Saturday, October 27, 2007

Transform Your Hobby Into Your Profession

If a hobby is a spare-time recreational pursuit, could you count the number of hobbies you have practiced in the past? Are the ones that you are still pursuing the giving you some kind of return apart from the psychological one? If you can identify even one, then you probably already know all there is to know about the pleasure of having a hobby as a profession. But if your hobby list is empty, or you are unsure if one of the things that you are doing or have done during your free time could be categorized as a hobby and turned into a profession, then you should invest some time in reading the text that follows.

First of all, you should know that hobbies are practiced due to a person's interest in something and for the enjoyment that hobby can bring to the individual, rather than for financial reward that can result from the outcome of someone's efforts. Whether you are a collector, a crafter, a sports fanatic, or a painter, engaging in a hobby can lead you to acquiring a certain set of skills and advance substantially your capabilities, knowledge-base and experiences. But remember that these outcomes are directly related to the personal fulfillment a person receives from practicing the hobby of his or her choice.

Second, you are probably familiar with the phrase that says "The person that has turned his hobby into his profession is a happy one." It is true that for a number of reasons, more and more people have turned their hobby or hobbies into their daily occupations and those that have done so, state that this decision has dramatically changed their life towards the better. They advise others to do the same and they do have a point, if one considers that the person who uses his or her skills to earn a living actually practices something he or she loves doing. For example, if you have been receiving compliments for your cooking or pastry skills, from a variety of people, perhaps you should consider a career in that field. If you love computers and you spend every single minute experimenting in computer languages or playing computer games, then maybe a career of that sort could fit better your type. But generally speaking, a person who does something for fun and not remuneration is called an amateur or a hobbyist, as distinct from a professional.

But finally, in order to determine which hobbies you practice could become your future career paths, you should better examine how easy it is to make a living from your leisure and recreational activities. For example, very few people can live from stamp collection, but many find it enjoyable. A lot of people like to observe and study the stars, but few have actually invested in this hobby and became astronomers. But a number of people who enjoyed traveling and writing have become journalists, or others who preferred cooking rather than dining out have turned their passion into a flourishing business venture. Regardless if others find your hobby trivial or boring, you should invest some time in examining whether it has been ever introduced as a type of career. Even if not, do not get discouraged. People always find new ways to explore their entrepreneurship and business usually evolve just based on an idea. If you add on this equation talent, skill, and determination, you most probably have a winner. Whether you are an amateur writer or a painter, give it a shot and who knows? Maybe the next Hemingway or Picasso is you!

1 comment:

mexi0803 said...

I have always heard that the best way to make a living is doing something you love and its true, I love what I do. I was just writing about how you can actually sell photos online, how cool is that? I have tried that and loved it, its so fun most of the time anyways.