We each have our own personal passions – those special gifts and interests that boost our creativity, inspire us and connect us to other people – but apart from spending our time, effort and money to pursue them, do we ever take a moment to really celebrate them? Far from mere hobbies or temporary distractions, these passions bring more colour, depth and joy into our lives, so why not find a way to appreciate them even more. Consider this our invitation for you to celebrate your passions by further exploring them, discovering new areas of interest, and perhaps meeting new people along the way.
Art – For creative eyes and minds, take the road less travelled by creating a special work of art with unusual materials. Ever considered painting with red wine? Drawing with coffee or wax? Or sculpting with foil paper? You can even create an entire collection made with one special material. If there was ever a time to experiment with new, easily accessible media, it’s now. More into enjoying someone else’s work? Launch an online exhibition. Contact artists – it can even be new or amateur artists looking to share their work – and ask them to submit a piece or two to be sold. It’s a cool way to meet artists, and you might even catch the eye of important art dealers and gallery owners.
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Cooking – Consider yourself a foodie? You could celebrate and hone your kitchen skills by joining a cook-along inspired by new specialities that might be out of your comfort zone. Consider a plant-based cooking course – or pastries if it’s something you haven’t yet tried. Exploring different cuisines and cooking methods is a great way to honour your culinary gifts. Or, if you’re one to stick to proven recipes and step-by-step instructions, why not create a new recipe from scratch? Improvise, add and mix ingredients according to your instincts – recording every step and measurement along the way, of course – and have a fun tasting afterwards. Who knows? It might turn into your family’s new favourite.
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Music – So you’re one of those lucky musically inclined people? Whether you love to sing, compose or play an instrument, or you’re always adding new tunes to your Spotify playlists, there’s always a way to celebrate music with even more music. For example, organise and host a concert (virtually, for now) with fellow musicians. Or go for a more casual evening with an online karaoke night! Or how about creating your own musical instruments with materials you have at home? It’ll be especially fun for the kids, and you can compose a family song out of handcrafted instruments. We feel a new tradition coming on…
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Sports – For any sports fan, whether you’re out there on the field or following your favourite teams from the sidelines (or couch), meeting and learning from an Olympian seems like a good way to celebrate your passion. Luckily, there are some cool experiences out there that let you do just that. Join a positive thinking session with Paralympic athlete Stephen Miller, for example, or try a yoga class hosted by winter Olympian Christy Prior, or learn how to set goals directly from gold medallist Benoît Huot. You’re sure to learn a thing or two, and may even be inspired to further develop your love for sports.
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Animals – One great way to celebrate your love of animals is by dedicating some of your time to their rescue and care, for instance by volunteering for wildlife conservation programmes. Think sea turtles, sloths or bears. Even if volunteering abroad is not possible right now, chances are there’s a wildlife centre or programmes near you that could use your passion and support. More of a domestic animals kind of person? Consider fostering dogs and cats that are waiting to be adopted. It’s an important way to help, and you’ll enjoy their company while you’re at it! If you don’t end up adopting them yourself (and we can’t guarantee you won’t), you’ll be sure to have had a positive impact on those animals in need – as well as the families who eventually provide them with a forever home.
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Travel – Honour your love of exploration by reliving your favourite trips – with your family, right at home. For a special night, decorate your house with anything that reminds you of that place, cook its traditional dishes, play the local music… Take yourself back there mentally, and dust off every memory. Then make this a tradition with every new destination you visit.You can also quench your thirst for travel and celebrate your passion by creating a virtual gallery of your past trips. Try digital scrapbooking, or create an exhibition of all the places you’ve visited – and then invite everyone to join for a live online expo that you can share and save forever.
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Photography – If your passion lies behind the lens, why not share it: Plan a group project with fellow photographers. The goal is to have a body of work under a common theme. It can be photographing sunsets, subway stations, food – you name it. And after the collaborative effort, you can all submit your work to an online gallery or create a photography book. Whether you take part on a project like this or prefer solo work, honour your talents by entering a competition like the Nikon Photo Contest or the MonoVision Photography Awards. It’s an easy way to give your work some exposure – and simply being considered by the panel of judges is worthy of a celebration all its own.
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Service – Passionate about helping people in need? The world could use more of this, so be proud of yourself and celebrate your kind heart! This year, donate your birthday: Spend your day volunteering at a shelter or nursing home, or take all the money you would’ve spent on your celebration and give to a charitable organisation. Also, ask friends and family to donate money to a cause close to your heart instead of buying you presents and cake. And while you wait for your birthday to come, keep giving by encouraging others to do the same. Create a YouTube channel or podcast with weekly episodes, and share your knowledge, your story and your experiences to bring more people into the helping hands community.
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Gardening – If growing your own ingredients is next on your gardening bucket list, join a Grow Your Own Food online workshop to learn all the basics of the endeavour. And if you’re already one step ahead with your vegetable garden, celebrate your passion with its delicious results: Plan a special lunch or dinner with a close group of friends, based entirely around the fruits of your labour. You’ll enjoy the flavours on a whole new level, and it’ll encourage you to sow new seeds. After all, new ingredients make for wonderful new recipes.
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Reading – Lockdowns provided plenty of time to explore this passion, but keep it up in new ways, like with a book swap. Get in touch with fellow readers, and plan to exchange some of your favourite books with each other. It’s a fun and easy way to share your passion, and it’ll open the door to countless new genres, authors and titles.While you’re at it, why not organise your own book club with a twist? For each book you read, plan an activity to go along with it. Whether that means preparing a recipe inspired by the book or dressing up as characters from the story, there are tons of ways to gather together to celebrate – and encourage more avid readers to join.
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