I've been guilty of that myself!

I came upon an interesting article. Academy Award-winning director James Cameron received an award from National Geographic. He was named explorer in residence for being a deep sea diving pioneer. "But isn't it enough work to just be a director?" you may ask. I mean with movies like Avatar and Titanic you'd think so. But I think Cameron's "hobby" gives insights into being an artist (which Cameron's movies proves he is).

I think one mistake new writers do is make their lives all about writing. They clear off their schedules, they put other hobbies aside, and they only read or research what their current novel-in-progress is about. (I've been guilty of that myself!) Yet to be creative, artists need to be surrounded by creative things. We need to have our interests piqued. We need to explore. Your exploration might be different than James Cameron's, but take time to fuel other passions than the written word. It'll serve your art. It'll fuel your soul. It'll be seen in your work, even if you work has nothing to do with your hobby!