It’s true that it’s their choice, but a lot of people grew up hearing the phrase “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life!” so when they enter the workforce and find that they hate it, they look for a hobby they’re passionate about, and plan their career around it. But when they make it their job, they find that instead of the hobby making work more bearable, the work instead makes the hobby unbearable, and now they’ve got a job they hate and have lost one of their passions.
I’m sure there are some people who can love their hobby even as they are forced to wake up every day and do it regardless of whether or not they want to, but for me, anything I have to do every day becomes something I hate. The best career option for me is to work with something I was already indifferent toward, so it doesn’t matter if I start hating it.
This is spot on.
I like making leather goods for friends and family. As soon as I made my first few things, my parents and (now ex) wife starting making comments about making it my side hustle, selling at fairs/farmer markets, etc.
I took a few steps down that road, but the business side of figuring out costs, meeting deadlines, etc., absolutely killed my passion for my hobby and I basically quit doing it for almost two years.
I’ve only just gotten back into it over the past few months, making some things for my friends and “charging” them something like a homemade painting or a six-pack of good beer and letting them know their wallet/purse/whatever will be done when it’s done.
I’m happy, they’re happy, and my day job continues to be my source of income, while my hobby is my escape and still feels good.
I think the only time “doing what you love and you’ll never work” would actually work is if you ONLY do that task. If all you did was make leather items and have other people do the business side of things, then you might be able to focus on passion WHEN you want to focus on it.
