Friday's Digest #71 

Should You Turn Your Hobby into a Career? 

Is turning your hobby into your job the ultimate dream or a potential nightmare?
Let’s find out.

January 5th, 2024

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Table of Contents


Preface

We all have hobbies we love or, at the very least, wish we had the time for.

My YouTube channel is a good example — a side project without any aspirations of making it my career.

But many others make the switch. They transition their hobby into a full-time job.


This week, I found myself thinking about them.

Why, you ask?


Well, for the first time, I didn't wait for the perfect moment to film a YouTube video.

Instead, I had 40 minutes at the hospital and decided to go for it.


The outcome was a mix of success with mini-disasters: video delays, audio distortion, and typos 🤦.


The sort of mistakes you solve in minutes, if you catch them early enough.

But I discovered them way too late.


The result?

A 4-hour editing nightmare.

I was glad it was not my day job.


What about you?


Would you turn your hobby into a career?



Number 71.



Main Article

The Magic of Living Your Passion

There’s a thrill in turning what you love into what you do.

Imagine a life where your hobby isn’t something you do only when you have time. Instead, it becomes your day job.


That’s the dream, isn’t it?

Well, yes and no.

Some of the magic behind a hobby can disappear when you turn it into a career.



1️⃣ First, No More Escapes:

A hobby acts as a personal safe place.

A space for relaxation and creative expression without any strings attached.

It's a world where you can explore, make mistakes, and experiment without external pressures or expectations.

The nature of this personal space changes drastically when you transform this hobby into your job.


Suddenly, you don’t have an escape anymore.


Where do you turn when the thing that relaxed you is now stressing you out?



2️⃣ Second, Money Changes Everything:

The joy of a hobby lies in its spontaneity and the personal satisfaction it provides.


It's where the journey matters more than the destination.


However, financial pressures take command when the hobby transitions into a career.

When you depend on your hobby for income, it turns from a passion into a business.

The need to earn money can overshadow the joy of doing, and the fear of not making enough money might ruin the very love you once had.



3️⃣ Lastly, It Turns Everyone Into Your Boss:

Your hobby is personal.

It’s like having a private dialogue between you and your passion—a place for personal growth and joy.


It's a unique aspect of your life that only you control, and it’s free from the judgment of the outside world.


But what happens when you turn it into a career?

You become exposed to critiques and market demands. You might even need to reshape it to suit the taste of others.



🏡 Take Home Message:

Before you consider transforming your hobby into your career, consider the joy it brings you in its current casual state.

Will that joy persist under the pressures of deadlines and expectations?

Whatever your choice may be, remember: it’s not just about doing what you love but loving what you do.

Sometimes, keeping the two separate is the best way to achieve that.


And if you are a YouTube video editor, give me a call.

I have a job for you 😄.



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Epilogue

That’s it for this issue.

Hope for better times.

Shay