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Has making your hobby and passion, specifically art, as your career, ruined your enjoyment for it?

I have always loved making art and have been told by many that I should go into a line of work with art involved. However, I fear that once it becomes an assignment or requirement, I will find inspiration hard to come by and will no longer enjoy it; therefore, not doing my best work. #art #career

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Eben’s Answer

I find that many young professionals find themselves in jobs that don't necessarily resemble their ideas about "what they wanted to be when they grew up". Don't Panic! Life is not pass/fail and the different things that you will see during a 30-40 year career will be many. Hopefully you will enjoy lots of different hobbies, and express yourself in different ways. I think there is value to diversity of experience and often your passions may change over time. If you have a unique gift, or aspire to be an artist, there is nothing wrong with exploring that as a career option, but it may be a more difficult path. Regardless of which path you choose, if you find yourself getting bored or unchallenged it might be time for a new adventure in your career, or perhaps a new hobby. My final thought is that in a full life you will often have both a job - what you do for a living, and also your work - what you are contributing over time to the larger community. Your work is driven by your passionate pursuits including art, social concerns, political activity etc. I think having both a job and your work can help to enjoying a well balanced life. Often ones work becomes their job eventually. For some fortunate others their job and their work are one and the same. My advice to them is - get a hobby!
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Moe’s Answer

I was very interested in art in high school, but transitioned to a career in design. It's not the same as making art, but I still get to be creative and passionate about my work. In a way, I'm also trying to stay inspired and I do that by keeping all forms of art and creativity in my life. I've broadened my interest from art to all types of design as well which keeps me inspired in my daily work.
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Rebecca’s Answer

Hi Isabelle,

I turned my love of art into a graphic design career and am very happy with my decision. I frequently get to work on projects that I feel passionate about and that flex my creative muscles. It is also awesome to get to collaborate with other creative minds and learn from experts.

It is definitely different working on projects for a company versus passion projects, and not everyday will be filled with sparks of inspiration. As with any job, I have a many meetings and tasks unrelated to design that take up a lot of my week. I often take on side freelance design projects, work on personal art, or scroll through sites like Pinterest and Dribbble to stay engaged and continue building new skills.
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Elise’s Answer

Maybe you can try to work in art, because "Life is still a long road". There are many types of art job, don't be afraid to try it, it will turn into a unique experience in your life.
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Hamish’s Answer

No, I love what I do. Passion in your work is important.
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Elyssa’s Answer

I loved taking wedding photos and did so for many years without pay as a side surprise gift to the couple. I captured many moments the professionals missed and also many ended up selecting my photos over the professional. I then was the "official" photographer at weddings for friends as their gift. While I had many that went well, I discovered the pressure of being the official photographer was not for me. It sucked all of the joy out of it knowing that if I missed a moment, it was gone forever and my fault.

I think people often confuse hobbies with jobs and it's important to first think about the function of a job...it's to provide a minimum standard of living. So first you have to think about what your personal minimum standard is. That is different for every person. Do you want to have kids, or own a home (and how big and where), or travel or or or. Figure out the minimum you would need to be happy and thrive. If you can do your hobby and initially or eventually make enough to meet your minimum standard, then go for it. If what you love to do will not ever provide the minimum standard of living you would need to be happy, then keep it as a hobby.
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KA IN’s Answer

I totally understand your feeling. When I was in high-school, I determined myself to study arts or design. But when I thought about my future job and career, I felt like arts wasn't the best selection. I chose to work in a big company instead of being a freelancer. For now, I start to use my creativity in my job and notice that Art can be anywhere. So don't hesitate to choose, if there are chance for you to show your art talent, you still can continue your Art journey. Remember, art has no defintion and edge.

Support You !
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David’s Answer

I am a banker by trade but also ran an antique business for several years while working in my primary career. In general, I think it is difficult to convert something you enjoy as a hobby/avocation into a money making venture. It turns it into a grind. My advice would be to find a decent paying career that you find at least a little bit enjoyable to support yourself and then do your hobby on the side. David
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Kevin’s Answer

I can only tell you a couple of personal stories in my career I talked to an individual who told me he always loved fish
(aquariums, etc.) but that he opened a fish store, selling supplies and he said he grew to hate it and it ruined his interest in his hobby

I have a friend who loved to cook but went into to cooking for a restaurant and didn't like it

I have taken a martial art for years and have been told I should go into teaching /opening my own school
but it does not interest me, I enjoy it / love it but would never want to make a business out of it

be careful because taking a passion and combining it with a business could impact you enjoyment

I know this doesn't help but I am sure there are people who followed their passion and hobby and have made a career out of it and love and enjoy what they do (I guess it depends on your personal experience, look into it but be careful!!)
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Jevons’s Answer

Hi, Isabelle.

