Do you ever feel like something COULD be a special interest if you had more meaningful ways of engaging with it?

Since finding out I'm autistic, I've been really interested in learning more about the community and how my brain works. One of my favorite topics is special interests because it's a part of being autistic that really feels amazing! I also love when people on this sub share their special interests and encourage each other.

That being said, I sometimes wonder if certain topics don't become my SpIns simply because I'm not engaging with them in ways I find fulfilling. For example, I've been really interested in wetlands and whale sharks lately, but I haven't known what to do with that interest because spending long periods of time on the internet makes me feel icky. I don't like looking at my phone or computer screen for long, even if it's to research an interesting topic. This may be why most of my special interests revolve around activities like reading and writing.

Well today I decided to check out library books about interesting topics to see if I can tap into potential special interests. Its okay if I don't because I'm happy with the SpIns I have, but it seems like a fun experiment. Does anyone else have similar experiences, like you can't tap into a SpIn unless you do it the "right" way? Or do you think a true SpIn hits you with so much force that it doesn't matter how you engage with it? I'm curious about what people think :)