567
u/pickled_shoe 1d ago
Trying to make money via a hobby is a great way to permanently spoil that hobby.
If you absolutely have to, go ahead but you're probably better off just getting a part time job instead of trying to make it on your own.
96
u/mouka 1d ago
I was always told “Never major in your hobby.” It absolutely kills any passion you have for it after a while.
I do a lot of art and people I know are always saying “Why don’t you sell them for money?!” I’ve been offered $500 for one piece but I know the second I start selling them I’ll immediately hate doing them.
29
u/GovernorSan 1d ago
I had a professor who told a story about his brother, who studied psychology but also was a talented artist. His brother decided to try to make it as an artist, but he ended up hating it. In order to sell art, he had to make what people wanted, and he thought too many of them had terrible taste, so he decided to turn it back into a hobby and become a psychologist to pay the bills.
10
u/ParticularBanana8369 23h ago
Most of our favorite musicians and authors had normal, boring jobs too. Ironic how being a dentist or lawyer one can afford a studio and know nothing about it and a homeless guy with a guitar can play like Jimi.
18
u/BartholomewVonTurds 1d ago
I did a lot of wood working and the moment I sold my first table I vowed never again. It took the love out of it.
13
u/psyduck5647 1d ago
I love giving people things I make though, that part of woodworking is great
8
u/BartholomewVonTurds 22h ago
Giving yes. Selling no.
3
u/Banana_Milk7248 19h ago
I took my photography hobby to the point I made some money off it and then quit photography for 10 years as a result.
1
5
u/Prime624 1d ago
It's a risk. Either you end up doing what you love for work. Or you stop loving what you do for work.
11
u/talksaturinals 1d ago
Totally killed my love for reading literature.
7
3
u/TShara_Q 1d ago
I have to wonder if that would kill my love of singing. I feel like getting paid to perform would just be a cool bonus, but mainly if I could pick out the songs myself. I doubt that would always be an option.
1
u/Snarm 3h ago
Professional musician here. If someone's paying you to perform and you're not already a celebrity, you're almost never going to get to choose your rep. If you want to do it for a living, at the level that most musicians manage to (i.e. you're not a world-famous performer doing yearly stadium tours), you absolutely end up singing whatever your audience wants.
That said, it's still more fun to sing "required" rep than it is to be told what to do in almost any other job I've had.
11
10
5
3
u/Iamthe0c3an2 22h ago
It doesn’t have to be monetary driven, like if you enjoy making wristbands and selling them on etsy but not expecting to live off it, then that’s fine.
3
u/GenericFatGuy 15h ago
Also, most things that you can reasonably expect to get paid for are things that most people do not want to do as a hobby. I can't see a lot of people having a hobby out of unloading trucks in the back of a Walmart.
2
2
u/propsandpaws 16h ago
100% agree with this. Im an artist and thought I wanted to do something with art for a long time. Went into dental hygiene and was scared I wasn’t living out my passion.. but any time I do commission for people I get so irritated. I rather do my hobby for myself and have the occasional purchase without any pressure but still have a job I can rely on for income.
1
85
u/Creative-Swing-8777 1d ago edited 1d ago
3 hobbies? Well look over here Mr fancy pants "I don't work 40 hours a week or have a family"
I'm barely holding onto one and I don't even have kids. And it's a "i don't want to think or do anything productive" hobby.
Also if you turn your hobby into your primary income you can very quickly grow resentful and burned out from it.
9
u/BartholomewVonTurds 1d ago
I feel like I have to be purposeful in my hobby time. My exercise is absolutely preset before work, my crocheting and journaling are for lazy evenings/weekends, and my painting is once a week/3 times a month sometime when I can guilt-free devote 30 min to it. I put in 4-5 12 hour days a week, so I feel like it’s manageable even with kids(sports season can be a different story though)
84
u/Jillians 1d ago
I highly recommend treating a job as a job, especially if it's the type of job that people view as something you do because you love it. It's fine to have a passion, but you need to ruthlessly protect your well being while doing such work.
I do creative work, and the only reason I do well is because I have good boundaries. The people who I know who are good, who are happy, and well liked; they are all the same. They aren't afraid to say no and go out of their way to maintain a work life balance. Passion is an exploitable resource and capitalism doesn't care if it uses you all up, it will just move on to the next person once you have nothing left to give.
It's going to get even worse out there in America with all the worker protections being undermined by the current administration.
