The Joys of Making
January is National Hobby Month, and we have a Maker Fair Event coming up on Friday, February 27. That made for a great opportunity to celebrate some of the hobbies that provide us with a creative outlet and keep us happier and healthier.
Keep reading for an exploration of hobbies and the joys of making from several of our STEAM team staff!
Making UV Resin Art
Kristin Brynteson, Ed.D. NIU STEAM Director
According to a study published in Nature Medicine in 2023, having a hobby can help us be happier and healthier. It’s good for your mood, your health and overall life satisfaction. I know from my own anecdotal evidence, it’s true for me! Exploring new creative endeavors has always been something I enjoy. From crocheting to digital design to jewelry making and my new favorite hobby, working with UV resin, there is something thrilling about creating a piece of art with your own hands and brain. It helps unplug my mind from stressful things while still giving me a challenge or problem to solve.
For example, back in September, I decided to try working with UV resin on a whim. A few late nights scrolling on social media and seeing some of the items other resin artists made had me inspired and curious. I decided to dive in and to give it a try. Spending less than $40 on a starter kit and the proper protective gear was all it took to get hooked.
My favorite part about working with UV resin are the endless possibilities of what I can create and the quick reward of seeing the final product. Every time I put on my mask and gloves, and open my mica powders and glitter, I start experimenting with color and shape, ideas and creativity. How the resin may flow or react to different inclusions is always a surprise. I can’t control the resin but rather I guide it and make suggestions. The most exciting part is when I unmold a piece to see the results. Sometimes it is beautiful while other times… a complete and utter failure. But each piece leads me to ask, “What if I…” and try again.
If you’re interested in trying UV resin art, check out this video from a maker I followed when I was first starting to work with UV resin.
For us makers, the design cycle is our process. We ask, plan, create, evaluate and try again. For me, no matter what the hobby, that is what drives me to make and to push and strengthen my creative muscle.
I’m not alone. As you may have guessed, the STEAM Team is filled with creative makers. I asked a few to share their favorite hobbies and why they create.
STEAM Team Hobbies
Jess Winn, NIU STEAM Instructor and Program Coordinator
What do you make or what is your creative outlet? I make many things, allowing my neurodivergence to guide my passions and interests. Currently, my obsessions are sewing practical items, hand stitching beaded earrings and pendants, and baking as much as possible.
I find that I enjoy making things that pull my full attention and don’t allow me to get sidetracked. Because my brain is always running at 100 miles an hour, making things like beaded jewelry and sewing requires me to focus. I also enjoy seeing the things I make get used. I love seeing people wear my earrings, use the keychains or enjoy the food I make.
My mom taught me how to sew and bake, and that was one of the things we always spent time together doing. It brought us closer. My mom and I are very different people, but when we were sewing or baking, we were connected. With beading, my best friend and I spent a lot of time in Alaska’s back country wilderness. I learned how to identify edible plants and hunt. She learned how to bead and stitch. When we both left Alaska to different parts of the country, we wanted to connect. Now we spend at least two nights a month on zoom beading, looking at new adventures and reminiscing about our shared past. I take what she taught me to design and develop creative beaded masterpieces. If you’d like to try beading at home, this video will help you get started.
I 100 percent encourage you pick up something new to try! Beading and sewing opens a world of clothing repair, upcycling, and tiny masterpieces that bring you and others joy. With baking and cooking, you will find that you then want to garden to grow your own food and make more creative things. That urge leads to a very fulfilling, sustainable life!
Sewing
Kylie Hall, NIU STEAM Student Instructor
Lately I’ve been getting more into sewing. Sewing is something I’ve known how to do since I was little, but I really wanted to get better at it. Over winter break I made three quilts with hand embroidery details, two purses, a cloak, three pillows and a hood for my snowboarding helmet.
Sewing has allowed for me to create gifts for my friends and family that are very personal. Sewing also allows me to do something that challenges my brain and helps my mental health a lot.
