Why You Shouldn’t Turn Your Hobby Into A Job
Saw a post over at the gaping void. It’s a story about a guy who was great at his hobby, ended up making it into a career, and became a raging alcoholic that lost it all.
And here, supposedly, is the moral of the story:
“That’s why you should never turn your hobby into your job,” said one of my friends, someone far older and wiser than me. “Before, this man had a job and a hobby. Now suddenly, he’s just got the job, but no hobby anymore. But a man needs both, you see. And now what does this man, who’s always had a hobby, do with his time?
My friend held up his glass.
“Answer: Drink.”
Make of this what you will.
It is an interesting point and all, but why not just replace the old hobby with a new hobby instead of becoming a fucking drunk? Color me skeptical.
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What if your hobby is drinking?
Michelle Ann’s last blog post..Happy New Year??????
Drinking should never just be a hobby. Ideally it should fall under “side gig.”
if your hobby is drinking, try to open a bar so that you can drink and work/manage at the same time. right?
the walking tower’s last blog post..VIP in an Online Casino
Depressing! I guess I have so many hobbies that turning just 1 of them into a job would mean more time for the other hobbies. And I already drink too much – that’s not a hobby, it’s an augmentative activity to alllll the other hobbies.
jrm
J R M’s last blog post..Not sure if it was a good idea or a bad one
I totally agree! If you make your hobby your job then it becomes more of something you have to do rather than something you like to do. I say keep ‘em separate unless you are 110% sure that you love your hobby so much that it won’t be a burden even if you did it 24/7.
If you can make a living off something you enjoy (such as a hobby) your life will be much easier, less stressful and you will be better at it.
Mack Tight’s last blog post..Does Tony Romo have ?the sickness? over Jessica Simpson?
Walking Tower – an elegant solution worth of Solomon, man.
JRM – that’s what I think.
Music Snob and Mack Tight – I think both of you are right. I agree with Music Snob in that if you are not really, really gung ho about the hobby, making it into a full-time gig could ruin it for you. But I think Mack Tight is right in that if you really do enjoy it all the way you’ll be a lot less stressed. In any case, it has to at least be better than doing something you hate.
But you know what I think a key missing ingredient of the conversation is? Whether or not you control how you do the hobby. Like if you do your hobby in an environment with lots of pressure and responsibility but an external locus of control (meaning outside forces like bosses, clients, nature and other things control your life more than you do) I can see the hobby becoming joyless now. But if you do it in a supportive fun work environment (like those Google employees that insanely their workplace) or better yet with an internal locus of control like as an entrepreneur in charge of the whole shebang (Steve Jobs, Bill Gates), I think the hobby can remain fun.
High responsibility with low control is a big reason why many jobs are miserable, like law for example, where judges, juries and clients all seem to have more control than you do, yet the responsibilies you have can be crushing.
Let’s not forget the importance of having hobbies and an environment that nurtures creativity and passion. I plan on taking my hobby into a full time job.. and I look forward to it.
Thanks for the thought T.