Monetizing our hobbies
Hobbies are good for us. They promote creativity, expression, relaxation, and — depending on the hobby — connection with others. They improve health, mood, and overall well-being. A 2023 study published in Nature Medicine found that hobbies are linked to better mental health, fewer depressive symptoms, and greater life satisfaction, with results that were remarkably consistent across countries. (It's worth noting that the study focused on adults 65 and older.)
By definition, a hobby is "a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation" (Merriam-Webster) — something done for personal interest rather than financial gain or professional obligation.
So what happens when we monetize our hobbies?
This question often flows from the cultural pressure to "follow your passion." Rather than enjoying an activity for the mental and emotional benefits it provides, we're constantly nudged toward selling everything we make — jewelry, crafts, artwork, writing. Etsy, Patreon, and Substack have made this easier than ever.
To be clear: if creative work is your livelihood and your intent is to earn a living, you absolutely should be monetizing it. This isn't about that.
What concerns me is that our culture has lost sight of the value of hobbies simply for relaxation, for ourselves.
I'm part of several Facebook craft groups, and they're full of people looking to sell their creations. The hard truth is that with handmade goods, you will rarely recoup the true cost of your time and materials.
Take a lap blanket I recently crocheted using the linen stitch — a simple, repetitive pattern that let me work quickly. I used self-striping acrylic yarn at $6 a skein, so there was no color-changing, just continuous progress. Here's how the numbers broke down:
Materials: $6 x 5 skeins = $30
Time: est. 20 hours
Recommended sale price (materials x 3) = $90
My effective hourly rate: ($90 − $30) ÷ 20 hours = $3/hour
Three dollars an hour. That's the reality of selling handmade work — and it's exactly why monetizing a hobby can quietly drain the joy out of it.
Instead, look at hobbies as a way to get offline for a while, a way for your brain to reap the benefits of creative expression, allowing you to create new neural pathways, most importantly, to feel better.