You Don’t Have to Monetize Your Hobbies

Welcome to Creatives Anonymous, a weekly newsletter that explores what it means to be a modern-day creative. It inspires, encourages, and empowers readers to take back their creative power.

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This week’s issue of Creatives Anonymous was written by Kara Detwiller, author of the Wishful Working newsletter.

A few years ago, I decided to try linocut printing. I bought carving tools, linoleum blocks, ink, and other supplies. Before I even attempted my first print, I thought, “Wow, if this works out, I could sell prints!”

Needless to say, my first few prints were not great, and not only have I not sold any linocut prints, I haven’t even made another attempt in over a year. I wouldn’t go so far as to say my dreams of selling prints ruined the hobby for me, but it definitely didn’t help. And on a deeper level, the ever-present opportunities to turn my creative hobbies into side hustles has made my relationship with hobbies… complicated.

Let me be clear: I don’t think it’s wrong to make money using your creative skills or to daydream about doing so. I just think the temptation to obsess over a hobby’s side hustle potential can dull the joy of creating art for its own sake, and I have a few tips for creatives who are constantly toeing that line:

1. Beware of perfectionism.

When a creative end product does not match your vision, it’s discouraging. Truthfully, your early attempts at a creative hobby aren’t going to be good enough to sell, but they are good enough to exist for the pure pleasure of creating. This is especially important to remember when you’re just starting a hobby and that taste-talent gap tends to be wide. 

As you’ve probably heard, perfect is the enemy of good. To remove the expectation of perfection, never start a hobby with the intention of selling things to paying customers. Just start because you want to. Make bad art. Keep trying. Have fun.

2. Honor your creative impulses.

When creating something for an audience, you’re going to automatically consider their tastes and preferences. Making something to sell shifts your goal from “make something I like and have fun” to “make something with wide commercial appeal.” 

The problem is that obsessing over other people’s preferences is almost guaranteed to stifle some of your wackier ideas, including the ideas that are most unique and true to who you are. If you have no audience or customers, you don’t need to worry about their tastes! 

And ironically, an audience is more likely to enjoy your art if you stay true to your impulses anyway.

3. Keep it joyful.

Practicing a creative hobby should be playful, joyful, and uninhibited. When you monetize a hobby, it quickly transforms from a leisure activity into a work activity. You’ll feel pressure to be successful, as well as the aforementioned perfectionism and concern about your customers’ preferences. After a while, you might not enjoy that hobby at all anymore. 

There is something pure and sacred about enjoying a creative hobby just because it’s fun. It gives us a way to relax and unwind. For those of us with creative jobs, our hobbies let us flex our creative muscles in a way that’s just for us. Project that joy.

4. Protect your creative energy.

I think it’s amazing when creative people can earn an income from their creative work, but I also know firsthand it’s a path that can easily lead to burnout. My final piece of advice is to have some creative hobbies that are simply not monetizable (or that you refuse to monetize). 

Reserve time and creative energy to do these hobbies regularly. Literally schedule it on your calendar if you have to. If you start to get burned out on your creative job and/or side hustle(s), these non-monetized hobbies will be a bellwether and a sign that your energy needs to shift.

Big thanks to Alexa for inviting me to write for Creatives Anonymous this week! She’s sharing her thoughts on this topic in tomorrow’s edition of Wishful Working, a weekly newsletter exploring self-employment, anti-hustle culture, and the future of work.

CREATIVE CORNER (KARA’S VERSION)

• 🎞️ What I’m Consuming: My Old Ass on Prime. Such a sweet and funny coming-of-age story.

• 💡 What I’m Loving: Shopping for my 2025 planner 👀

• 🎨 What I’m Working On: Writing the first chapters of my romcom novel ❣️

• 💭 Weekly Musing:

Thank you 💕

If you liked this newsletter, I’d love it if you could forward it to someone who you think would like it, too!

I’m so grateful for all of your support!

Kara Detwiller is a freelance writer and entrepreneur based in small-town Saskatchewan. She publishes Wishful Working, a weekly newsletter exploring self-employment, anti-hustle culture, and the future of work. She also writes long-form content for B2B clients and helps founders and independents name their brands and projects at Naming. Connect with her LinkedIn or Twitter.