What makes something stick?

Why is it you like to do what you do (bake, play tennis, write, sew, dance, or garden) for hours on end?

What is it about your hobbies, passions, and pastimes that keeps you interested? Keeps you practicing and returning over and over again?

Is it one thing, or some sort of kismet in the pairing of opportunity and interest?

When I think about why I enjoy baking, writing, and collage, I can't say there's one reason, but rather a combination.

With baking, I like the order of it all. The ingredients for most recipes are readily available, and if you take your time, measure, mix, and bake according to the recipe, sweet, shareable treats are nearly guaranteed.

With collage, it's the ease of set-up, how quickly I can see results, and the perfectly imperfect nature of it. And it's never boring. The subject matter I can weave into my collage work is endless, and it pairs well with my writing.

But there have been many other times when it was best to take a bow and exit early ... like with tap dancing.

That was difficult. I loved the shoes.

And then there was the time (not too long ago) when I did a few rounds with wire sculpture. Far too much wrestling with unruly coils. When I nearly poked out an eye, I knew it was time to move on.

The red feather collage above is an early collage. Looking back at it now, I see sheet music starting to make an appearance in my work.

So how do we know when something will stick? We don't.

We just have to try. And give it time.

Although I've completed two handmade books and I've got another in the works, I'm not convinced it's for me. But I'm sticking with it.

For now.

If you're just learning how to knit, play chess, strum the ukulele, or write a story, keep going. Do the thing. Practice.

Watch for signs of improvement and progress. And practice some more.

Or don't.

Our hobbies, passions, and pastimes may challenge us, but in the end, the goal is to find something that lifts your spirits and bolsters your self confidence.

And best of all, you get to decide when it's time to stop ... or hang in there.

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Write about your process. What hurdles did you face? Why did you give up? Why did you stick with it?

Readers want to know.