Dear Writer: Get a Hobby

The title of this post is brought to you by my husband. 

See, when I was wallowing in the query trenches a couple years ago, Justin said to me: 
"Don't cry, honey. You know what might help? Maybe a few hobbies outside of writing."
Hahaha. At the time, I got a little furious. Hobbies? I DON'T WANT A HOBBY! I JUST WANT AN AGENT! 

But eventually I saw the wisdom of his words, especially because I freelanced for magazines and websites during the day and then I worked on my novels during each night. Thus, I really did need time away from the computer screen. 

Cue photography! 

I bought my first DSLR in March and it has happily resided in my purse ever since. Admittedly, I'm still very much an amateur; but whenever I get frustrated by a plot point or weepy about a revision, I grab my camera and head somewhere to snap a few pictures. And you know what? It makes me happy every single time! 

So here a few pictures from my Labor Day outing to Glen Echo Park, an old amusement park that has been converted into an arts and cultural center. The vintage carousel, however, is still operational!

{Love the pastel colors.}
{Playing with the shutter speed and aperture settings.}

{An amateur's self-portrait.}
{This carousel has diversity! Rabbits? Or jackalopes?}

Such a cute carousel, right? I think it'd be the perfect place for engagement photos or family portraits. Which brings me to my next point: who wants to model for me? Eh, eh? :)

But yeah. Photography. I love it because it's all mine. Since I don't do this professionally, I don't have to worry about critiques or clients or capturing the right shot. I can just have fun and recharge my creative juices and not think about character arcs or editorial submissions for awhile.

What about you though? What are some of your hobbies? Knitting? Painting? Archery? How do you recharge?