Introverts: which ones have you enjoyed the most?
Programming. I honestly love writing code. I’ve built quite a few useful tools for myself, I’ve toyed around with making games, I regularly play around with new languages and libraries to see how they work, and I’ve also written a bunch of pointless code that has no practical purpose but was fun or enjoyable to create. All of which cost me no money and required very little interaction with other people.
This is going to sound a little strange, but playing music on stage works for me. At least in moderation, and provided you aren’t the lead singer/MC who has to interact with people. You just wanna be some guy in the corner jamming on whatever you jam on.
You kind of get the best parts of being in a social situation in terms of seeing new places, having interesting experiences you can ponder for days to come, and occasionally getting free food and/or a green room where you can veg out in isolation and no one expects anything of you. But you can avoid the negatives: having to make small talk, looking awkward with nothing to do and no role to play, being labelled antisocial, getting roped into some horrible activity you did not sign on for, etc.
And it turns out there are a lot of introverted musicians. You only really need one extravert in a band.
Cooking! I’m not a weird loner with a fire fetish, I’m channeling my inner Francis Mallmann. No really, if you get really serious about it, cooking can be a great solitary, hyperfocus, hobby. From distilling my own sea salt to cataloging where to harvest wild fennel and clams, it’s not something I’d want to do in a group.
And, you do get to have people over in circumstances you completely control!
Cycling. Nobody to bother you and you can just keep going for hours. Even if you ride with other people, they’re won’t be much chatter during the ride. Going for a drink afterwards is optional. And even if you go you can just talk about gear ratios and spring rates.
Video games, crafts, reading, gardening
Things I enjoy despite the fact that I’m an introvert: racing, building racecars (it’s a whole ass thing with a bunch of people on our race team)
Seconding your first list, those are all hobbies of mine that I greatly enjoy as well, and am definitely an introvert. There are so many “crafts” to try out, as well, I’m sure most folks will be able to find one they really like. Some that I’ve been into and enjoyed at various times include crochet, miniature building, watercolor painting, origami, etc.
Can’t say I’ve had any experience with racing, though!
I grew up with a racecar in my garage (circle track asphalt) and about the time I was old enough to enjoy it my uncle’s, my dad, and the driver of the car all retired. One of my uncle’s got cancer a few years back and his bucket list was to start racing again (RIP). Now my bro is racing so we spend a lot of time in the shop. Not a hobby I would’ve thought I’d end up in, even growing up around it but hey, I’m having fun lol.