I am not 100% that this fits neatly into the usual content for this blog. At the same time, it does fit into many of the themes I discuss on here. In many ways, I consider my approach to crafting to be very similar to taking Pop Culture Magic seriously. First, many people disagree with my opinion, and can’t seem to shut the hell up about how I should change my mind or how I am ‘wrong.’ 

There was a pretty good time in my life where I wanted to be an artist for a living. I wanted to go around to events and sell things that I made. In my head, this was the best possible way I could make a living. Well, reality hit me pretty hard in many ways. First, many of the events I began vending at were held during the summer, and held outside. This meant that I had to haul a lot of stuff—including canopies that were heavy, unwieldy, and far too much for me to set up on my own. This required me to rely heavily on my friends and family—many of which who had actually claimed and promised they would help out on the regular. But, ideals and reality were very, very different.

I also took it very personally when people did not want to buy what I had. I was about a decade younger than I am now…and I hadn’t learned how to compartmentalize, yet. I also hadn’t quite figured out that these things have very little to do with me. I had a mental breakdown at one show. A really, really bad breakdown. The long story short was that I got put into a ‘vendor’ space instead of the artist alley…and only one person walked over through the course of over six hours. The emotional damage was awful. And maybe that was a bit on the pathetic side of me. But, I was also off my anti-anxiety medication cold turkey after my health insurance decided to drop coverage. 

I wasn’t able to draw after that for several years. And I had to make it a huge effort to re-learn how to write, or how to draw again.  

The Purpose of Hobbies

Above all else, hobbies are not lesser than businesses. I think that Americans in particular suffer from a disease of wanting to turn everything into profit—and I suffered from that illness for a long time. I wanted to sell my art and crafts. But, chasing that, I got caught in the idea that anything but super huge success was an utter failure. I actually wasn’t bad at it. I was very close to breaking even in a little over a year. In my head, though, I was a failure factory that was incapable of doing anything right. 

Hobbies are supposed to bring you joy. They are supposed to make life better—or at the very least more tolerable. And during that time, my hobbies became a source of misery for me. Every tiny problem became an indication that I would never be better than the worst. So I needed lower stakes. It just took me almost a decade to realize that. 

At the same time, I adore the idea still of selling my art and what I make. I am enchanted by stories such as Ojomajo DoReMi, A Novice Alchemist’s Shop, and Mineko’s Night Market. Over the course of several years, I learned how to enjoy art and crafting once more. I even was able to improve on many of my skills. This year, I attempted an experiment. Could I do a single event without losing my marbles? I specifically chose an event that cut down on my biggest problems from previous markets. The event was hosted indoors. Thus, no canopies were required. There were bathrooms close by, as well as a water source so I could keep my water bottle. The hosting building also provided tables in chairs. So I wouldn’t have to bring my own. I also decided to split a single table with a friend, so we could watch each other’s stuff while someone had to get food or run to the bathroom. I also was under less pressure to fill out the entire table. That cut down on the vast, vast majority of the problems I faced. 

If people asked if this was my ‘business’ I said ‘No, this is just a way to recover some money from the craft supply hole—and also an excuse to buy more craft supplies.’ And that took more of the pressure off. I was free to just enjoy it. I didn’t feel a need to sell a certain amount or move everything. Nothing had to be perfect, because it was something I was doing for fun—even if I was keeping good records for tax purposes. 

Selling things can be a hobby too, I guess. 

Hobbies as Inferior?

There is another very strange belief I have noticed. People seem to be under the idea that hobbies are in some way innately lesser than businesses. Oh so it’s JUST a hobby, people seem to actively sneer that phrase. It reminds me of people who look down on others for not being married or not having kids or not making any of the culturally approved ‘right’ choices. 

It’s very strange to me that people seem to be allergic to the idea of other people making different choices or valuing different aspects of life than they do. For the moment, I think I am going to explore this idea as a hobby and see where it takes me. No pressure to specifically take it in any direction. 

What About You?

I’m curious to hear about how the rest of you readers, asteroids, and pieces of space junk feel about this idea. Why do people feel that hobbies are inferior because they aren’t someone’s main source income? What are your relationships with your hobbies like?