Hobbies are an important way to express creativity, with AXA Health1 finding growing evidence that those who regularly enjoy hobbies are less likely to experience stress or depression.
However, with a report by the Mental Health Foundation finding that one in six Brits are cutting out hobbies to save cash2, many Brits may be sacrificing their creative, feel-good pastimes.
With this in mind, Adobe Express conducted a survey of 2,000 UK adults in order to find out which creative hobbies Brits are currently undertaking, and their reasons behind not giving new hobbies a go despite wanting to do so.
To encourage more people to try new hobbies, the experts at Adobe Express also shared their tips on giving creative hobbies a go, without splashing out too much cash on doing so.
The top five hobbies Brits currently undertake
RankCreative HobbyPercentage of Brits that currently undertake this1Cooking/Baking44%2Gardening38%3Photography19%4Knitting/Crocheting15%5Drawing / painting / scrapbooking13%
The full data set and survey data is available to view here.
Adobe Express found that 44% of brits enjoy cooking and baking as their preferred hobby, with a further 28% stating they would consider taking this up.
Gardening is second favourite among brits, with almost two-fifths (38%) of UK residents undertaking it as a hobby.
Other hobbies favoured by brits include photography (19%), knitting and crocheting (15%) and drawing, painting, or scrapbooking (13%).
Top five UK cities where gardening is the most popular
RankCityPercentage of Brits that currently undertake this1Sheffield52%2Norwich49%3Leeds46%4Newcastle44%5Liverpool42%
Gardening was found to be most popular among Sheffield residents, with over half (52%) claiming to have green fingers.
Norwich (49%), Leeds (46%), and Newcastle (44%) follow closely behind, as many residents in these cities undertake gardening.
Psychotherapist Sarah Lee provides expert commentary on why gardening is so beneficial to take up as a hobby:
“One of the biggest benefits of gardening is that connecting to nature activates our parasympathetic nervous system which means that our bodies start to calm down and enter a state of ‘rest and digest’. Even looking at greenery has been shown to calm people down.
“All ages would benefit from connecting more to nature, but given that children often spend more time indoors than they used to, this can particularly benefit them. It can also offer them interactions with adults that they might not otherwise experience. Gardening can provide a good source of exercise for older people which comes with the associated health benefits such as lower blood pressure, lower stress hormones and lower heart rate. Being outside in the summer allows people to make vitamin D which is important for the immune system and has many other benefits. This only occurs in the UK from about April to September, so during the summer months.”
Most common reasons Brits won’t take up creative hobbies
Reason for not starting creative hobbies% who gave this as their number one reasonI don’t have the time to keep it up16%I’m embarrassed/worried I wouldn’t be good at it14%I don’t know where to start12%Other10%Too expensive6%
Adobe Express found that the most common reason amongst Brits for not trying new hobbies is because they do not have the time to keep it up (16% of respondents), and with recent research published by The Mirror suggesting Brits only get 46 minutes of free time a day5, it is no wonder this is a concern among many respondents.
Lack of time was the top response for several hobbies, including: gardening, knitting/crocheting, woodwork, soap/candle making, pottery, jewellery making, and playing an instrument.
Whilst for almost one in six of those surveyed (14%) ‘fear or embarrassment or not being good enough’ was cited as their top reason for not partaking.
Adobe Express share their tips on taking up creative hobbies, reducing the costs, as well as finding free time:
“Creative hobbies are vital for our mental health, and healthy cognitive function, but when expenses or time factors get in the way, it can be hard to fit these into day to day life. There are, however, ways around this, such as taking the time to find cheap alternatives.
“If your ideal hobby is photography for example, finding low cost ways of practising and pursuing this on the side whilst saving up for any equipment you may want can help. For example, taking scenic snaps on your smartphone, utilising free software like Adobe Express, getting inspiration from photography blogs online, and practising photographing different scenes, objects, and people.
“If you struggle to find spare time for your hobbies, consider slightly adjusting your routine, for example, if you tend to finish work, eat dinner, and then relax on the sofa watching TV/scrolling social media, you could instead swap 30 minutes of this time to invest in your hobby. This small change to your routine may then lead to improved mental wellbeing and boost your cognitive function.”
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