About

I'm Mark. I'm 38, I have two kids, and I have a tendency to start new things.

Over the years I've had a go at skiing, swimming, coding, beer brewing, BJJ, tennis, pop piano, Spanish, chess, and sailing — some of those more seriously than others, and with varying degrees of success. Some have stuck. Some are still in progress. Some are sitting in a drawer waiting for the day I circle back.

This site is where I write about what I've noticed along the way. Not from the perspective of an expert — I'm not a professional musician, a linguist, or a black belt. I'm an adult with a full life who is genuinely interested in the question of how you pick up new skills when you have limited time and no particular natural gift.

What this site is

Everything here is my opinion, my observation, and my personal research. I'll tell you what's worked for me, what hasn't, and what I've found reading about how learning actually works. Over time I want to include interviews with other adult learners and people who teach them — people with real insight into what makes the difference.

The site has two main sections:

• The Fundamentals — my framework for learning anything as a busy adult. Personal, opinionated, based on experience. Start with this article if you're new here.
• Skill guides — more research-based, practical how-tos for specific skills: piano, guitar, Spanish, BJJ. The kind of guide I wished existed when I started each of them.

Why "The Serious Hobbyist"?

Because there's something underserved in the space between the casual dabbler and the professional. The person who genuinely wants to get good at something — not to perform, not necessarily to compete — but to actually be able to do the thing. Who is doing it in the gaps of a full life, and taking it seriously enough to do it properly.

That's who I'm writing for. That's who I am.

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You can reach me at hello@yourdomain.com. I'd especially like to hear from other adult learners — what you're working on, what's clicked, what hasn't.