The end of hobbies: when extra income turns everyone’s free time activities into work, especially in this era where there are many work channels that can generate good income for us as well. But there are also things that we may not have known before. Let’s follow the story of Tommy Wylde to see the hobby that generated income for him and what happened after that.
One of the secrets to financial freedom or having a lot of money as many people dream of is to have extra income. Many books and life coaches recommend that we find something that we are good at or are good at, and turn it into a career or a second source of income. This may allow us to increase the number of times we go out for expensive meals per month, increase the number of times we go out for travel, or increase the number of expensive clothes we wear per month. If you have extra time, you can open an online language course, open your home to teach sewing, or become a tour guide for foreigners.
Tommy Wylde has always had a passion for wildlife. He loves teaching others about his passion for wildlife. When he’s not at work, he uses his passion and knowledge to lead small community groups on birding and wildlife watching expeditions. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, his free time from his day job increased, so he decided to use this hobby to generate a little extra income by launching a wildlife information website called Floofmania.
“When a hobby becomes a successful job”
Wylde began hiring writers to write articles about his knowledge of North American animals for the site. The response was overwhelming. In a short period of time, he published almost 500 articles. The number of readers steadily increased from 700 to 800 per day. The site cost a small amount of money, which was turning into an income of about $400 to $500 per month from ads. The success led him to devote more time to the site, from focusing on topics he was passionate about, to writing about what his visitors wanted, and writing to encourage them to read more. Until it started to become a stress.
“When passion doesn’t provide relaxation, but becomes stress.”
He spent 2-3 hours every morning writing articles before going to work on his regular schedule. After work, he would come back to the site and continue working on his articles. He invested a lot of money into the site, and after 2 years, the number of visitors to the site started to decrease, down to around 200. He tried many strategies to get the site back on track, and although it was improving, it was still nowhere near the growth it had seen in the beginning. He was only making about $50 a month from the site.
“When a hobby becomes a job, it’s hard to enjoy it again.”
Wylde says he regrets the time and effort he put into building the site, but the results are now minimal compared to the initial ones he had. Apart from the loss of income from the site, the result of rushing to turn his hobby into a job is that he has lost what was once his joy, excitement and comfort zone. He finds it very difficult to get back to enjoying wildlife.
“Hobbies fall into the fun category and have been proven to have a positive impact on mental and physical health.”
When it comes to hobbies, they are activities that help us relax and have a positive impact on our mental and physical health. Hormones and neurotransmitters feel good when we are engaged in something that stimulates our passion. Research has also found that hobbies can reduce stress and lead to a longer life. But with high inflation and recessions, most people are looking for extra money. Relying on more than one job to make ends meet has become the norm, and people are choosing to take advantage of every opportunity to earn money. Even full-time employees are willing to turn their hobbies into extra income.
“In the Depression, there was a focus on people who supplemented their income with odd jobs.”
Economic uncertainty has made side hustles a popular form of employment. One in three US adults says they need money to cover their living expenses, while 27% use it for discretionary expenses. Why not make money from your hobby? This idea has gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a 2022 research report by the Bank of England, new business registrations in the UK increased by 8% compared to 2019-2020. In the US, new business applications increased by 60% in 2020 and have remained high since. In theory, smartphones are making employees more available, and remote working is starting to erode the working hours of employees. With phones in your hands, why not try to make money from your hobby?
“If you love what you do, there will never be a day in your life where you don’t work, right?”
So should we turn every hobby into an income stream? The truth is that hobbies can still be enjoyable even if they generate income, but they come with different pressures, many of which come from the business side of things. Like any job, there is stress. When someone tells you that if you love what you do, you’ll never know you’re going to work, this may not be true. Everyone knows that even if you love your job, you’ll still have stressful days when you’re stressed out. But it doesn’t always feel like work if you intentionally create the space and boundaries to keep the passion and relaxation that comes from your hobbies.
“You may not have a hobby anymore because you are making money from it.”
Anything that starts throwing money into the mix can be hard to get back to as a simple pleasure and relaxation. Turning a hobby into a side hustle risks all the potential happiness and health benefits, says psychologist Tang. Studies have also found that without a hobby, people tend to feel more burned out and stressed. While side hustles are an economically and mentally challenging option, they can be a key source of income, alleviating the financial insecurity of many full-time employees. It may seem like a tough decision, but the truth is, you don’t have to make it.
“What you have to do is find the balance.”
While there are many risks to incorporating money into your hobbies that should be your safe haven that could erode the joy you deserve from your passions and interests, it is a financial lifeline during a downturn that many coaches and books recommend.
So what you need to do is not pick one over the other, but strike a balance, creating boundaries between your hobby and side hustle. You still enjoy your hobby, and you don’t force yourself to do it because you want to make money. Wylde focuses on writing about his passions rather than chasing the opinions of people who visit his site. He keeps his hobby alive and provides a stress-free side hustle.
Conclusion
“The end of hobbies” because by definition hobbies are activities done regularly in free time for pleasure. But in recent years, everyone has been using hobbies to find benefits in their own way, which is not close to its definition. When expectations from hobbies change, the fun activities that used to be done to fill the gaps of efficient time and heal the tired mind from work disappear, becoming a gap that is filled again by work.
Many people have found success by turning their hobbies into side hustles to supplement their monthly income. While side hustles are certainly the key to success in increasing your monthly income, you still need to have a positive impact on your physical and mental health. You can’t drive your body with money alone, at least not if your body doesn’t. So, try to keep your hobbies as a safe space to heal on those days when you’re feeling down and make extra money without putting pressure on them and/or inadvertently diverting them to make money.
“Hobbies keep you interesting and knowledgeable. People without hobbies are just people who talk about work during lunch.”
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