While I love the process of making a good Pinterest mood board or even an iPad doodle session, sometimes you just have to step away from the blue light, you know? And it seems a lot of other people are feeling the same way.
Aside from the plethora of anecdotal TikToks on the glory of grandma hobbies or screen-free activities, the craft store Michaels just brought some hard and fast data to substantiate this move away from digital pasttimes.
In its annual Creativity Trend Report, Michaels found that the people are in desperate need of “analog” hobbies. We’re talking knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, embroidery, sewing, journaling, cross-stitch, painting, and more! Just, basically, anythingdone for joy and entertainment that doesn’t happen on a device. In the last six months alone, the Michaels site saw an 136% increase in search on these exact activities.
“Our customers are moving past the passive scroll and seeking out the friction of a physical hobby,” said Heather Bennett, president and chief customer officer at Michaels, in a statement. “They are reminding us that the most valuable things we own aren't just bought—they're the ones we've had a hand in creating."
Honestly, this tracks, especially given the virality of “analog bags,” aka cutesy little tote bags full of portable hobbies, from watercolor kits to embroidery hoops to simply a few books, to keep the doomscrolling and screen time in check.
As one commenter aptly put it: “so it’s just hobbies that are off the phone.” Precisely that. Get into it!
