How to turn your hobby into a career
Making scarves, writing, brewing beer, photographing, designing cakes, and knitting... Most people use their favourite pastime as a kind of self-entertainment after work. Some, nevertheless, think it would be (crazy?) to make it their career.
Jonathan Elie used to sell his drawings to his classmates on the school bus for ten cents each when he was younger. "I've always enjoyed drawing, but when I was younger, I believed that becoming an architect was the only way to support yourself through drawing," he adds.
After receiving his degree, he allowed himself the opportunity to pursue other interests. At that point, the idea of becoming a tattoo artist was raised.
In an attempt to get my bearings, I asked myself what I could do each day to stop the passing of time, and the response was continuing painting. I then considered getting tattoos since I could do it for a living," he says.
So, in order to pursue his passion, Jonathan gave up the security and stability of an office job. According to professional counsellor Nadia Vallée, "having a hobby usually means you're good at it and you're happy with it." That's sufficient to persuade some individuals to pursue it as a career. Though a lot of individuals consider it, not everyone is a good fit for it.
To make a living at it, you need more than just ability or desire. "To put it mildly, it takes a lot of effort and a strong sense of purpose to stand out," says Lost & Faune jewellery designer Christine Bérubé. "So many people create jewellery just for the purpose of selling it!"
The woman, who began creating jewellery while still in CEGEP and sold it to females in her class who "were crazy about what she was doing," put a lot of effort into making her pastime her full-time career, to the point that, at the age of 25, she burned out.
"I put in 80 hours a week at work. Being a bit of a bohemian, I struggled to sell my things, maintain my accounts, and organise myself, so I had to do everything by myself," she acknowledges.
Starting your own business and turning your pastime into a compensated job frequently entails going it alone. It takes a certain kind of business mentality, which not everyone possesses, to accomplish this! Nadia Vallée suggests that you consider your options carefully before resigning to follow your passion.