Having a hobby will make you a better marketer
I collect hobbies like they’re trading cards. From crafts to cooking, reading to synchronized swimming—I’ve dabbled in it all. But a few months ago, mid-crochet session, I wondered if I should spend my time on something more productive. So, I made a list of skills I wanted to develop: creativity, stress management, confident communication, and a solid work/life balance. In short, I wanted to be a better marketer. And then it hit me—my hobbies weren’t distractions from these goals; they were the shortcut to achieving them.
Skeptical about how playing tennis or learning piano could make you a better marketer? Don’t worry, I was too. Let’s get into it!
Become more creative
To be a successful marketer, you have to be able to think outside the box and imagine yourself as your audience. This type of creative thinking can be a ton of fun when the ideas are flowing, but when you hit a wall? It can mean excruciating hours of drawing a blank and wanting to pull your hair out, which isn’t exactly a recipe for success. While creative blocks are to be expected, why not give yourself a competitive edge? Having a hobby gives you an outlet to create, try new ideas, and test theories without the pressure of it turning out perfect. Having an activity that is solely there for your enjoyment takes a load of pressure off of the final product.
Like any skill, the ability to be creative gets easier the more you practice. Our Digital Marketing Director, Sarah, uses Dungeons and Dragons to flex her creative thinking and practice storytelling.
“This is my favourite hobby to tell people in marketing/creative jobs to do. It’s all about co-creating a story with other people. It’s such a wonderful way to work those muscles”.
Sarah Rosenquist, Digital Marketing Director
Not only does coming up with unique storylines translate pretty directly into spinning up some compelling ad copy, but it also offers up the ability to work together with the other players and find new and creative ways to solve problems as a team, utilize people’s individual strengths, and address conflict in a safe space.
Our, Digital Marketing Manager, Sara, uses photography as a way to force her mind to be present and help her find artful moments in ordinary things.
“The art of noticing can give you inspiration when travelling or walking. Whether it’s picking up on trends, identifying patterns or simply challenging yourself to capture a scene that you can’t really control but still having strong composition and creating a sense of balance is super fun!”
Sara Kohan, Digital Marketing Manager
Noticing patterns isn’t just useful for getting a cool picture either. That creative way of thinking will translate to being able to pick out patterns in data, user behaviour, or industry trends when you’re back at your desk too.
You have permission to fail
No one can be perfect 100% of the time, but if you’re anything like me, knowing that and believing that it also applies to you can be two very different things (I’m sure my fellow high-strung perfectionists can relate). While I’m a big believer in the saying “Nothing is really a failure if you learn something from it” there is a certain level of success that’s required when you’re delivering work to a client. Failure may be unavoidable but it’s also not something you’re often seeking out in a professional setting. That’s where the freedom of hobbies comes in.
When you’re doing something or creating something simply because you enjoy it, you are suddenly allowed to fail without consequence. This mindset can take some getting used to, after all, no one likes to fail. But when you set out on a project without the pressure of deadlines, edits, and feedback, you give yourself permission to work at your own pace and try something new, without any real consequences attached.
How will this make me a better marketer?
At this point, you may be wondering why on earth learning to fail is going to make you better at your job. After all, I did just say that failure was something to generally be avoided in a professional environment. But, just like creativity, problem-solving is a skill that improves the more you practice.
If you’re in the middle of restoring a coffee table and realize you’ve made a mistake, you have to step back, evaluate your options, and figure out the best way to move forward. You might get to the end of knitting a sweater and decide you hate how it turned out. You may be disappointed it’s not what you expected, but you also now have the opportunity to look at the project as a whole and try to figure out where you went wrong and how you can avoid the same mistake next time.
Giving yourself opportunities to practice this way of thinking when there are no consequences attached to failure, makes it easier to handle similar situations in your work. Is an ad campaign under-performing? No sweat, you’re an expert at pivoting and finding solutions thanks to that misstep in your coffee table. Did your latest content piece flop? You no longer let that frustration get in the way of breaking down what went well and what you can change next time thanks to that sweater you messed up.
Remember, nothing is truly a failure if you learn something from it, so why not learn in an environment without consequences?
Avoid burnout
Having something to work on besides your job is incredibly beneficial to your mental health and overall well-being. According to the United States Institute of Health, the more time you spend doing leisure activities, the better equipped you are to handle stressful situations. This is due to the positive effect that engaging in activities that bring you joy has on your overall mental health. Hobbies have been found to lessen the symptoms of depression and lessen the impact of stressful life events on your overall mood.
