Hobbies at the intersection of technology and creativity

Just like from developing film in the bathroom and writing out magazines with embroidery patterns, we have made a quantum leap into the digital age, where we create worlds by pressing a couple of buttons.

We will look at what changes have occurred with the advent of digital technology and what new horizons are opening up for those who are passionate about their hobby thanks to modern tools.

Photo

Perhaps this hobby best illustrates the impact of technology. For example, I remember my father doing this back in the era of film cameras. At that time, a person interested in photography was more likely to be a chemist than an artist. I am completely silent about the tricks used to obtain reagents and lenses. With the advent of digital technology, photography has become more accessible and convenient thanks to the widespread use of smartphones. Today, everyone can carry a device with a camera capable of taking high-quality pictures.

In addition, technological progress has opened up new opportunities for image processing in online editors. This gave photography enthusiasts, even beginners, a chance to easily improve their photos by editing color schemes, adding effects and much more.

And since AI support appeared in photo editors, the possibilities have become almost limitless. Now, with the help of Midjourney, a photograph can be improved to an incredible result. Upgrade via Stable Diffusion or revive via Runway. Using the HeyPhoto neural network, you can edit facial features in detail: change the direction of your gaze, the shape of the nose, skin tone, hairstyle, add a smile, or make your face more masculine or feminine.

My father could only dream of this when he developed photographs in a dark room.

Music

Musical creativity has also been enriched with various instruments, technologies and opportunities for creating masterpieces. One can only imagine what works Liszt and Rachmaninov would write today and how their performers would wring their fingers, buttons and neural brains over them.

The controversial question is whether even more virtuosity is now needed or whether technique and the ability to write good prom is enough. But the fact is that thanks to the advent of specialized software, the process of creating and recording music has become more accessible. To implement ideas, it is not necessary to go to the studio and invite several people. It is enough to use a simple Soviet Internet. For example, Suno AI can generate songs with vocals based on a text request, and can make two versions with different lyrics and arrangements. Or the ElevenLabs neural network, it can sing your text. It was originally created to implement text-to-speech solutions, but it can also sing.

Promotion has also become easier, you don’t need to send disks or tapes anywhere, or wait until you are invited to “Morning Star”. The Internet and music platforms open doors for any creator, giving them the opportunity to distribute their works and share them with a wide audience.

For example, a close friend of mine has been involved in music since childhood, but the vocal abilities that nature endowed him with did not allow him to achieve any success as a performer. For many years he wrote music and songs for others, but with the advent of voice replacement instruments, he was able to break through the “natural barrier” and became a performer.

Needlework and crafts

Traditional hobbies such as arts and crafts are also finding their way into the digital space. The advent of online courses allows people to master various techniques and accumulate new skills without leaving their home. Now everyone can learn knitting, sewing, jewelry making and many other crafts using video tutorials and interactive tasks.

With the advent of neural networks, everyone has access to a personal teacher and assistant in creative ideas. For example, one of my friends loves to embroider. She uses Midjourney to come up with an embroidery pattern and then asks ChatGPT to create the embroidery pattern. This is not always a perfect process, sometimes there are mistakes in the pattern, but there are also mistakes when embroidering.

Selling and monetizing manual labor is now also easier; there are many platforms on the Internet for selling handmade products. Those who are passionate about handicrafts can create unique creations and offer them to a wide audience, which may be located in the most remote corners of the earth.

Overall, the digital age and modern technology provide traditional hobbies with the opportunity to adapt and thrive in new environments. These innovations are opening up new horizons and making passions more accessible, giving people the chance to explore their creativity and artistic inclinations.

Developing new hobbies thanks to modern technologies

In this section, we explore several directions in which new hobbies are developing due to technological advances.

3D printing and modeling

Surely you have already read articles in the style of “150 cool ideas for printing on a printer. And they didn’t understand why all this was needed. Although sometimes you can find really interesting ideas, like a digital sundial. We will not judge how necessary and useful they are in everyday life, because there are many cute things with zero benefit.

However, 3D printing is now becoming a separate hobby for people. Many people like to do modeling, create ideas together with Midjourney and ChatGPT and think through the way to implement them. For example, printing a toy dinosaur. Who would you print, T. rex?

Moreover, the phenomenon of 3D printing itself gave rise to a separate hobby – assembling and setting up 3D printers. One of my former colleagues was never interested in 3D printing, but had fun getting into making 3D printers. Of course, the barrier to entry for this hobby is very high, but I want to assure you that there are enough communities of people on the Internet who are passionate about this activity.

Game development

With the progress of computer technology and mobile devices, it has become possible to create your own games and entertainment applications. User-friendly programs and online resources allow people to become independent developers, creating fun games, compelling stories, and diverse forms of entertainment. This hobby is not only for geeks, but actually there is a lot of creativity and creativity.
Neural networks are also used here, for example, Flexy, a competitor to the Midjourney image generation service. The service, by the way, is domestic. It was launched by a group of enthusiasts and through the efforts of the famous popularizer and creator of artificial intelligence models Khachatur Avanesyan, known in the community as Xpuct.

At the same time, creating mods for computer games can also be included in the hobby section. Perhaps most of those whose hobbies are somehow related to game development are into this. The modding communities of Fallout, GTA SA and TES speak about this most eloquently.

Author's content on YouTube and streaming platforms

In recent years, popular video platforms such as YouTube and various streaming services have turned creating original content into a new hobby for many. Admit it, who hasn’t made a single TikTok yet? There are few of these left. Whether your interests are music, comedy, travel, or deep expertise in a specific field, you can share your ideas and skills by creating short videos. This brings not only personal satisfaction, but also gives bursts of dopamine, serotonin from likes as a form of social stroking. And for some it brings money.

The role of technology in modern hobbies

The Internet and social networks today make available what we could not imagine 30 years ago: a huge amount of information, neural networks that can be a personal teacher, the ability to find like-minded people and monetize a hobby. You no longer need to subscribe to a magazine and wait a month for it, or look for accomplices in letters.

There are a huge number of specialized forums, groups and communities online, focused on various hobbies – from handicrafts to cooking and art. Here you can ask stupid questions, share tips and find inspiration.

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are also breaking new ground. Online tours have been popular during Covid: using VR, you can go on a virtual journey through art exhibitions and museums without leaving your home. And AR adds interesting elements to the real world, for example, in the visualization when taking photos.

Challenges and prospects for hobby development in the digital era

It is worth recognizing that with the transition to digital reality, traditional hobbies are facing many challenges. One of the main ones is the loss of a sense of reality and fascination with the virtual world. Virtual games, online simulations and VR technologies can distract from real-life activities and reduce social interactions, which in turn negatively impacts health and overall development. The age of information is also the age of anxiety. Our new reality is fast-paced, hectic, disturbing and doesn’t suit us very well.

Another challenge is the commercialization of the hobby. The Internet and social media create opportunities to promote and sell crafts, collectibles, and other hobbies. This opens up new prospects for craftsmen, but also increases competitive pressure.

Technology addiction is becoming another major problem. With the increasing availability of ready-made goods and services, fewer and fewer people are seeking to learn craft skills and creativity. As a result, traditional skills may become endangered or become inaccessible to many.

Although virtual worlds and commercial opportunities bring new incentives to the hobby, it is important not to lose traditional skills and face-to-face communication.

Conclusion

Traditional hobbies such as reading, crafts and gardening face new challenges, but at the same time find opportunities to adapt and develop in modern conditions.

Adapting traditional hobbies is of great importance as it maintains interest among young people, attracts new participants and broadens horizons.

But the most important thing is to preserve the very concept of a hobby, within which you do what you love and love what you do.