Interest in a hobby can go a long way as a past time or future skill. How much should a passionate hobby impact deciding a career path?
Everyone has their own passion and interests; it is all highly specific towards one person. Those interests can easily transition into either a hobby or pushed further into a career.
But how do you decide which interests should remain just a hobby and what can be a possible career path?
What is a hobby?
A hobby is an activity or interest someone participates in during their free time as form of relaxation or engagement. What you decide to do during that time is up to you, as hobbies can have different motivators in starting.
You are more likely to develop hobbies at a young age as you’re more susceptible to trying different things. It’s easier to experiment to find what sticks, but as you get older it becomes harder to maintain.
Obstacles in procuring a hobby are adult responsibilities, outside forces, or uncertainty of what their passions are. Finding newer interests has become easier as technology is promoting more ideas to a wider audience.
You can find hobbies through simply chatting with friends on recommendations, Facebook online groups, or just walking into stores. I found my future hobby of cross stitching in an art class in high school that I knew I wanted to do more of.
Should it remain a hobby?
This is a big question to ask, as there are some skills developed during hobbies that could be transferable to more things down the line. Yet putting those interests that spark joy on the frontlines of an actual career changes the initial dynamic of the hobby.
There becomes pressure to live up to the quality the workforce expects of you at the pace society deems as necessary. The initial enjoyment can dampen from the expectations and become more of a task than something that had prior sentiment.
I rediscovered cross stitching last year and it revitalized an expressive outlet within me to create as many designs as I wanted. Through the proper grid, needle, and yarn colors I felt happy making things just for me.
Even if they’ll never be seen by the people I look up to, just having them around my room feels like a sense of accomplishment made from my bare hands.
If you want an interest to stay as just a hobby or if you want to increase your mastery level turn into a potential opportunity, that’s valid. But what if you are unsure about fully committing to hobby-centric career?
How about a side-hustle?
A side-hustle is a perfect middle ground to experiment with if you want to possibly push your hobby into something profitable while still maintaining a full-time commitment as a security measure. There are hard questions you must ask to feel certain that this is a step you want to take.
- How much passion and interest do you have in this hobby?
- Will you be able to maintain a healthy life balance if you are turning your hobby into a side hustle?
- What is your skill level with this hobby, really?
- What is your end goal of monetizing this hobby?
Running a side project, you must understand the risks of operating a business and how willing you are to commit. It isn’t permanent it’s just getting firsthand experience to see where you stand on monetizing your interests.
What is the appeal?
Marrisa Hernandez took up creating polymer clay jewelry during the pandemic after watching Instagram Reels of people making jewelry. When asked questions about her side-hustle business Misada Designs she gave the following responses.
Q: Can you describe your side business?
A: Misada Designs is named after my daughters, because they inspire my artistic side. My business involves creating polymer clay jewelry and a few other techniques to achieve textures, colors, and patterns. I’d like to that my earrings are versatile – I have earrings that can be worn at work and at functions. I also have earnings specific to holidays and cultural references. There’s something for everyone!
Q: What made you want to turn that interest into a side business?
A: It was a hobby at first for sure. It was a way to express myself during a difficult moment as well as stay busy. With the encouragement of my daughters. I created pieces for them, then for other family members. This was a time in which everyone was turning to side business because of quarantine. Eventually I gained enough courage to pursue it as a side job and market to others outside my family.
She recently got back into jewelry making and is currently taking part in local markets. Her and other independent businesses work hard to monetize on their skills and substain their companies. Keeping their products as side-profit, but their experiences could easily traition into a full career down the line.
Turning passion into a career
Skills developed from hobbies can become applicable in selecting future job opportunities by either applying a set of skills you are already good at or dedicating to one particular skill. Most jobs revolve around a particular skill so as long as there is demand for it, there should be some sense of satisfaction in working your dream job.
My dad and his brothers became barbers for HairZone as a way to sustain themselves and because they found it easy. When I asked my dad about what drove his decision into being a barber he responded with.
Q: What first got you into cutting hair?
A: A way for me to start make money, it seemed like fun and I liked it and I had family members who cut hair before. So it seemed like an easy thing to do, it came naturally.
Q: What made you want to become a barber?
A: Once I started working I was able to get to know a lot of people. I could make okay money, I liked my hours, everything was convenient for me better than being at an office. I didn’t have one boss, it’s fun.
There are some fortunate enough who can follow their passions and land a career that fits all their ideals. But that isn’t guaranteed in the job market and compromises have to be made.
That may even include finding a job that doesn’t match your passions, but only remain working there for other motivations.
Finding a career outside of passion
A common phrase is follow your passions, which sounds like feasible advice, but is not a universal solution. Not everyone will get a job they’re deeply passionate about either because those jobs aren’t available or not as profitable.
It doesn’t make you a failure for not finding something aligned with your passions. Instead consider a different mantra “Follow your blisters.”
Blisters are a source of irratation of the skin, from outside contact, being treatable with enough care.The intention blisters has to this mantra is the relation of something chafing at you, but you remain drawn to it.
Consider these questions of where your dedication is.
- What kind of work are you willing to return to despite the challenges because you want to improve?
- Is your time far more dedicated to the task than others around you?
Developing a natural response to these question speak greater on your character as a future employeer. Learning to surpass the blistering phase to find somewhere you grow from.
Should your future career be a dream job or somewhere you see steady improvement in skills? That is another thing you need to remember in separating between workplace and personal interests.
Find a balance
You must establish a balance between your personal and work life. As too much of one thing or not giving yourself the chance to breathe will result in burnout.
Break up your time in the day between engagement and decompression so you remain entertained throughout the day. There is secret pleasure in being able to unwind through a hobby of choice after a long day of work.
A piece of advice that stuck out to me from my interview with Marrisa was how she described the breather that making jewerly gave her.
I enjoy making jewlery, so getting home to work on it was a stress reliver, it was almost meditative.
Marrisa Hernandez
Hobbies aren’t just for relaxation; it is also stimulating the brain towards improving on a specific set of skills.
Establishing a clear division on where each interest stands prevents confusion on what the expectations for each is. So neither can overconsume the other and create a work and personal life balance that best fits your lifestyle.
Side-hustles give first-hand experience in how far you are willing to push a hobby. While a full career on that hobby may provide more personal satisfaction and fulfillment.
Picking a career isn’t bound to your passions, the job market is complicated and you aren’t guaranteed your dream job. You can find other alternatives that suit your skill sets or push yourself to create the job you want.
How you categorize your passions is for you to decide whether as a hobby or steadily turning into a career. You know yourself better on where each of you interests lay.