Achieve work/life balance
I’m going to make a bold statement in the world of marketing: I have a wonderful sense of work/life balance. I owe a lot of that to having hobbies. By having an activity that you enjoy outside of your job, you no longer feel like your day revolves around work. When you log off for the day and dive into a good book, go for a run, or work on your latest painting, you allow yourself the opportunity to find joy and purpose outside of what you were able to accomplish at work that day.
You begin to see yourself as a whole person rather than just an employee. Kaleigh, our Digital Marketing Director shared how scuba diving has been a way to unplug and recharge:
“You don’t think about marketing when you’re 60 feet underwater and focusing on your breathing. You can’t reach for your phone, you aren’t inundated with ads, and there are no notifications or emails to check. The endless blue world around you commands your attention. It’s meditative and one of the few ways I can turn my marketing brain off. It’s a true escape.”
Kaleigh Bulford, Digital Marketing Director
Graphic Designer, Bethany, shared how getting lost in cooking helps her destress.
“After a long day at my desk, cooking is one of the best ways to shake off work stress and reset my mind. There’s something about getting hands-on in the kitchen that helps me shift gears and leave the workday behind. It’s like hitting a reset button—it instantly improves my mood and gives me a sense of accomplishment, even if I’m just making something simple. By the time I sit down to eat, I feel relaxed, refreshed, and proud of what I’ve created.”
Bethany Johnston-Baril, Graphic Designer
How will this make me a better marketer?
I’m sure we’re all on board that this is all great but how does it make you a better marketer? I’m glad you asked! Like any job, there will be times when working in marketing becomes extremely stressful. When you’re able to handle stress better and have the ability to keep work in perspective, you can roll with the punches and deal with the issue at hand in a more logical and productive manner.
You’re able to leave hard days at work at work without spending the whole night replaying conversations and worrying about how you’ll get everything done on time. This work/life balance plays a huge part in avoiding burnout. Your job is no longer this all-encompassing thing and the stress of your job isn’t taking over every waking hour of your life. You have that time outside of work to breathe, relax, and keep everything in perspective. This doesn’t mean you’re not kicking ass at work and giving 100% at your job, it’s actually freeing you to show up (and show up well) every day.
Become a better communicator
We love to talk about the things we’re passionate about. We want to share the things we create and find people who love the same things we do. We’ve seen a rise in organized clubs over the last few years; from gathering together to run on a Saturday morning to sitting together knitting while you talk, people are naturally drawn to those who have similar interests. This increase in social time means you’re talking to more people, possibly even people you wouldn’t have connected with otherwise.
Like we’ve already discussed, the more you practice a skill the easier it becomes. Digital Marketing Manager, Ash began making videos on social media talking about the books they read and giving reviews. Ash shared a little bit about their process of making these videos.
“To help me make these videos better, I started a reading journal as well—keeping notes as I’m reading about characters, plot, themes and how I feel about the book. These videos are a great creative outlet for me, from figuring out how to make each one feel unique, to learning new editing styles and techniques. In a weird way, making these videos is almost like a verbal journal. They are an opportunity to get all my thoughts out of my head, getting to share them with others and bond over books is an added bonus.”
Ash Larizza, Digital Marketing Manager
You can check out some of Ash’s videos on their YouTube channel!
How will this make me a better marketer?
Effective communication is an essential skill in marketing. From networking to presentations, you’re going to need to be comfortable talking to a lot of different people. You’ll also be crafting copy and creating ads that speak directly to people. This practice of talking about things you know and love is a great way to flex your communication muscles. It might be much less intimidating to talk to someone about the book that you just read rather than deliver a pitch, so it makes it an ideal setting to practice your presentation skills.
It also give you an opportunity to practice the prep work that goes along with presenting. When Ash is making their videos, a ton of work goes on before they ever get on camera. From taking notes of their thoughts while reading to putting themselves in the shoes of the characters, this is all a 1:1 reflection of the work we do daily as marketers.
Hobbies are an avenue to explore personhood
Having hobbies isn’t keeping us from reaching our full potential work, they’re helping us get there faster. By allowing us to cross-train our minds, hobbies unlock a work of potential and an incredible training ground. Hobbies give us a safe space to experience failure, provide us with a creative outlet to imagine and play, push us to become better, more effective communicators, and give us the tools needed to handle stress and create a healthy work/life balance. So ditch the guilt and grab those ski poles, knitting needles, camera, or card game, and get to work becoming a better marketer!
