Making your hobby your job?

[ginnyvos]

I know  some of you have done the above (your hobby was writing, and now you're writers), and others have thought of it... So yeah.

I've always said that I'd never make my hobby into my job. My father is an 'artist' (he paints and, because painting doesn't sell for much these days, gives classes, I don't think we, his children, ever saw a dime) and

Comments

[2metaldog]

The job market is tough all over. Literally. If your options are limited, then you should do what you can as an alternative. You don't need to stop looking for other work, but having some to make ends meet is better than nothing

[ginnyvos]

You make some very, very valid points in there! Thank you so much.

The jobmarket is very, very bad atm, especially within psychology, where there weren't that many jobs to begin with, but now even less so (what with the government taking away any funds they possibly can from the caretaking areas). In a way I'm lucky that I came straight from being (and thus living on the funds of) a student; I don't have a car, still live in student housing and so on, so I can make due with less money than people who got fired... So that's good.

It is a very good idea to just set apart 2 hours a day for jobhunting each day. I think that might really work.

Again, thank you for your insight! ^____^

[2metaldog]

No problem. The Hubby is looking for work and has been looking for several months. In our case, the Premier of Ontario has gutted the manufacturing industry in the province and unfortunately for us, that's what the Hubby does. There are jobs out there, but their either for stupidly low pay, way out in the back of butt-fuck & beyond or potential employers see the experience he has (20+ years) and won't hire him because of the wage they'd have to pay him (even though he tells them he'd take a serious pay cut to get the job).

Remember, too, that looking for a job is a job in and of itself. You can also end up very frustrated and even depressed when you're either not finding anything or are constantly rejected for jobs you apply for. Limiting the time you actually job search a day can lessen that a little (or at least it seems that way with the Hubby

[ginnyvos]

Yeah, I notice that it's harder to get a job now that I have my masters than it was before; In the lower level jobs they'll take a student, but as soon as you have a diploma, they're scared that you'll start charging the salary you're actually worth... And thus I get turned down even for that sort of thing (I don't care people, just want to earn some money!). For the jobs I actually studied for, there are so many applicants that chances are just really, really low they'll even read my letter. It's incredibly demotivating, as you say

[scribblemoose]

I think 2metaldog gives very good advice. All I would add is that this is what I've begun to do, too, and so far I'm loving it. I do have a part-time job of around 10 hours a week which helps give a small, stable income, but I've started to do consultancy work on top of that. It's true you have to keep good financial records but the plus side is that you get to choose what work you want to do, you do it on your own terms and in your own way.

I'd say give it a go, if nothing else as a stop gap until you find a job you like better. What have you got to lose?

Good luck!

[ginnyvos]

Hmmm I suppose what I'm afraid to lose is my joy for sewing... It's something I love, but knowing myself, I'll stop seeing it as fun and relaxing when I start doing it as a job. Probably even a small steady income would relieve that, though. I don't know. I'm going to give it a try either way, I think, and I'll see how it goes.

[amelia_seyroon]

Hey, if people can turn even cosplay into a business...