Keep create your work with passion, you can start to being a freelancer.

Maybe you are not doing what you actually love in your first job, but don't stop creating if you really love it.
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Dan’s Answer

Isabelle, If you have a passion for something and you decide to move forward and make it your career you will continue to enjoy the arts. There will always be ups and downs. But doing something you enjoy will make it that much easier to get up each day to see what new adventure is at your door step. I also live in Berkshire County and part of our foundation here is the Arts. It could be anything from the Norman Rockwell or Tanglewood or Berkshire Theater Festival to name just a few. I hope this helps and I wish you well.
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Shawn’s Answer

Hi Isabelle,

I've always loved reading books. When I went to college, though, I wasn't entirely sure that I wanted to major in English, because I was worried that it would diminish my love of reading. (Also, I've never much liked having to read things other people tell me to read. :) What I discovered, though, is that taking classes from professors who loved reading as much as I did deepened my understanding and appreciation for what great writing is. Although I don't work professionally as a reader--I write technical documentation--it's still something I love and enjoy to this day.

I do think that doing something professionally changes your relationship to it, but there's also something really great about getting paid for something you enjoy doing. :)

Best of luck! I hope you always love making art!
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Kevin’s Answer

Hi There,

I would say that it depends on how passionate you are about your art. I was once interested in pursuing a career in art, but was steered away from it by a high school that was pushing college prep academics like Business, Science and IT. Although I'm happy with the path that brought me to where I am now, I still regret not trying to fit certain art classes in along the way, which in hindsight I realize was very possible. I'm not sure if you're already in college but if not, there are plenty of schools that offer both. You could look for a school that offers design as well as management courses that way you will be in a good position for a career in the art world even if you're not creating the art. Another option might be pursuing a career in education. I have a friend that went to design school, and when he graduated became a high school art teacher. His specialty was ceramics, so he got to not only teach, but practice his own technique every day with the students which made him a better artist. He still teaches, but also makes a very comfortable living selling artwork on the side. Just a few things to consider, I hope it helps.
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Gang’s Answer

I am an engineer while enjoying painting in my spare time.

What's you have to do VS. what are you like to do

Every day, I have to eat and sleep… and I would like to watch a movie someday.

What's the voice in the mind for the following questions when making a decision?

are you enjoying what's you are doing without caring about the result?

what's the original aspiration?

And the verb 'like' might become 'liked', So exciting when playing the computer game 10 years ago, but now, no this emotion…

Just follow your heart.
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Katie’s Answer

Hi Isabelle!

I have always loved making art too - went into college as a Studio Art major for a year then switched to major in Graphic Design. Best Decision Ever. If you are passionate about art and design - go for it! There are so many opportunities to advance your career in design and companies are really starting to value and measure how great design impacts the business bottom line.I've found that by working in Graphic design and UX professionally it's forced me to keep on top of creative trends and kept me creatively stimulated. If I didn't pursue design career, I think it would be hard for me to find the time for creativity.

Of course it all depends on the company you work for - but seek out opportunities where you can really push yourself to flex your creative muscle. I've worked in design at startups with 50 employees and massive enterprises with 30k employees and the experience working at startups is really where it's encouraged to be creative and take risks in design, especially if they're early stage.

You can always pursue freelance creative work on the side, but I would encourage you to go for a career in design! Use your creative energy in new ways and see how it goes - you won't know how you feel about it until you try.
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Prettina’s Answer

Hi Isabelle,

Thank you for asking this brilliant question and you are so right to think if once you take your passion as career, you might end up NOT enjoying it.
It is natural to be stressed out with deadlines, commitments, competition, sustainability, etc, when you take any passion for that matter as your career, but the positive side to it is that, since its your passion and you naturally have an inclination towards it ( in your case, arts) , you will find ways to pick yourself and keep the journey going.

