I'd like to produce (and share) more... everything.

Writing, tinkering, sharing, stories, games, whatever.

Why?

• Because I'd like to.
• Because it feels better than just consuming.
• Because producing is often learning, and I like learning.
• Because I sometimes see life benefits from doing so.
• Because I get a paycheck for some of them.

Considered harmful?

Maybe I pressure myself too much on this? Too much hustle. Not many hobbies for the hell of it.

Not Everything Is a Side Hustle:

Half of millennials have a side gig because they can’t find a full-time job that will pay them a living wage, or because a side hustle is what’s required to break into their desired field. But once you’ve decided to monetize a leisure activity, it can be hard to go back. One of my friends started selling crocheted vulvas during a time in her life when her nonprofit job was severely underpaying her. “It went from a funny hobby to something I felt I had to do until my hands turned into claws,” she told me. Eventually, she found a better job and put her crochet needles away. Friends occasionally still ask her to make one for them. She always declines. “Totally ruined it for me,” she says.

The Modern Trap of Turning Hobbies Into Hustles:

When I was a kid, I often heard the phrase, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Like many millennials — who are now of course accused of wanting too much in terms of job satisfaction and security — I was encouraged to view any of my interests or talents as a possible career. This framework has carried through to adulthood, but now, instead of conjuring a Richard Scarry-esque image of happily occupying my time doing things I love, it reinforces the idea that my attention belongs more rightfully on profit than on pleasure.