Hobbies and Work

[Rail Tracer]

This first half of the year, I've notice that a lot of the staff at my college have work, and they also have a hobby that is "unrelated" to that work. Say, as an example, an electrician has a hobby of building metal figures, a grass mower has a hobby of painting art, and a biology professor is a jewelry designer/maker. Of these instances, the hobbies aren't part of their job, but I am fascinated by the time devoted outside of work for these creations.

So I am curious, how common is it to have both hobbies and work aligned? And how many here have them aligned?

For those that don't, why not? Does the hobby make little to no money?

All input would help me understand/differentiate work and hobby (it seems what I have been striving for is that sweet spot between both work and hobby.)

I do have some guessing of what I might end up becoming, but I've said that with the last 3 or so careers that I was also thinking about. All three of those career also involved a little bit of the hobbies I've actually enjoyed (though was not sure whether it would make a good work environment or not.)

 

[Viridian]

Maybe they want to keep work and personal life separate, to the point of not wanting to be reminded of work when having fun?

I can kind of see myself doing that... Things that are usually enjoyable can become somewhat unnerving when your livelihood depends on them. :/

Plus, not everyone ends up doing what they love. Sometimes things just don't work out. Shame.

 

[RaptorWizard]

Here is my favorite quote regarding work:

I am credited with being one of the hardest workers and perhaps I am, if thought is the equivalent of labour, for I have devoted to it almost all of my waking hours. But if work is interpreted to be a definite performance in a specified time according to a rigid rule, then I may be the worst of idlers. Every effort under compulsion demands a sacrifice of lifeenergy. I never paid such a price. On the contrary, I have thrived on my thoughts.”
Tesla

 

[Qlip]

I'm a computer programmer, and the hobby I'm most involved in is playing with electronics and programming microcontrollers. So, they're not 180 from each other, they're complimentary. I even push through having to sit at a PC to do what I want to do after I've done it all day. But it is a major difference to see something I've made actually 'do' something, like move and make noise as opposed to just running in computer.

 

[ceecee]

I work in health information management and the last thing I want to do when I'm not working is more medical coding/analysis/reimbursement. I love to cook, garden, DIY stuff.

 

[Cimarron]

Several intense but unrelated interests ---> Make one of them a career. Make the other ones hobbies. If I could find a job encapsulating all my biggest interests, I guess I would take it, but I've never seen one that combines science, music, and history/politics. In different circumstances, the hobby and the career might switch places. All depends on circumstances.

 

[Randomnity]

For those that don't, why not? Does the hobby make little to no money?

Those with lucrative hobbies are very fortunate! Most things that are fun are money-sinks, not money-creators. Some of them can be turned into a job if you're very, very good, but most people are not.

There's also the fact that for some people, being forced to do something makes it no longer enjoyable (for me, art and gardening fall into this category, and probably other things). So doing it as a career would ruin it as a hobby.

And of course, most people have many hobbies, not just one! So even if you turn a hobby into a job, you're hopefully always going to have hobbies unrelated to your job. It's good for your sanity.

 

[animenagai]

For those that don't, why not? Does the hobby make little to no money?

Is this a serious question? By definition, hobbies are just things you enjoy. If I'm doing something for fun, the last thing that I would think about is how much cash I could make off it. As long as it's fun it's doing the job.

You got to keep in mind that a lot of people choose careers based on the money too. They don't have to choose a job they like, content wise.

 

[Rail Tracer]

Is this a serious question? By definition, hobbies are just things you enjoy. If I'm doing something for fun, the last thing that I would think about is how much cash I could make off it. As long as it's fun it's doing the job.

You got to keep in mind that a lot of people choose careers based on the money too. They don't have to choose a job they like, content wise.

I might have phrased that sentence incorrectly.

Yes, hobbies are things we enjoy. But, a lot of people choose to choose their hobbies as their work also (whether there was money to be made or not.) Some people choose to be teachers because they enjoy the role of teaching kids(even though you make so little.) Some become fine-artists even though the likelihood you'll be a famous artist would be close to none, and etc (and the pay is so little.)

I've been through about 3 departments so far and am on my fourth. There is some contrast between Computer Science, Graphic Design, and Art (although there are many similarities between the 3 too.) Every one of these departments have something in common - there is a little bit of my hobby in them.

 

[Rail Tracer]

[MENTION=12223]Viridian[/MENTION] [MENTION=4883]Cimarron[/MENTION] [MENTION=206]Randomnity[/MENTION] [MENTION=15371]RaptorWizard[/MENTION] [MENTION=10714]Qlip[/MENTION] [MENTION=4894]animenagai[/MENTION] Thanks for the answers guys.

Randomnity and RaptorWizard, I may very well lose some of that sanity. It is like the rut finally snapped, and the apathy has gone away.

After much thought, I am certain what I'll be doing in college now. I've been so engrossed by it than any other thing I've seen in a long time.

I can't believe I've been losing sleep over reading, watching, writing, and TRYING to sleep for these past 2 months. So bad for my health that I am willing to spend months like this to the detriment of my health.

This conviction in what is occurring is like those people who spend days engrossed in their work. The comparison is like a theorist in his laboratory or an artist repeatedly seeking in his artwork(day in and day out) perfection.

Political Science Major with a Minor that allows me to spread information is what I'll be working on.

 

[ilikeitlikethat]

I need to become a publisher, so I need contracts/deals with shops to provide them with material to sell lol...

Or I could just try and find a publisher myself.

I think that's the difference, for me, for some work I want to do, and a hobby.
Like, music composition mainly.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I've got a ton of different hobbies.

 

[Coriolis]

So I am curious, how common is it to have both hobbies and work aligned? And how many here have them aligned?

For those that don't, why not? Does the hobby make little to no money?

All input would help me understand/differentiate work and hobby (it seems what I have been striving for is that sweet spot between both work and hobby.)

Ideally, one can find a job one truly enjoys. In this sense, work is a hobby that is lucrative enough to provide a livelihood. One can still have other hobbies in addition, just to explore other interests and develop different abilities and aspects of yourself. (e.g. someone with a largely sedentary and mental job taking up a sport, or someone in a technical job having an artistic hobby).