Your Hobbies Don’t Have to Be Your Hustles
But be mindful if they are.
The question of passion and career are so often dependent upon each other in society. I say this as someone who has always tried to figure out her one passion in life, only to learn that this is a problematic desire. I made this video about this exact global conundrum.
Aside from the fact that we can be multipassionate, or a multipotentialite as coined in this Ted talk, we also don’t have to turn our passions or hobbies or interests into side hustles. The “hustle” has been glorified by capitalism as a way to “have it all” when the 9–5 grind is getting you down. And while I have used the word “hustle” to describe the work I do outside of my full-time job, I often cringe when I say it. I don’t want to reinforce the idea that to pursue your passions, you need to burn yourself out to do it.
Yet, society romanticizes this idea instead of allowing our hobbies to be romantic on their own. I love learning. And what takes the joy away from learning something new is the intrusive thought that pops in my head and asks “How can you make money from this?” I’ve learned to swat this question away more easily, but this question used to send me spinning instead of allowing myself to enjoy the thing I’m actually learning.
