By: Dr. Lisa Germain
I am a serial hobbyist.
If you have never heard that term before, I am here to tell you it really is a thing.
So, what exactly does it mean to be a serial hobbyist? It’s when you find a hobby you love, become completely engaged in it, learn everything you can very quickly, stay up late so engrossed in it you lose track of time, and then drop it like a hot potato for something new that captures your attention.
Here’s an example. I once decided to make wallpaper out of brown paper grocery bags. My husband looked at me as if I was a lunatic and said, “You know, you can buy that on rolls.” I think he missed the point.
As you can imagine, it takes a certain personality type to fall into this pattern. Invariably, it requires a little bit of ADD, a certain degree of obsessiveness, and the desire to escape from the mental and physical gymnastics we perform day in and day out in our high stress profession. Going to a quiet place where I can create without having to use a millimeter ruler is energizing and gives me a sense of freedom I can’t find anywhere else.
Today, I am an author, an illustrator and a publisher. What? I can hardly believe it myself! If you ask me how that happened, I would have to say, ”It’s a long story.” Not the one that I wrote, but the circuitous route that led me there. It has been a labor of love and a true joy ride.
Before I get totally ahead of myself, let me tell you about my book. It is called “Santa’s Christmas Eve Toothache.”
The story revolves around the fact Santa Claus has been so busy all year preparing for Christmas that he missed his regular dental check-ups. As he is loading gifts onto his sleigh on Christmas Eve, he begins to get a toothache. Thinking the pain would just go away by itself, and not wanting to disappoint all the kids who have been good this year, he sets off to make his deliveries like normal.
As the night gets colder and longer and Santa eats more sweets, his tooth hurts so much he is ready to quit. Can Santa continue his journey? Will this be the year children wake up to find there is nothing under their tree?
Spoiler alert: The dentist is the good guy instead of the villain in my story. It’s about time we got the respect we deserve!
But, the fun does not stop there! I have included a FREE downloadable activity book based on the story with coloring pages, connect the dots, word search puzzles, fun facts and more.
Now, could you do me a small favor? Once you read it, let me know what you think about it by leaving a review https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NSDP3HD
I appreciate you more than you can imagine. And, if you want to know more about this particular “Extreme Hobby,” email me at lisa@thisoldtooth.com.