I'm an IT professional but my passion is all about fashion and creative styling. I do have a full time job, but I also blog about fashion, I tend to bring my creative element in every other presentation i prepare or event i conduct at my work place. That way I keep my passion alive and also pay my bills by having a job on hand. I have regretted many times for not taking a job that is related to my passion but that doesn't degrade my performance in the current job i hold. I give my 100% but deep within me i've always wanted to be doing something artsy.

I would suggest you should pick a job related to your passion and how not to get bored of it or exhausted is to always think out of the box and continuous learning. Let's say you pick painting as your career, don't stop with couple of techniques, keep exploring the different techniques you can specialize on and bring value to your art. Keep engaging yourselves in learning and experimenting. Get creative with creativity :-) This will help you to pick yourselves whenever you feel i'm not doing best at my interest.

Good luck with your job hunt and I wish you all the great success in your life.
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Gloria’s Answer

Hello,

My artistic endeavor is writing. It is what I have loved since I learned how to write my name. I knew early on, however, that I had very little desire to try to compete in the large publishing industry. I still think one day maybe I will write a book. I was able to channel my writing into my current career as an Instructional Designer. I get to write all of the time, even creatively for the creation of videos or case studies. There is power in storytelling beyond writing a book. Think about the great speeches that you have heard or the great commercials you enjoy. I like my job greatly because I have been able to use my writing for various industries such as Banking, Pharmaceuticals, technology, and hospitality. I think that you will probably end up separating the art you create for pleasure and that which you create for work. That helps me keep my passion for writing, because my bills do not depend on me writing books. If you draw or paint, there are many fields where you can be creative at work without taking away from your love of making art. It is a distinction between making art for yourself versus making art for the benefit of another entity, either a business or a person.

Good luck on your job search.
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Childa’s Answer

Thank you for asking this interesting question! In my opinion, your hobby/ enjoyment WILL NOT be ruined based on your job. First of all, maybe you need to redefine the word "job" and "hobby". Yes, we love what we do and our final goal is to do what you love (art) for living.

However, once you are paid to work, you will not be able to do things with your flows and instead, to fulfill other's expectations and follow their guidelines. In return, you may not love your job even art related, but you will still love your interest regarding to your heart as you've got your clear mind between "career" and "passion". If you really want your career to be involved in your hobby, you can give it a shot but you also need to understand the risks in terms of your financial etc wether it can be fully supported and to be able to pursue your dream meanwhile not losing your working passion in a long run. Good luck mate.
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Matt’s Answer


Hi Isabelle,

Below is some of my opinion, you can take it as a reference when you make your decision, hope it can help you.

1)How hard do you love your passion
First, you need to ask yourself one question, how hard to you love your passion? Is it as hard to support your whole life doing the same thing but not being bored? I think this is the most important thing to think about seriously before you make any decision.

2)Work hard to be the top
Once you decide to make your passion as your job, please assume you will have a lot of rules and guideline to follow at the beginning. By the way, once you get success and be famous, you will have a lot more freedom to achieve your inspiration and make what you really what to make. So, set the right exception first before you make the decision.

3)Find the balance point
After you have your expectation, you may also feel frustrated if you keep doing the thing under a lot of guidelines. So, I suggest you can also do some freelance job or some volunteer job outside that is about your passion at the same time. Therefore, you can find the balance point and also keep inspiring and enjoying your passion.

4)Have a try
Before you make your decision, I’ll also suggest you to catch every opportunity to try the related job first, have a look or experience about what it is and think carefully if the thing is what you want or what you expect. Also, don’t judge too early by just one case, try more and more and make all of them become your reference to make a right decision for yourself.

5)Your hobby should not be your burden
It is just a beginning for your future when you are graduated, a same job makes different feeling for different peoples, some people love accounting job and some people cannot stay with it even an hour.So, Do what you passion for would be so much better than do something that you don’t love. Especially when you are planning your future career. Please don’t let the pressure ruined your passion.

