfort, then suddenly it’s about Goodreads challenges. We pick up journaling to clear our heads, then feel guilty when the pages aren’t pretty enough to post. Somewhere along the way, our hobbies stop being soft places to rest and become stages where we have to prove how well we rest.

We used to paint to feel something, not to show something. Now even our relaxation has an audience.

“You don’t have to be good at resting for it to count.”