Exactly what the title says...
Honestly, that about sums it up. It seems that everywhere I look, there's someone or something telling me that in order for me to be successful in life, I need to harness any skills/creativity that I possess and transform it into a way to make a decent income.
After all, as the old saying goes, "Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life." Thanks, Mark Twain.
With all due respect, this quote has lost its luster over the years. It seems that Mr. Twain's quote has been skewed to manipulate people into thinking that they HAVE to pursue their passions as a means to earn a living and support themselves and their families.
Yes, there is a noticeable difference when it comes to working a job you enjoy vs. one that you can't stand to wake up to...but there's also a danger when society seems to tell you that if you are NOT pursuing your creativity and passions as your main career, then you are wasting your potential.
As a creative, this message has been debilitating and has tossed my mental state to and fro like a juggler performance at the circus (if the juggler were a complete rookie and only had 3 minutes of practice...I'll let you imagine the chaos...)
Stop telling people to turn their hobbies and passions into a business.
Growing up, I always fancied using my imagination and expressing myself through make-believe and storytelling. I would play with those plastic animals and dinosaurs that came in that long tube, I would steal my uncle's Hot Wheels and play in the gravel driveway of my grandparent's home, I would bring my Doodle Board on long road trips and draw out an entire story over and over again. Gosh, just writing this makes me so nostalgic... *wipes tears*
As I got older, the normal evolution of becoming an adult took effect and I slowly stopped playing and focused more on "serious" stuff - I went to college, found a job, got married, had a kid, etc. Being creative and making art was still something that followed me in my early adult seasons, but they definitely took a backseat in comparison to my childhood years.
Now, when I get on social media, I see so many people who jumped at the chance to promote their artwork and creativity as a means to build an income and successful business - all while doing what they love!
Whether it be pottery, baking, content creation, painting, illustration, writing, etc., these people seem to have cracked the code when it comes to being financially free while getting to have fun in the process.
It seems like the best of both worlds: you get to make art while being a responsible adult by financially supporting yourself/family through that outlet.
However, when you dig deeper, you realize that there is a LOT of hard work behind the scenes (duh!) and the daily grind of building (and maintaining) a business/income on the backs of an artistic passion can lead to some serious burnout.
It happened to me. Multiple times.
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Before I continue, this post was inspired by this article which I will list HERE. It was absolutely refreshing to see my feeling expressed into words!
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Whenever I began turning my artwork into a means to earn money, I suddenly lost all drive to continue with my creations. I felt "forced" to make art and it felt as if I was an overbearing parent telling my kids they were worthless unless they became a doctor or lawyer.
I was setting an unnecessary and terrible burden on the shoulders of my artwork that had no right being thrust on it in the first place.
I forgot what it was like to make art for the simple enjoyment of making it and allowing it to simply exist just for fun.
I am someone who wants to do ALL. THE. THINGS.
One minute I want to own a kiln and throw pottery. The next minute I am buying tools to make my own homemade paper. Suddenly I discover a cool way to make jewelry from resin and want to dive into that skill.
I also have a love for being in the kitchen. Baked treats are my specialty, so it made sense for me to try to monetize my baking and open a small bakery business. I even got my food license and LLC... Yes, I took it THAT far.
And after everything was said and done, I got burnt out and fully discouraged.
My focus was on the money, not the process.
I tell myself occasionally that I don't enjoy my 9-5 office job and want to be prepared with a business or skill that will allow me to work from home so I can steward my home and family more attentively.
However, I've come to realize that my day job, while not glamorous or the most high-paying, actually DOES allow me to experience blessings and enjoyments that I tend to routinely overlook. My job pays me well enough to cover general expenses and sometimes splurge on my sudden artistic endeavors. It is an easy job (for me, at least) so I am not burdened with feeling overly tired and drained each day (though we all experience tiredness from time to time - that's normal). I leave at a set time and don't take work home with me which allows me to give my home my full, undivided attention. My PTO and vacation leave is generous, so if I need to rush to care for myself, my husband, or my child in an emergency or just need a mental health day, etc., then I can easily use my time to focus on my priorities.
Why would I try to escape such a good thing in my life?
Yes, it is possible to earn a living doing something else through a passion or creative project, but I must realize that I would be sacrificing more than I think.
This is why you have to be SO careful when thinking about monetizing your hobbies and skills. Sure, you CAN be successful, but there will always be a cost.
Sometimes it's nice to simply have a job that simply serves you enough to pursue other interests WITHOUT needing to worry about making it a viral sensation or successful business.
You are ALLOWED to enjoy things just to enjoy them.
You DON'T have to create a TikTok every time you open your sketchbook or sit at the pottery wheel.
Create in secret. Make magic in the mundane.
You can build your skills slowly.
You can work on enjoying things just for the pleasure of getting to have time to create or tap into your inner child.
Social media will make it seem like if you aren't being busy or productive 24/7, then you are wasting time and going to be behind everyone else who is grinding for what they want out of life.
I respect the hustle, I really do.
But that's just not me.
I want to polish my skills on my own leisurely schedule and not feel manipulated by reels and posts that would tell me otherwise.
I don't want to feel burdened to make an income with my hobbies. I want to enjoy them for what they are.
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