How to keep your hobby from becoming a job
Get my latest zine to decide whether to monetize your hobby and find ways to keep your hobby for pleasure
Hello dear readers,
I’m excited to present to you my latest zine: How to Keep Your Hobby from Becoming a Job! It’s a 12 page guide on whether to monetize your hobby and tips for keeping your hobby for pleasure.
You can download the digital zine in PDF format for free1, or purchase a physical copy to get a zine in a surprise color mailed to you.
Finding clarity and joy in our hobbies ✨
Hobbies are a huge source of fun and fulfillment in my life, and I have witnessed the full spectrum of experiences turning hobbies into jobs. Some hobbies, like drawing, writing, and making websites, have been fulfilling and enjoyable to do for money. Others, like textile art and painting, were wholly unappealing as soon as they became work. And then I have hobbies, like dance, k-pop, yoga, and astrology, that are purely for pleasure with no intention to ever monetize.
We live in an exciting world where we can generate income through our passions, especially through finding our people on the internet. I’m writing to you from a platform that is literally set up to facilitate this, so that people can charge for their writing. The allure of making money is STRONG—who doesn’t want to make money? Who doesn’t want to feel valued through compensation for their time and skills?
As monetization becomes increasingly accessible, it’s crucial for us to pause and realize the realities of turning hobbies into work and what we lose out on when we make this jump. We need to remind ourselves of ways to protect the ever-blurring boundary between hobby and side hustle so that our lighthearted hobbies stay fun and joyful.
How to Keep Your Hobby from Becoming a Job is my offering to the hobby-job conversation. If you're a hobbyist who's torn about whether to monetize your passion, or you're simply tired of the pressure to turn your creativity into a business, this zine is here to help. You can navigate the decision to monetize with the flowchart (shown above) and find tips on how to prioritize the fun and joy of your hobbies without burning out.
Help me get the word out & brainstorm ways to not hate marketing!
Self-promotion is really uncomfortable for me, and I am a classic “one and done” marketer on social media (you know, mention your new work once and then never speak of it again, hoping that someone magically stumbles across it online and decides to buy your work).
I’m trying to get better about this, which is why I want this zine to be available for free. I want the zine to reach as many people as possible, and I feel way more comfortable repeating myself when I’m not trying to take money out of your wallet! (Someday we’ll work up to that.)
If you enjoy the zine, I kindly ask that you share this post or the direct download link with your hobbyist friends and in your networks 🗣️ I’m hoping it can spark some good conversation about hobbies, jobs, and crafting diversified lives.
I also had the pleasure of visiting Brooklyn Museum’s zine exhibit last week where they had a “take a zine, leave a zine” booth. I left a copy of my zine there and was happy to see it had disappeared five minutes later.
I’d like to leave more printed copies around NYC as surprise gifts for people who find them, guerrilla marketing style. Any suggestions of where I should leave a zine? Let me know your ideas in the comments!
This digital zine was offered for free for five months since time of publishing. Now it is available to purchase for $2. Thank you for your support and stay tuned for future zines!
I love this Carolyn! I've been struggling / exploring what the hell is causing me so much pain and challenge in my personal work, and a lot of what you've mentioned here both in the post and in the freshly purchased zine is SO good, so helpful. Monetising dreams is largely an issue, but I also think the modern currency maybe isn't Dollars so much as Likes and Follows? I guess because maybe those things ultimately might lead to Dollars though, so it's all very interconnected to the justification (wow, it was so worth it because I got paid) vs joy (wow, my mind and body have been paid). If that makes sense. Anyway, love your work!
YES. Oh my gosh, I've been needing to hear someone say this! As a hobbyist and a creative, I swear every time I show someone my stuff, their first comment is that I should sell it or turn it into some sort of business. But because I'm a bit of a dabbler, the thought of monetizing everything I dip my toe into feels exhausting. Yet it often leads me wondering if I'm somehow squandering my potential if I'm not "doing anything" with it. I love this reminder that it's ok to let creativity be creativity (and how sometimes – maybe more often than not – it's more fulfilling that way)!