I haven’t followed one of Denyse’s prompts in a little while. I flicked over to her blog this morning and what do you know, the prompt was about hobbies. I’ve always been “bad” at hobbies. I’ve tried things but they feel fake, like I’m going through the motions. Most of the time, I just assume that it means I haven’t found the hobby for me.
What Is A Hobby Now?
I won a a virtual ticket to the Artful Business Conference and was watching live on Saturday. (I felt a bit tired and frustrated by my current state of illness and didn’t want to watch on Sunday, but I’ll watch the recordings when I’m in a better state of mind to actually action what I learned.)
My big takeaway so far was that if your hobby becomes a business, get a new hobby! You still need downtime. And I wondered if that’s why I find it hard to actually sell anything on Bloggers and Bacon. Because blogging came to me as a step along my public writing journey, which started with fan fictions and livejournals. But then I feel like it’s not fair to blame the hobby-business continuum, when I frankly have done little to “properly” promote it. (Yes, I’ve had work and study and sickness, so I’m not being harsh on myself here, it’s more of a truthful look at what I need to do when I am able to again.)
A few years ago I tried to get into crafts. I pretty much sucked at it, and yet I thought I needed to start selling it at market stalls. Now, maybe that’s because craft is expensive, maybe it’s because I don’t actually like that kind of “stuff” in my house…maybe it’s some other mindset thing that I haven’t even thought of yet in justifying the cost for something “pointless”.
But then I realised I do have my hobby. Photography. I don’t share it online because I don’t feel there’s a need. It’s only for me. I decided long ago that I don’t actually like the world of commercial photography. (Look, I’m sure I could find a place in it if I wanted to, but I’m really not sure I do want to.) I couldn’t care less if I share a semi-blurry photo snapped on my iPhone to Instagram. If I like it, or if I want to share it, then that’s that.
I guess in the end, what I’m talking about here is the boundary between hobby, hobby income, and business. When do we have to work out where we sit on that spectrum? Why does the pressure (real or imagined or self imposed) to make a hobby a business exist? What is the point of a hobby if we take it out of the self-care realm and put it into the “gotta make moolah” range?
(And how many times can you type the word hobby before it looks fake?)
Do you have a hobby that you don’t share online?
I think sometimes there is a fine line between hobby and business. Currently, my blogging doesn’t make me any money, and I really enjoy writing and compiling things for it. I’m not one who generally has things to do that are just for me, so I guess it has become my hobby.
And any words look fake if you type them over and over again. ?
Haha that’s true, I could type hello a few times and it’d look fake too 🙂
I don’t call my writing a hobby because I’m afraid that if I do, it won’t be my business – and I want it to be…eventually…
And that’s a good mindset to have – treat it like a business from the get-go if that’s what it will be to you.
Blogging is one of my hobbies and through it I share lots of bits and pieces from my life including hobbies and interests. I have no expectation of ever profitting from my blog which is liberating but also means that the blog really has no direction or goal. But I’m happy with that.
SSG xxx
Directionless also means less pressure, and I don’t know of anyone who wants more pressure in their life.
I sense that you are searching for something but I wonder what. In saying that, you are a very intelligent young person with much more zest for life than you are able to show right now. You have been so unwell for so long it totally clouds anything other than “I want to feel well again”. It will come. The wellness and then you will see brighter ideas. I want to see some of your photos!! Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek 22/52. Next week’s prompt: View From Here.
I think much of what I feel these days is frustration. And when I get the energy to go a-photograping again, I may share online. There’s a section of beach near me that I just can’t get the right photo of; it looks gorgeous most of the time but I haven’t capture what I want of it yet.
Ugh, I’m awful at crafts. I have this idea in my head that never translates onto the page… or the origami. Or whatever whacky thing I’m trying that week. But I’m glad that you have photography that you can enjoy!
I feel like when I do crafts it’s worse than a 2 year olds attempt.
I can’t see any of my hobbies become business any time soon!
I think you have to love it enough to like the time spent away on marketing and so on, and that seems to be my downfall.
I wish I had time for a hobby. I once would have said that my blog is my hobby but in the past few years it has become more work than hobby.
Thanks for linking up to #MummyMondays with All Mum Said.
It is really easy for a blog to feel more like an obligation than a hobby. I’ve gone through cycles of it, but made it through each time.