Having an oddly specific hobby was once basically shorthand for “eccentric” in an ’80s or ’90s movie. The cat lady, the oddball neighbour, the person who spent their weekends making short films, creating pottery or doing something suspiciously wholesome while everyone else went to parties. Take She’s All That, where liking art, wearing paint-splattered clothes, and keeping to yourself was enough to qualify someone for a makeover. Gen Z, meanwhile, seems to be reclaiming the whole thing, and the New York Times has finally given it a name: hobbyamory.
Instead of spending every spare evening dating, people are filling their calendars with things they actually want to do. There’s a ceramics workshop on Tuesday, kickboxing on Thursday, mahjong on Saturday, and maybe a photography walk somewhere in between. Dating can still happen, but it doesn’t have to be the centre of the calendar.
It also fits neatly into the era of small-treats culture, when bigger milestones can feel increasingly out of reach, but joining a run club can still give you a reason to buy new shoes, meet people, and have somewhere to be on a Sunday morning. At a time when AI is making work and creativity feel increasingly automated, there’s something whimsical about being busy with something simply because you enjoy it. Romance doesn’t have to be off the calendar, after all. It could just be sitting right next to you in that guitar class.
