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There is a widespread and mistaken belief that having Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD is a bad thing. Even as the ADD “afflicted” brain without doubt holds out a few challenges, it puts forward a few hard to believe advantages, as well. Not to toot my own horn or anything (as I “suffer” from ADD), but to help my fellow writers with ADD (research shows that writing is career that often attracts people with ADD), I’ve listed below a few of characteristics that I have seen over and over again in people with ADD.

1. Empathy
People with ADD have a highly developed capability to identify with others, and to see a lot of diverse points of view. Maybe it is because we take in a whole lot of information all at once. Maybe its because we had a tough time socially when we were growing up. Who knows? It’s just something I’ve noticed.

2. Ingenuity
I have on no account come across a a person with ADD who was not ingenious. Painters, designers, sculptors, film makers, writers, musicians and comedians — the list goes on. Creative aptitudes are plentiful. Composers Mozart and Beethoven are assumed to have had ADD, and possibly Leonardo da Vinci, as well.
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With the advance of technology and the evolution of online auctions, you can now turn your hobbies into cash machines. If you are a collector, you probably are already aware that Ebay is a good resource for finding things to add to your collection. It is also a good resource for letting things in your collection go — sometimes at a profit.

For instance, if you collect a particular type of antique or vintage dishes, such as Fiesta, you can search Ebay for exactly the piece you need to complete your set. In addition to finding the exact item you are looking for, there is a possibility you’ll get it for a great price as well. Because many collectibles are sold on Ebay by non-collectors who have no idea of the value of the object, that tangerine colored pitcher might be yours for a song. You just have to look.
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When I was a kid, my mother was studying geology and so I picked up the hobby of rock collecting. Although, I don’t follow that hobby any more, I still have a couple of the more special rocks from my collecting sitting on the bookshelf across from my desk.

Rock collecting is a fascinating hobby and can provide hours of fun, as well as some exercise, too. While rocks are common, cheap, and found everywhere, the variety is huge. Collected rocks can be displayed in many ways, from rock gardens to neatly kept showcases, making rock collecting a versatile hobby.

When rock collecting, you will soon find out that rocks can be categorized as one of three types. A sedimentary rock formed when sediments, such as sand or silt, were pressed together under their own weight or the weight of water, and eventually became solid. An igneous rock is one that was formed by volcanic activity. And the metamorphic rock that is like a sedimentary rock which has been changed through intense heat and pressure.
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Gardening is a great hobby. It gets you out and about — so its good for the body. And it keeps your mind active. But gardening is heavily dependent on weather, which, if you’ve been watching the news lately, has been a bit erratic of late.

So, a hobby greenhouse may be in order. A hobby greenhouse is not large enough to produce vegetables or flowers on a commercial basis, but it will give you a place for a tomato plant or two and some fresh greens even if you live in the northern regions.

If you really get into your hobby green house, you might want to check out the Hobby Greenhouse Association (HGA), which publishes a quarterly magazine. The organization also sponsers events and helps individuals connect to get help with any aspect of gardening that they are interested in, whether it’s growing cacti or saving seeds.
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This is the first post of a new year, so I thought I’d do something different. On one of my other blogs, I choose specific topic to have all posts for that month focus on. I thought that would work well here, too. If not, you can always tell me so on a comment, right?

Anyway, January tends to be a time that people focus on their goals and resolutions for the year. As a writer, one of those resolutions should be to keep your mind toned and healthy. Having a hobby other than writing is one way to not only do that, but also keep those creative juices flowing. You never know when you’ll come across a new idea for your next story.

So, what’s your favorite pastime? Hobby enthusiasts know that spare time is not to be “spent” but savored. If you have a pastime you enjoy, you will never look at your spare time in the same way again. If you’re not sure what pastime hobby you would enjoy, here are some suggestions.
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