Erica Skye

I need to tell you about the day I decided to make a balloon arch for absolutely no reason.

There was no party. No event. No occasion. I just woke up one day, watched one too many videos, and thought — I wonder if I could do that.

Spoiler: I could. And now I make balloon arches.

How It Started

It wasn’t a plan. It was one of those random thoughts that shows up on a Tuesday and refuses to leave. I kept seeing them everywhere — at events, in content, in restaurants — and something about the process looked satisfying to me.

So I looked it up. Bought the supplies. Cleared out some space. And just started.

The first one was not cute. I’m not going to pretend it was cute. But it was MINE, and I was proud of it in the way you’re proud of anything you make with your own hands for the first time.

What I Didn’t Expect

I didn’t expect it to be as meditative as it is.

There’s something about the repetition of it, blowing up balloon after balloon, tying them together, building something piece by piece, that completely shuts off the noise in your head. No emails. No to-do list. Just you and a growing pile of balloons and a vision in your mind.

I also didn’t expect to get good at it. But here we are.

What the Balloon Arch Era Taught Me

It sounds silly to say a hobby changed something in me. But it kind of did.

Picking up something new with zero pressure, zero audience, and zero expectation of being good at it right away reminded me of what it feels like to just create. Not for content. Not for anyone else. Just because making things feels good.

That’s a feeling I think a lot of us forget about as adults. And it’s one I’m not letting go of again.

The Moral of This Very Specific Story

If something keeps showing up in your head, go try it. The worst case is you don’t like it. The best case is you find a whole new version of yourself waiting on the other side of “I wonder if I could.”

You probably can. And even if you can’t, you’ll have fun finding out.

What’s the most random hobby you’ve ever picked up? Tell me in the comments. I love a good origin story.

— Erica Skye