I'll try to explain but I'll probably ramble. It seems like whenever I bring up hobbies I have (gardening, music production, decorating, tinkering with electronics), the immediate response I get IRL is advice on how I could transform it into a small business. Personally I think I'd be limiting my ability to enjoy that stuff, becuase instead of enjoying it on its own I'd be connecting it to an exterior chase for profit. Plus I doubt my ability to wring money out of anything I enjoy.

But it's strange, it seems like certain hobbies are regarded as an acceptable thing to persue with no need to become an entrepreneur. I'm thinking of an interest in cars, playing sports, watching movies, probably other stuff I'm not considering.

There's some kind of split in hobbies that makes some normal, everyday things and others into business fuel. Is it hustle culture or what? I don't get it. I just wanna do stuff to chill out, not be stressed over investments or profit margins or whatever.

Do y'all have similar experiences?

    • axont [she/her, comrade/them]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Yeah I am absolutely certain this would happen to me. I don't want to lose the few things I enjoy.

  • ultraviolet [she/her]
    ·
    3 years ago

    I promised myself to not let my hobbies turn into jobs cuz I know it will suck all of the good aspects out of it.

  • Bolshy [any]
    ·
    3 years ago

    When i told my counselor about my digital design hobby he just told me to my face “that’s a job.” if you say your hobby is football you're expected to consume it as media not just playing it. In contrast, you paint good? Sell it. To them Hobby = consume

    • axont [she/her, comrade/them]
      ·
      3 years ago

      OK, this actually does explain it then. There's an acknowledgment that passive consumption simply doesn't make money. Creating things or personal expression can possibly make money, therefore if you're not making money off it, why bother?

  • Jeff_Benzos [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    I've gotten plenty of "you should start an etsy store" from people who have no idea how many hours get put into a craft project. I ran the numbers, and if someone wanted to pay me double what they could spend elsewhere for a similar garment, I would only make roughly $1.50/hr for my skilled labor. I think I'll stick to making gifts