Why is it your obsession/field of study?

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I have several:
Theatre: started at about the age of 7. I produce, act, direct, write and design for the theatre.
Writing: In the last two years, I've written 9300 jokes, 500 plays, 150 short stories and a couple of dozen cartoons and joke panels for my blog (www.funnyflashfiction.com/blog).
Painting: I paint large canvas abstract expressionist paintings.
Digital Art:
Poker (Texas Hold 'em)

@ James: "I think too much, therefore I am"
I like that! I might steal that for a signature, tbh...

I have serial obsessions.
It's like serial monogamy, where you're faithful to one woman at a time.

In no particular order:
Cameras and photography. I have several cameras, including four or five 35mm ones (mostly Nikons), a few medium formats (including a Hasselblad and a Fuji GX680) and a Sinar 4x5" system. My only digital is the iPhone. I develop everything myself, and I even mix up my own chemicals. Obsessive enough?

Music. Listening to music on my kickass stereo (which in its latest incarnation contains a pair of Anthony Gallo ref. 3.1 powered by a Cayin Class A amp), playing (badly) several instruments including guitars, making shite music on a home "studio" in the basement (a Mac/Focusrite/M-Audio affair), making music databases, you name it. Life long obsession that never goes away.

Motorcycles. I have a couple of old (1970s) Suzukis, but have had BMWs as well. I love riding. I'm never as focused over so much time as when I'm riding. It calms me down to a razor charp chilled state where every detail is processed and used: the noise from the bike, the vibrations of the bike, the contours of the road, finding the perfect line, leaning just so, thinking for all the other idiots on the road, weather and road conditions, all of it. And the socially acceptable solitude. Recommended.

Popular science stuff.

Richard Dawkins.

Classic literature

Movies

Logic and programming (been a while, but I could get back into it)

Travelling (I travel A LOT in my job - have been to over 70 different countries for work).
I find it remarkably liberating to travel; nobody expects you to really fit in when you're on the other side of the planet.


For starters.

Thanks for the comment on my cartoon.
I appreciate the feedback
yours,
... Jim

traveling and food. My reason for living is to travel the world.

I'm a butterfly systematist. I've been organizing things into groups since I was eight and now I do it as a career. I find that it's a feature and not a bug (haha) that I can see more detail than other people in this case and I think it makes me very good at my job. At home, on the other hand, it can be really crazy-making sometimes.

I'm also fascinated with the fiber arts - spinning, knitting, sewing, quilting, and so on.

In no particular order:
Computers/programming
Electronics
Machinery/engineering

Combine the three and you get computer controlled machines (CNC). I find it endlessly fascinating to watch a machine carving out parts with a precision and coordination that no human could ever match. It gives me a real kick to take an old broken CNC machine, replace the electronics and get it running better than it did when it was new. The down side to this hobby is that most of these machines are rather large and weigh several tonnes so space becomes an issue It should come as no surprise that my avatar is a decorative cube machined out of a solid block of aluminum.

Other offshoots of these interests include radio controlled models and building off-road vehicles. Oddly enough they usually end up with lots of CNC machined parts

Luckily for me, electronics designers who understand software as well are quite rare, as are experts in CNC repairs so I have no shortage of paying work.

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Well lately I have been slacking on my topics of interest but when I am obsessively researching/studying a topic I never really know why exactly the things that interest me interest me.

Field of study - theology, obsession - it varies, from entertainment to personality disorders, to steampunk, and more.

Oh, you asked WHAT I like about my obsessions. Well, I tend to think that whatever obsession I pick up is crucial to my survival at any stage of my life. With Ian McCulloch, I'd think everything that man does is OK, because he's so effortlessly cool. I like how he reminded me a bit of Iggy Pop and Lou Reed in his singing, the first time I saw him. I like how both he and Will Sergeant are introverts, and awkward around each other. I like how he makes it cool to be weird or different.

I love the English language, and the origins and uses of words. I did a large part of my OU degree in English language studies and just enjoyed that so much. I also love the French language, but need to refresh as my knowledge has become quite rusty.

My favourite escapism thing is to read - and I love any author who uses language really well. Claire Morrall is one of my current favourite authors - she is so perceptive and describes things so well. I also love police procedurals and crime fiction.

In terms of things to absorb or relax me, I go for knitting - I count along with every stitch I knit and find it so calming. I only use certain wools or yarns tho, as I don't like the feel of acrylic yarns. I like to knit patterns rather than just plain knit purl as I find that a bit dull.

I have been helping my dad with sorting his stamp collection, and think that may become my latest obsession - it's great fun and I love the categorising etc aspects.

I'm obsessed by computer science, and I like atronomy and history too. But computer science is all my life

Science fiction / Fantasy. When I was younger, I loved this because it wasn't THIS world.

Math. It just made sense to me. Nobody taught me math; I just sat in the room when someone taught other people math, at least until I got to calculus.

Programming. The first time I looked a book on programming, it all must made sense. Computers will do anything you want if you ask them the right way; they don't get mad, it doesn't matter if they like you, they don't have moods, they don't have to like, you don't have to be polite... gee, I hate the way this sounds!

Music: Composing for concert and marching band. Playing trombone and euphonium. Because I WASN;T good at it... I had to work really hard to get anywhere at all! Band was the only time in school I was really part of a group... and after I started to get better, I was someone everyone wanted and needed.

John

I'm not OBSESSED with these fields, but I know what interests me and what I want to do when I'm older (in order):

1. Culinary Arts- I love to cook and I'm good at it. Plus, you're not sitting all day looking at papers.

2. Music-I play the trombone, and I'm trying to learn to play other instruments. Playing music is just so much fun!

3. Choreography- I love to dance, and I'm not too shabby at dancing.

4. Abstract artist- No matter how hard I try, I'm no good at making my art look like a photo. Abstract art also has a special meaning to the artist, too.

5. Cosmoltologist- I love doing peoples' hair and make-up, as well as learning different hairstyles and make-up techniques.

You can probably tell that I'm a very artsy type of person, because I am!! !! !! I'm not into math, english, science, or history. That's just not me

tarot, occult, astrology, mysticism, eastern religion, angel card readings...............spirituality

My three bisggest passions outside of my wife and soulmate are wargaming and military history, naval architecture, and law. All are fascinating.

1) Wargaming and military history because I'm obsessed with tactics, strategy, and the efficient use of men and equipment in combat (and I want to conquer the world).

2) Naval archetecture because of my fascination with battleships and their performance in battle.

3) Law because I love to argue.