I got interested in this hobby becauseI had a lot of items I wanted or needed, but they weren’t necessarily something I could buy, so I learned how to make them myself! I also wanted to know how to repair my own clothes to keep myself from buying more than I need.
Sewing is a great skill to have. You can create things for yourself and others that can be used every day. Often you can create items that are better quality than what you’d buy in the store. Lastly, in a world where we are constantly buying into trends, sewing can help you appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into textile making.
Here are some pictures of my favorite things I’ve made!
Embroidery
Elizabeth Nowak, NIU STEAM Student Employee
I’m a crafter currently fixated on embroidery. I use felt, scrap fabric and thrifted embroidery thread to make small colorful art pieces. I love embroidery because it encourages me to slow down and enjoy the process. I enjoy working with my hands and experimenting with color, which makes embroidery a fit. Over the summer I learned the Bayeux Tapestry stitch at an event led by the Barony of Carraig Ban of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Being reintroduced to embroidery encouraged me to practice and teach myself other stitches and techniques. Since then, I have created embroidered pins, a felt doll and other pieces. I encourage others to challenge their patience and try out a fiber art.
Novel Writing
Charles Lundsberg, NIU STEAM Community Engagement Coordinator
Within the past few years, I have begun writing novels as a creative outlet. I enjoy it as a way of creative expression, but also as a record of my particular thoughts or ideas at a given point in my life. I often intertwine my dreams into the stories, which is a round-about way of documenting as in a journal. I have always had ideas floating around in my head, but in the early 2000s, I became bored with the cinematic offerings. I decided to write something that I would like to see in the theater or as part of a series on television. In a sense, I was filling a personal niche that I felt was lacking. The nice thing about writing is that it is very personal (usually) and, aside from poor grammar, there is no wrong method for creating it. There are so many people that are willing to read your work or help mold a story; there are classes to help refine your talents, but, like art, it can be done without training as long as it makes you happy. There is also a satisfaction from publishing (self or otherwise) and pride if you go through the copyright process.
Baking
Becky Swiontek, NIU STEAM Instructor and Program Coordinator
One of my hobbies is baking delicious desserts that are also decorated nicely. I enjoy it because it allows me to use some of my artistic skills that I don’t get to use all of the time and also because the products also usually bring people some enjoyment.
I started getting interested in baking and decorating in high school. One of my good friends and I wore togas for our Halloween costumes, and for her birthday I decided to try making her a cake with a girl dressed in a toga. Since then, with all of the baking shows on tv, I’ve learned a lot of new techniques which have fueled the enthusiasm for trying new techniques.
If someone has any inclination, I would suggest they give it a try. I’m not good at freehand drawing, but with decorating tools, I’m able to be successful. I ran a workshop once when I was a Jaycee where I taught members how to decorate cupcakes. A few of the participants pre-made frosting, and I baked the cupcakes. We made a few different designs, such as Cookie Monster, which had an easy piping technique. As an added bonus, we baked them for a charity fundraiser taking place at one of the local schools. People were surprised at how successful they could be on their first try. I’ve even been able to teach my five-year-old niece how to help me make Swiss meringue buttercream!
Sketching Plants and Seeds
April Startzel, NIU STEAM Program Coordinator
I enjoy sketching plants and seeds found in my garden or out on hikes and in parks using colored pencils, pens and recycled paper. I enjoy it because I utilize a plant identification app to learn interesting facts about the plant life in my everyday environment, and I can practice my skills as a professional artist without the pressure of producing something that requires an artist statement or thesis.
I became interested in sketching plants to deepen my bond with my son, who is very curious about plant life – if a plant is poisonous or not, what it’s called, can he eat it, etc. I also very much enjoy hiking and natural beauty, so sketching small parts of nature allows me to prolong small moments of beauty and really appreciate natural plant structures.
If you’re feeling inspired to try a new hobby, we hope you’ll join members of the NIU STEAM team at the NIU Alumni Association’s Huskie Night Out: Maker Fair on February 27, at 5:30. We will help you spark your imagination while you try your hand at some new hobbies!