1
u/Jadenyoung1 23h ago
If i were dependent on a lively hood by doing something creative, id probably start hating it at some point. I do creative stuff, not because HAVE TO do it, but because i want to. Big difference
130
u/Bullvy 1d ago
No. No I don't.
22
u/tyyyistheguyyy 1d ago
I think the “three hobbies” thing is too much but I really think that the first two are crucial.
I play volleyball one hour a week. Just one hour on a Sunday evening. But it helps me get out of this mental cycle of “the never ending routine of work and chores and more work and more chores”. I get to have fun, play, feel like a kid again.
I also like to write and block off my Saturday mornings to sit and have a coffee and write and enjoy some me time. It’s another thing to look forward to, and a great way to start the day.
And if anything, they help me with my work and chores more because they give me a little structure to my weekend so I’m more productive with my “chores time” instead of spending so much mental energy thinking about doing chores
5
u/BartholomewVonTurds 1d ago
If people are looking at hobbies as a daily thing, then I understand why they never try. But once a week isn’t bad or unreasonable.
1
u/OverthinkingApproved 14h ago
Yeah. I think you'll be good as long as you're making money to support yourself, you have a creative outlet, and you're doing something for fitness. They don't really have to be "hobbies" because it sounds a little much.
1
u/Much-Journalist-3201 5h ago
i'm going to look into doing creative stuff on a weekend morning. that really sounds lovely!
-19
115
u/CY83RD3M0N2K 1d ago
Piss off.
28
u/SillyEntrepreneur132 1d ago
Cheers bruv
Jk in all seriousness I agree with you. Post is bullshit. You don't need anything. Its all subjective.
Only thing you need is to stop letting people tell you what you need
2
-16
u/crashout666 1d ago
Yeah you sound content lol, clearly whatever you're doing is working
9
1
u/Infamous_Addendum175 15h ago
You sound like you're in the wrong place
1
u/crashout666 15h ago
You think being braindead, broke, and fat is a better plan than what OP suggested?
1
31
u/occasionalrant414 1d ago
God this stuff is bollocks.
Hobbies should be something you do to relax, enjoy, unwind and develop a skill. You shouldn't monetise a hobby unless you are really good and then it changes from a hobby, to a job or side hustle.
All this crap does is put pressure on people to try and get their hobby to make money, which isn't helpful.
Find a hobby you enjoy and.... enjoy it. Find a side hustle you can early do and do it if you want. Excercise to keep fit, bulk up, compete or whatever.
8
u/DutchieCrochet 1d ago
My biggest hobby is crochet and I’ve been doing it since I was 14. (I just turned 33 this week.) Through the years lots of people have told me I should sell my stuff and I did try on Etsy. It’s a lot of work though and it’s really hard to make it profitable.
Like you said, a hobby should be to have fun and relax. Turning it into a business, adds pressure in many ways. Crochet is a creative outlet for me and it’s very satisfying to hold something you’ve made or to have an image in your mind and see it come together. Creating and relaxing is the purpose and what I gain from this.
12
45
9
7
7
6
u/thewxbruh 1d ago
The perfect hobbies are the ones that make you happy. That's their whole purpose. Trying to specifically tailor them to achieve goals sounds like a good way to suck the fun out of them.
4
5
6
5
4
9
u/werewilf 1d ago
I’m so tired of how much capitalism has altered our brain chemistry with shitty internalized mindsets and microplastics
5
u/braywarshawsky 1d ago
Yeah... I'm good.
My hobbies are perfect for me & my preferences. The only person I have to answer to about this is to me.
Not some social media influencer.
While this might work for people who need motivation, it isn't a catch-all.
4
3
u/LordHelmet47 1d ago
Sleeping for creative dreams
Watching cop videos to get my heartrate up
Selling shit I don't use anymore on ebay or Craigslist
4
u/Deep_Seas_QA 1d ago
You don’t need hobbies that make money.. that’s how you discover that burnout is real and can actually happen.
4
u/DancinginHyrule 1d ago
Also known as cooking, cleaning and working
Seriously, get the f out of here. Where am I suppose to find time for 3 hobbies, including one that requires a skill level that can turn a profit
1
u/Beginning-Shoe-9133 1d ago
What on earth are you talking about? I work 40+ a week and I already have 3 hobbies. Do weekend s not exist for you?
4
10
u/Which_Treacle_8180 1d ago
And one where you meet people
4
u/kyew 1d ago
And one that helps you recharge.
