Can We Stop Pressuring Each Other To Monetize Our Hobbies?

It makes us not want to do them anymore

“What’s the point in doing it when you’re not getting paid for it?”

I’m not a violent person, but if someone asks me this question, it’s hard to not punch them in the throat.

Think about it. How would you feel if you had a hobby you loved and talked about with a friend? Imagine what goes through your head when you hear someone saying it’s stupid because you’re not getting paid.

For Starters, It’s Not Always Practical

When I’m not trying to make it as a writer, and not at my job, I’m involved in community theatre. I like taking pictures, too.

I’m decent in both these fields and can give you some pictures as proof from my most recent travels. I wouldn’t call myself professional, but I’d say I can see a good opportunity.

Will I start making a business from my pictures? No. Professionals go through schooling and spend tons of money on equipment. I’m good, but I’m not calling myself a photographer because I know how to point and shoot from my phone. (Granted, I learned that from trying a Picfair store for a bit, but it’s still a lesson.)

And it’s the same with acting. I love performing, but I’m not dropping everything and moving cross-country to make my big break. It’s expensive to move, and I might end up homeless. At 35, it’s not a risk I’m willing to take.

In another decade, I wouldn’t give a crap. But it’s the 2020s and everyone’s broke. From what I’ve seen it’s hard to make it big unless you’re already famous or have famous parents. It’s discouraging, but it looks like it’s not changing any time soon.

So yes, community theatre is enough for me. Posting my pictures on Instagram is enough for me. I can still express my creativity and not worry about money.

Not Everyone Thinks Making Money Is Fun

I get it. We’re all broke right now. We need to focus on saving and making money. But does that mean we have to get rid of anything we find fun?

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think work is fun. Who thinks of selling your time as a blast? I don’t. And I don’t think anyone reading this sees a work day as a great time.

So if I decided I should try to make money off my acting, I’d stop liking it so much. I enjoy performing, but I don’t enjoy making money. Community theatre is enough.

You Get So Caught Up On The Money Part You Lose Interest In Your Hobby

Fun fact: I’ve been working on this article for about a month. This fact, alone, should prove my point, but I’ll add more.

Since starting back in 2019, I noticed I don’t write as much as I did when I started. I love writing and dream of traveling the world with my writing. The longer I go at it, the more discouraged I get. I’ve had days where I thought about giving up because it’s not happening to me.

On other days, I try hard, and I can’t come up with ideas. I find myself wondering, “Is it burnout? Am I getting depressed? Am I losing interest in one of my favorite things since childhood? Am I a bad writer? Will my writing survive Grad School?”

It could be a mix of all of these things. Or it could be one thing. Or it’s something I haven’t considered. Hell, maybe I’m a garbage writer and not ready to acknowledge it. Either way, it’s taking me longer than normal to come up with stories these days.

If that’s happening with writing, I don’t want to do it to my other creative hobbies. I don’t want to stop reading books because of the pressure to write my thoughts about them. I don’t want to stop taking pictures because they’re not selling on some random website. I don’t want to stop acting because Hollywood wouldn’t like me.

Don’t get me wrong. I still want to travel the world with my stories. And maybe one day I will. My millennial misery may come in handy by the time I’m 50 and the Boomers die off.

Now, I’m at a writing low point. And feeling it makes me want to protect my other hobbies more fiercely. The last thing I want is to die a shell.

We Don’t Have To Monetize Every Hobby

I’m not saying you need to stop trying to be a famous writer or actress because you already have a job. I’m saying you should save some of your creative hobbies for you.

If you tried making money off of every creative hobby you had, could you say with confidence you’d be you when you died? Or would you be this depressed shell of yourself because monetizing everything made you feel like you have never-ending chores?

Giving everything to our bank accounts isn’t healthy. Think about all the damage you’ll cause to your relationships with loved ones and mental health if everything you do revolves around making money. I get it, we’re living in a time where everyone’s broke. But that doesn’t mean we have to be mentally broke too.

Writing made me realize how much I need to protect my other hobbies for my mental health. I don’t want to get to a point where I care about how talented I am and feel bad I’m not making the money I feel I deserve. I don’t care if I’m good at anything anymore. I want to have these hobbies because I enjoy them.

If you see someone reading, writing, or drawing and make some shitty comment about them not making money off it, you’re not a person worth being around. There’s more to the world than spending every waking moment trying to make a buck.

For an all-access pass to my work, please click on the link below to join Medium! I mostly write about books and my travel experiences, but I dip my toes into anything.

If you’re already a member, subscribe to get my writing in your email! Your support helps small writers like me achieve their dreams. And for that, thank you!