“Today”'s Craig Melvin Reveals the Surprising 'Weird' Hobby That Brings Him Joy: 'I Sound Like a Freak' (Exclusive)
"I find the process cathartic," the NBC newsman tells PEOPLE of his newfound hobby
As Craig Melvin steps into his new role as co-anchor of Today, his demanding work schedule is about to become even more hectic. But luckily he has a very calming hobby that brings him a little peace.
About a year ago, he tells PEOPLE his therapist encouraged him to take up a creative endeavor.
"He was like, 'Well, what do you enjoy?'" says Melvin of his therapist in this week's cover story. "I was like, 'What do you mean what do I enjoy? I jog. I play golf. I'm not very good.' He's like, 'Well, what about making something with your hands?' I was like, 'Ha ha. You don't really know me.'"
When his therapist then asked what brings him joy, Melvin, 45, had an idea: "Well, God, I really love candles. I've loved candles for years."
"Next thing you know, I’m churning out dozens of candles a month,” Melvin says.
He taught himself the craft with the help of books and YouTube videos. “I sound like some sort of freak, but I enjoy it. I find the process cathartic.”
He "pours" three times a month and his wife Lindsay Czarniak, an award-winning sportscaster and TV host, even made him a special space in the garage for his newfound hobby. "At first I was like, 'Oh, this is so sweet.' And then, I realized that was her passive-aggressive way of saying, 'Please get your candle crap out of the kitchen. It's taking over,'" Melvin teases.
The anchor gets serious when revealing how he juggles a demanding schedule (he wakes up at 3:45 a.m.) with a lot of family time, and it's thanks to Czarniak.
"She's the best mom," Melvin says of Czarniak, with whom he shares son Delano, 10, and daughter Sybil, 8. "Just watching her in action is amazing. Jugging her schedule, juggling my schedule, and always being totally present."
He says the one thing that's "worked for them" in their marriage of 13 years is his ability to "follow instructions very well."
"Years ago I had a boss who told me in a performance review, she was like, 'You're coachable. That's one of the things that makes you an asset to the newsroom. You're coachable,' " Melvin recalls. "And I think in marriage, I've been coachable."
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"And God bless her because she puts up with a lot," the NBC anchor adds of his wife. "When your husband's getting up for work at 'O dark 30,' and he's not always that quiet, and sometimes the phone rings in the middle of the night, she has put up with a lot for a long time."
When Mevin isn't working or pouring candles, he's spending as much time as possible with his kids.
"I focus on quality, not necessarily quantity,” Melvin says. “I know it sounds small, but unless I’m traveling, we always have dinner together.”
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Today airs weekdays on NBC beginning at 7 a.m. ET.
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