Overall, the key point is how your treat your job as. Your job should just be a process in your whole life to finish your dream. So, just follow your mind and don’t make you regret in the future!
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Melinda’s Answer

I can relate to this question, although in my case, my passion/hobby was music rather than art. I did find that studying music in school (with bachelor's and master's degrees in music) took a lot of the fun out of it, and I ended up going back to school in engineering (computer engineering focus) and getting a job in engineering. I now really enjoy music as my hobby, and I am very happy that I was able to learn so much about it in school and am able to apply some of my past education to my hobby.
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Blake’s Answer

Hey Isabelle,

My mom is an artist and she still loves it! However, I think what you might run into is that you end up painting things that other people want and not necessarily what you want to create. For instance, my mom doesn't prefer to paint portraits, but that is often what is requested.

Thanks,
Blake
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John’s Answer

Hi Isabelle, I understand where you're coming from and it was a concern of mine as well when starting out in my career. What I did was mix something additional in with the art I did at work, so it wouldn't become "too much" like the art I do for fun. For example, I love to design in Illustrator and InDesign. So, I got a job in design. However, it was in email design, so I learned to code and design email templates, as well as report on the metrics of those emails I designed/sent out. I still was able to bring the creative elements I enjoyed to my job, but putting that technical/business spin on it made my "job art" sufficiently different from my "leisure art" that I've still kept my love for creating art in my spare time. Hope this helps!
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Brett’s Answer

Hello,
First of all NEVER give up on what you love to do! I absolutely hear what you are saying that when it becomes "assigned" its less enjoyable. However, that being said, perhaps we need to think outside the box and at jobs that will encourage your creativity rather than assign mundane tasks that they call the "art department". I always reference two of my heroes, one being Jim Henson, the other Walt Disney. These people took their creative passion to the next level and essentially changed the way the world thought about their art forms. Now we may not all become the next Henson or Disney but there are so many ways to express ourselves through art. I would hate to see someone who has a passion give up on it because of the demands of their job. If it is a concern then perhaps look into a job that is not art based, this allows you to separate work from home and you can create the art you want in your spare time. If getting a job in art is what you want, go for it, you never know you may be able to grow as an artist, gain experience and move onward and upward! You may find a niche you can fill through art and branch off and create your own business. You may be the next Henson or Disney! You never know, but do yourself and the world a favor and never ever stop creating and dreaming!
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Jason’s Answer

This is a possible risk, but there are also ways to balance. Friends of mine who are professional artist make sure to create a good blend of work for pay and work for themselves. In my case, I chose an art-adjacent career—design—that lets me be creative throughout my work day while still leaving room to practice more fine art pursuits after work.
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Christopher’s Answer

Since everybody has their own job, that's why its good to work with your passion point. Find a way to enjoy and keep you passion will be the most important part. But what you need at first, is experience of doing art job.

Christopher recommends the following next steps:

Make up your CV and tidy up your works
Find a studio or related industry to intern
Earn interviewing experience and working experience
Recap your mind about getting into art industry
TAKE ACTION
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Pamela’s Answer

I had this exact fear in high school, which was why I always said I would never major in Art! I have since graduated college, with a major in Grahpic Design, and have been working for 7 years as a graphic designer. I have found that even when I fear I have had my "last great design idea," I always surprise myself and continue to come up with more! I would say this is a common fear, and is one that is more often than not able to be overcome.

Burnout can be a real thing, so it is important to remember to take breaks throughout the day, and to give yourself time to recharge for longer periods of time throughout the year. If you are like me and end up in a setting where you create art every day, 5 days a week, it is important to remember that you may not be creating your own personal art projects on your off time. And that is ok!

If you are in an art field that is more fine art based where you don't really have set hours, I think it is important to hold yourself to schedules and deadlines so that you can help keep yourself accountable and problem solve what is/isn't working easier.
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Abbey’s Answer

I am an Artist as well. I have chosen to maintain a full time career, while leveraging social media to drive a business where I sell art. I love painting, but also want to be sure that I am financially stable. I am able to balance this by using evenings and weekends as my time to paint. This allows it to stay something I enjoy, rather than something I have to do.
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Christina’s Answer

It depends your mindset afterall. I saw a lot of professional artists can have art making art while they can make their art business sustainable. There may be times you feel lost but through continually trying, you will soon find a balance between your identity as an artist and your customer's likelihood to your arts and make your art career enjoyable and sustainable at the same time.
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