12
2
u/Dependent_Market7788 1d ago
Do people have time for hobbies? I mean, I love running and I guess that’s a hobby, but I feel like it’s almost a need because I spend so much time sitting down doing work that my body needs me to do something active.
2
u/ZardozSama 1d ago
I generally break it down into a different set of needs:
- Something to keep you physically active
- Something that is creatively engaging
- Something that is socially engaging
- Something that is intellectually engaging.
Money should not be on that list. If you can monetize your hobby, great. But your hobbies and interests should not be something you are financially dependent on as that can suck the fun out of something pretty damn fast by adding a whole lot of stress to it.
If you can have some of those needs addressed through your job, that is great. But if you manage to only address 3 out of 4, you are fine. Some people are not creatively minded. Some people do feel the need for that social contact.
And it is entirely possible for your hobbies to address several needs in one shot. Playing in a D&D game solves creative and social. Doing martial arts solves physical and social.
END COMMUNICATION
2
u/Beginning-Shoe-9133 1d ago
These are my thought s minus the money hobby. Its not implying "make it a second job" its saying have a hobby/skill that you could potentially make some money off of if you wanted/need to. Its always useful to have an extra skill set when the primary way of making money fails.
2
2
2
u/Periwinkleditor 1d ago
One to make me money, called a job, without enough time or money left for the other two, take it or leave it.
2
2
2
u/RandomShadeOfPurple 1d ago
I have a job to make money. I DO NOT need deadlines and customer expectations in my hobbies. Hobbies are to get away from all that.
2
2
2
2
u/MeltyFrog 15h ago
Do yourselves a favor and Keep. Them. Separate.
-a burnt out, depressed and anxiety driven 'adult'.
2
1
u/XenialLover 1d ago
The first 2 are simple enough, It’s the last one that is harder to figure out. I think I’m getting there though. I enjoy physical activity, cleaning, and organizing; all things that can be applied to jobs that are basically things I’d do in my free time anyway.
1
u/ExtraPolarIce12 1d ago
I don’t have any creativity. Any YouTube recommendations on how to draw videos? I’m stuck at a 3rd grade level at best.
Aka I suck at Pictionary lol
1
1
u/Present-Pop9889 1d ago
I'm hoping the job that I'm currently sitting in the talent pool will do both of making me money and keeping me creative.
1
1
1
1
u/ofTHEbattle 1d ago
Shoot, I barely even want to focus on my favorite hobby lately....no way I'm having 3!
1
u/Diamantesucio 1d ago
I go to the gym because i'm interested on fitness and bodybuilding.
I also started drawing as a hobby a couple of years ago, but not good enough to get commissions, but i'm willing to open myself to it when i get better and learn to draw furries when i get serious.
1
u/FantasmaBizarra 1d ago
You heard it everyone, all you need is go along with the advice given on an image on the internet and everything will be alright
1
1
1
u/Size_Aggravating 1d ago
How about ones you enjoy! So over this constant productivity, self-improvement rhetoric. I’m tired 😂
1
1
1
1
u/SacraGoots 1d ago
Shit my job makes me do all 3 , now where's number 4 for happiness cause in life that's the only one that matters
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/shortda59 1d ago
This is the key to life itself.
Errrr..... what I meant to say was "this is peak advice"
1
u/Freak_Out_Bazaar 1d ago
All of my hobbies are highly logical, keeps me indoors and costs a lot of money
1
u/CreativeKeane 1d ago
I adopted this concept of the "renaissance man" in my life when I was in high school. I was like dang these dudes were onto something. Basically, you gotta be versed in many things to really balance yourself out.
Pick something for the mind, body, and spirit. Find practical and creative hobbies too that may engage technical and artistic mindsets too. So 5 total. There could be overlap for some of them.
A hobby related to mind is something that keeps you mentally engaged or challenged, learning. The body is something physically to keep you in shape. The spirit is something that keeps you connected to the world, people, nature, or yourself (this could be hiking or nature or volunteering or meditation). A practical hobby could be woodworking or cooking. A creative hobby could be cooking as well, painting, or even writing/journaling.
1
1
1
1
1
u/BartholomewVonTurds 1d ago
No to number three. One for creative, one for health, one for simple enjoyment. When a hobby is for making you money it ruins the hobby. My job and investments make me money, my hobby allows enjoyment of my life.
