My website and blog writing is a hobby. I’d call it a side gig, but one post per week (and sometimes less) isn’t likely to start making me any money any time soon, if ever. I’m honestly 100% okay with that right now.
Even though it is simply a hobby and it has never directly made money (nor is that it’s expressed purpose), my website and blog have actually indirectly helped me make a living and created new opportunities that never would have been there if I’d never started.
As I look at my adult life, I find that over and over this very thing has happened. More experiences create more knowledge and skills which creates more opportunities. If your current job doesn’t check all the boxes for what you would like to do, consider filling those gaps with a passive hobby while also pouring yourself into your day job fully. Developing those skills can then open new doors that you never expected.
Dorm Room Videos Create Unexpected Income
My freshman year of college I spent an immense amount of time alone in my dorm room. I was not very good at meeting new people at the time (still not my favorite activity, read more here) and used that time to create various videos. Most were cringe-worthy and will never see the light of day again.
The first 5 or so videos I created were less than stellar, but as I learned more, I gained more skills. It didn’t take long before it became known among my family and friends that I had an interest in video editing. I wasn’t an expert, but I was more competent than the Average Joe. I eventually bought a better editing program that would enhance what I could do as an editor.
It wasn’t long before I was getting hired for a few side gigs that utilized my editing and videos skills. I put together a slideshow for a wedding and was a videographer for another wedding. Family and friends reached out to me for help on video projects. These were great experiences that taught me a lot about working in the gig economy. A side benefit was that the small payments I received more than covered the cost of my editing software and video camera. Side gigs paid for my hobby and grew a marketable skill I can still use today if needed.
An Accidental Job Opportunity
At the beginning, I hinted that my website has helped me make a living. I work in manufacturing, but I also have a few hours every week for office work at my job. A few months into working at my new job, my boss asked what I knew about website design, if anything. In fact, I DID know something because I had created my own personal website for my blog.
This basic knowledge of WordPress and website design led the company to allow me to build their new website. This likely saved the company thousands of dollars by not needing to get outside help and allowed me to build my knowledge of website design and get paid to do it. What an opportunity! After months of work, the website is almost ready for release and the company has someone in-house to update it as needed. Everybody wins!
This opportunity was completely unexpected! I knew the company needed a new website, but if I had not learned how to do it already for my personal website, I would never have agreed to take on the project. Now, I can confidently say to any future employer or client that I have done copywriting for a website and built a website on my own. I now have a marketable skill that is in-demand and it all started with a hobby.
Your Hobbies Are More Than Just Hobbies
Time spent on hobbies is time well-spent. Not only does it hopefully make you a more interesting, relaxed, and fulfilled person, it also builds skills. You have no idea what opportunities or friendships those skills could bring into your life. They may provide a needed relief from the stresses of work or a side gig that lights your fire on the weekends.
It is often that creators like me struggle with why we do what we do, especially when first starting out. I’ve put a lot of time into blogging, researching for my historical novel, understanding investing, and playing guitar. I don’t have a huge following on my blog, Twitter, or YouTube and I don’t always get many views. And creators really need to be 100% okay with that, especially in the early stages. At the end of the day, I do it because I enjoy it. If it helps others or makes people happier or smarter, that’s just an added bonus. I’m building skills for unknown future opportunities. Maybe that’s at my current job. Maybe it’s building my own business. Maybe it’s just to bring more joy into my life.
I love learning about other people’s life journeys. The beauty of it is that no one knows where life will take them. Hearing people talk about how every job they had led them to the next opportunity is really inspiring. Side gigs turn into full-time work. A random connection leads to an unexpected job offer. A sewing hobby turns into a side business on Etsy. Being open to possibility often leads to more possibilities.
Developing your hobbies and giving yourself permission to do them leads to endless possibilities. You have no idea where they will take you, but developing those skills will always produce fruit even if it’s different than you expected. Enjoy your hobbies and reap the rewards from the unexpected benefits!