I used to dance as a hobby, but then I became a dance teacher. I would dance three to four hours every day. When friends would ask me if I wanted to go out dancing with them, my answer was mostly “no.” After dancing for four hours any regular working day, the last thing I wanted to do was to go out and dance some more. I didn’t have the energy nor the desire to enjoy dancing as a hobby any more. In a way, my hobby became a job, and after it became a job, the hobby wasn’t enjoyable any more.
On the other hand, my friend Sam, was a professional cook at a fancy restaurant in Montreal. After working his regular shift of 8 hours, he would happily cook for his family and on weekends he would have friends over and cook for them. So his hobby, continued being his hobby, in spite that it was also his full time job.
These are two totally opposite reactions to a hobby that became a job.
The decision to monetize a hobby or not depends on personal goals and circumstances. If someone is passionate about their hobby and has the skills and there is a market demand for their hobby, they may find success and fulfillment while making some money doing something they love. However, if they value their hobby as a source of relaxation and personal growth, it may be best to keep it as a non-monetary activity.
Which one are you. Do you think that if you monetize your hobby you would do it on your time off as well? Or do you think that after a day’s of work you would like to stay away from your hobby as much as possible.
Please leave the answer in the comments.
Francois Richard: I love games and it would be easy to get into professional game development, but when I started my career I decided to avoid it. I didn’t want to risk spoiling my hobby. Nowadays, if I had a good offer from a game studio, I’m not sure I would turn it down!
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