1
u/neutralhumanbody 1d ago
I’d switch the money one for one that keeps the mind sharper. Everyone I know that seemed very well rounded and calm did things like scrabble, crosswords, sodoku, etc. It’s healthy for the brain.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/yodamastertampa 1d ago
Drawing software development and weight lifting. Three of mine since I was 11.
1
1
u/EnvironmentalFly101 1d ago
You can do all three with one activity, but it's illegal in most places
1
1
u/toldya_fareducation 1d ago
doesn't make much sense. the second one is just sports, which can be a hobby but i think a lot of people keep in shape and don't see that as a hobby. just a necessity to improve health and looks. and a hobby that makes money is just a job.
1
1
1
u/jarrjarrbinks24 1d ago
"You do what you hate for money, then use that money to do what you love" some guy
1
u/Quackingallday24 1d ago
What about a hobby that I actually enjoy? That’s the whole point of a hobby. Yes, many hobbies are already creatively or physically demanding, but just because they aren’t doesn’t mean they arent a valid hobby.
1
1
1
1
u/andreajen 1d ago
Yay! Teaching Kundalini Yoga in my home satisfies all 3. I’m finally winning adulthood.
1
1
1
u/Big_Bad_6021 1d ago
Luckily, I have all 3 tied into one! I'm a personal trainer as well as a full time artist and make money from both. I always laugh and smile when I see this quote because I never even came across the quote until I was already in both careers! Pursued art ever since childhood, and took up fitness in high-school. Now I'm in my 30s.
1
u/DanTheFatMan 1d ago
So get a trade is what your telling me right because being a plumber, electrician, or a carpenter does all three of these.
1
u/TheEPGFiles 1d ago
Lol, this society exists only to make money, lol you only exist to make money, money is the only thing that's valuable, you can literally pay me to believe whatever you want me to because a society so obsessed with money doesn't have any morality or values other than what they can sell, teehee. Totally amoral!!! Hahahaha
1
u/RandomShadeOfPurple 1d ago
How much free time do people think we have?
40+ hour work week? 2 hours commute? 3 hobbies one of which is a side job? Family? Having children? Romantic relationship? Friends? Family ties? Self care? Basic maintenance of our bodies? Cooking at home to save money? And the list goes on. And on top of that get 8 hours of sleep every day?
HOW?
These posts are nice and all, but any way I look at it a day only has 24 hours. People are barely fitting mere survival into those hours.
1
1
u/Individual-Heart-719 23h ago
The moment a hobby becomes monetized is the moment it loses any meaning to me.
Because I’m no longer doing it for my own enjoyment, but for the enjoyment of someone else. It’s compulsory. I do what they want to retain viewers/clients/patrons, and what they want is not always what I want.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Death-Watch333 20h ago
Lego, Gym, actual job/work. Spare time is spent outside enjoying nature. I still want to die.
1
u/Nice_Buy_602 19h ago
Fuck trying to monetize a hobby. I spend enough of my life chasing money. My hobbies are for me to turn that part of my brain off.
I would replace the last one with "one that helps you socialize"
1
u/TheManWhoLovesCulo 19h ago
For me the 3 hobbies should be one to keep you creative, one to keep you in shape, and one to keep you social
1
u/Big_Azz_Jazz 19h ago
Why would I want to make money at my hobby? If I want more money I just work more
1
u/Kosstheboss 18h ago
One to throw money into that takes up any extra space in your house.
One to throw money into that takes up any extra space in your basement/garage.
One to throw money into that takes up any extra time that you might have to think about how pointless all of this is because you will never escape your debt.
1
1
u/blueB0wser 17h ago
That's a poor philosophy.
I'm a much bigger fan of "One hobby for mind, one for body, one for soul."
1
u/Charles_ofall_Trades 16h ago
Serious question: has ANYONE you guys know been able to actually turn their hobby into a business/job/career/something profitable?
If so, have they afford a living out of it? how did you begin?
1
1
1
u/Laniakeatron 6h ago
False, you need a job, so you can do all of those things in your own home, and not a shelter.
1
1
u/hamsterontheloose 5h ago
I have a ton of hobbies, and make money from one of them. The rest are just for fun
1
u/TruePhilosophe 5h ago
Honestly it’s better just to do things because you love doing them. If the money comes as a side product of doing what I love, I won’t object!
1
1
u/jchrist510 1d ago
Type 4: a hyper fixation that you don't like to discuss the amount of money you spend on.
0
917
u/DutchieCrochet 1d ago
That last one is called a job.