Do you think it is possible to change my special interest?

Thank you, this is helpful too.

Hmmm thank you,  maybe I could. 

JLyn said:

I accumulate so many finished artworks that last time I chucked it all at the dump.

Could you continue, but sell what you make instead of keeping and storing it? 

For example, on Etsy?

https://www.etsy.com/uk/c/art-and-collectibles?ref=catnav-66

"Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. It’s home to a universe of special, extraordinary items, from unique handcrafted pieces to vintage treasures."

Just a suggestion JLyn, but it seems a shame not to pursue some sort of art because of the volume of results. Could you learn how to do some kind of computer art? Computer files don't take up physical space. Thinking of all the special effect backgrounds in films, title sequences, or even concept art before the film is made - these are often drawn on a computer using Illustrator or a free version.

I am in-between special interests at the moment and feel a bit lost. I am trying to not make it making collage art (the urge to create it is growing in me) I have had art as my special interest on and off for years. I accumulate so many finished artworks that last time I chucked it all at the dump. I am making one to give to my mum but will stop there.

Anyway I feel lost, I need a special interest obsession to lose myself in. I love natural raw materials. I really want to go mining for crystals or something like that. Obviously I can't.  I suppose watching others doing it on utube might be a substitute. 

Exactly! I am forever clearing out my clothes cos I hate clutter but buying new ones, especially football shirts, comforts me. Its quite a contradiction 

And it’s the storage of these things. For me at the moment it’s buying the t-shirt associated with a running event I’ve done and I can’t really justify keeping buying them for space reasons (or lack thereof)

So lovely to hear this. I’m also old enough to have a repository of special interests and it’s been a delight to return to some from a very long time ago. 

I mean yes pets can cause issues for others, especially those you live with. But if living alone / with others who apreciate this animal isn't an option maybe you could be invloved with these animals in some other way. Horses for example. Most people can't keep horses as a pet it's not a practical option, but they can still rent a horse to ride at a stable. Maybe some outside of the home animal contact could be aranged?

I had to stop learning languages because it became all consuming and overwhelming. I tend to get over-absorbed and feel exhausted and anxious. I just had to walk away totally. I've kept the books just in case. I feel so much more relaxed now. For me, it had to be a complete break.

It's a type of pet 

Special interests can be expensive! One of mine is collecting football shirts and they are expensive! I have had to really ration myself on them lately 

If you are thinking about it at all it is time to shift, at whatever pace suits. perhaps you have another pursuit in mind already.

I am old enough to have a "toy chest" or "file cabinet" in my mind full of special interests Ive accumulated over the years. Some Re revisit after years away from them. Like writing and publishing poems.

The main thing is to honor the change and do it at what ever pace feels comfortable. The current interest is not "lost' It is in the Toy chest!

Also it's good to remember that we have multiple lives we reincarnate into and, often,  I will feel a connection right away with something from a past life - It feels.. already familiar, like when I picked up an instrument and just knew what to do with it. This happened with written music notation and the piano keyboard, for example.

Knowing we can come back as often as we like helps me to relax even further into what ever I'm stoked about at the moment. It is that feeling of being so totally absorbed that is the important bit.

Hi. 

What's your curent special interest? Sadism? :P Otherwise I'm sure there must be a way to pursue it with out causing so much pain ... discomfort maybe but not pain.

It's funny because I see that aspect in me and 'nipped it in the bud' by making strict rules for myself. One is no online gaming and the other is no games with in-game purchases. I'm glad that you got out!

I watched a video some time ago, unfortunately it was in German not in English. The channel is “Tom Harrendorf- Autismus und borderline” the author talked about special interests being usually random things that for some reason absorb us so much that they become our special interest. In my case all of my interests I’ve ever had were random. Starting with the trams. In kindergarten I was not interested with my peers, while traveling I observed the tram, the parts, I also observed how it moved on the rails, that the rail profile fits the wheel and the rails are not equally situated on the turns, and other things. Tram was also one of my first words I spoke at 3 years old, earlier I didn’t speak at all. I definitely didn’t choose this to be my interest. I just loved trams and still like them. Only some noises and smells there bother me. Especially the smell of sweating people when it’s hot. My other interest - Russian also started somehow spontaneously. Aliens started with the Bible. And it was also accidentally. But maybe someone’s interests are more consciously chosen. 

Sorry for replying in two parts - my grocery delivery arrived, so I had to cut my first reply short.

It was preparing for my autism assessment that prompted me to calculate my spending on my then interest (a mobile / tablet / computer game), which had lasted for many years. One of the pre-assessment questions asked what my hobbies / interests were and how much I spent on them. So, obviously (autism, duh), I had to calculate it accurately.

In fact, I'd already recognised that that particular special interest was, by then, doing me a lot more mental harm than good. So it was a timely intervention that enabled me to make a conscious decision to step away from it. 

The game typically involved at least daily interactions (in order to earn / accrue all of the various in-game benefits, and driven in part by fear of missing out) - and often many more daily device pick-ups than that. So it wasn't an easy habit to break, as it had all become so very ingrained in my daily life.

However, once I'd decided to step away, I did so. It actually proved to be a huge relief, much more so than I could have imagined. That was around a year ago. I revisited the game a short time ago out of curiosity, to see how I'd feel. I was relieved to find that it no longer holds appeal for me.

This is an interesting question. I'd like to be able to re-ignite my older interests, as I am having trouble engaging with them.

Maybe for you, you should try just reading about as many different things as you can and see if any naturally catch your eye. You weren't born with your current interest - it must have caught your eye in some way at first. Maybe you can have that same experience again.

Definitely. I chose to change one of mine after I'd forced myself into calculating how much it had been costing me, ending my wilful denial!