If you could make the hobby your job would you?

As fun as it sounds in theory there's always a downside to making a hobby a job. It goes from something you're doing for fun and to relieve stress to something you're doing to make money. I love doing art and as much as I'd like to do art as a living I would just want to do my own stuff and not commissions because they stress me out and I think i'd be the same way with dolls

 

I tried comeing out of high school/college. I loved drawing, went to school for graphic design. And found out its an over saturated market, with absolutely cut throat tactics, being undercut by hobbiest.
I died a little from that. I don't draw like I used to. It killed my confidence and creatice drive.
Find something you tolerate with people you enjoy or at least get along with. That'll serve you better in the long run.
The only why I'd do a hobby related job is a side job where I do what I want when I feel like it and sell it when I get around to listing it.

 

I wouldn't. No matter how much I like it in the beginning, I always end up disliking what I do for money, and I wouldn't like to start disliking yet another hobby. It has happened before with drawing, I was incredibly good at 15, loved it, and even did an album cover for an American rapper, but I started feeling more and more uncomfortable every time I did a commission. I have 8 big boxes of pencils but haven't touched them in years now, I don't even doodle on my lecture papers like I used to. My man has never seen me draw. In the beginning he begged I'd draw his portrait as he saw one of my works, but thankfully he has quit since. Face-ups are the only art related thing I do today.

Currently I work at an attorneys at law office, and I know if I could have the same possibilities to develop my income level, general knowledge and position in doll hobby, I would switch to a face-up artist right away. But I want my stay in working life to be fast and short, and then retire to my hobbies. Although I surely have considered sculpting my own doll series one day - and it has been mostly about time I haven't gotten to it - I don't dream of doing it for living.

 

I preform keep work and hobby separate. Hobbies are more creative for me and work brings in the funds to support the hobbies

 

I don't like how this comment implies to know the motivations of people. When I started sculpting dolls, it wasn't because I suddenly saw my fellow hobbyists as walking bags of money, but because I was so inspired by the sculpts I saw that I needed to make one myself. And then suddenly, people around me asked me if they could buy my doll, which is why I started to sell. It wasn't why I started sculpting though: The creative side of the hobby appeals to me most.

I know many creators in this hobby and none of them have an 'evil capitalist'-mindset. They all love this hobby and these dolls just like we do, but they offer a service they thought was missing and people want to give them money for it. There's nothing wrong with that.

 

@Zodiac just said that the ones Zidiac knows are like this. There is no implication that people that you met or yourself included are like this. I also agree that sometimes it happens when people only go foe money and this can be seen where there are lots of visibly stolen ideas and poor customer sercice and lets be honest, this happens from time to time. Fortunately dealing with the vast majority of artisans and crafts people is pleasureable and one can really notice they do it as a hobby/passion first

 

If i could I for sure would. But sadly life isn't that easy for me at the moment. School and my other activities always seem to get in the way. I would like to say that I'm pretty talented with sewing i just don't have much time for it. My ultimate goal is to sell specifically pleated skirts for a pretty low price. Also commission work.
Overall yes I would but the costs of starting up, selling online, buying fabric, etc are all stressful and kind of daunting. Maybe in the future I'll use it as a side job.

 

I can't help thinking about Mark Twain's adage: “Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do. Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.”

To me, work is something you have to be paid to do. Turning my doll hobby into a regular job would leech some of the joy out of it. I've made and sold doll clothes on the side, but I wouldn't want to do it full-time.

 

Work always has demands and stressors. Sometimes my hobbies have that, but I can put down my dolls, needles, and brushes whenever I want. I can't walk away from something that's my profession, you know? So I'd probably seek less time in one hobby, and more in another, if one hobby became my main job.

It would be nice to make some side cash from my hobbies at some point, though!

 

Well, maybe it's my own pet-peeve at display here, but I can't tell you how many times I've been called a thief, or been accused of greed, because I hoped to earn a few bucks by selling dolls. It doesn't matter that the production of BJD's is expensive and I just wanted to get my money back; according to these accusations I'm using fellow hobbyists to get rich quick. Apparently, being an artist is a reward in and of itself. No need to ask for compensation.

 

This is a good question. I've sculpted dolls and puppets before as a hobby but never on this level. My mom is hoping I'll attempt BJDs and I've done faceups on 18" dolls like Gotz and AG as well as worked on porcelain dolls with my great Gran as a kid, but last night was my first time doing make-up on an actual BJD. I didn't realize how much just blushing and some simple details could turn my Soso from a blank slate into a big personality! If I didn't have the usual bills, and thought I could make a living I would definitely consider working on dolls for a living or at least once I'm proficient doing face-ups and making custom outfits (but the would be OOAKs and not to order). It would beat my hour commute each way everyday and I'd love making something that makes other people smile as well.

 

As much as I like doing faceups and customizing my dolls, I don't think I'd make enough to sustain my living conditions even if I completed several faceups a day. I also think I'd get tired of doing them after a while, which would make me resent doing them because I'd have no chance to take a break!
Unfortunately, I can't sew very well, so I wouldn't be able to make a job out of that!

 

Well its a luxury not a necessity. And since its art then it is worth as much as people arw willing to pay for it. And there were many who paid the price you estimated, so you shouldn't care about a few who had problems with understanding that some things financially are beyond their reach and they just have to learn to live with it. Im sorry about that some people were hurtful towards you. Ive also had people who ridiculed my prices (my compatriots) and this made me move my occassional clothing sales totally abroad. Some customers have a self-entitled attitude. But by the same token, so do some sellers, because people are people.
This being said, i could make dolls my job and would love to but not bjds precisely. Bjds are special to me. Kind of 'above all'. I could make a job out of sewing for or repainting other, "less special" kinds of dolls. I would not want the hobby to get ruined by monetising it. Its cool that for the time being it pays off itself and thats enough for me

 

I would absoulty love to make a living on making custom outfits for people's OC's I've actually had this idea for a while now I just don't have the funds to do it. There probably isn't much of a market for it anyhow but it would be cool

 

Absolutely not! This hobby is my escape, my joy, and the only thing I really treat myself with after years and years of putting everyone else’s needs first. Trying to make a living at it would make it a chore for me, destroy the freedom of my creativity, and ruin all my fun!

 

I would love to make money off sewing and faceup but no skills whatsoever lol .. tried them all including wig making .. I love collecting bags too and giving them make overs or restoration .. at some point I did some buy and sell but since I can’t let go of the bags I stopped lol ..

 

No, I don't think I would. For me, this hobby is something that I separate from work, and like some other people are saying, it would take the fun out of the hobby for me. That and I just don't have the skills.

 

If I had skill, I think I could also do a part-time job at home for this hobby, I love to make furniture by myself but so regret that my skill is really bad! ^^
But as a full-time job, it's still a big NO at this time. If yes, I think I will do business relate to this hobby instead...

 

I wouldn't want to turn this hobby into my job because there are so many customers with a self-entitled attitude, wanting the highest quality for the lowest price possible. I'm sure that dealing with such customers and not meeting their high expectations would kill my joy for this hobby.
I also think that I prefer using this hobby as a form of stress relief to counteract the stress from my daily life.

But I'm very glad and grateful that there are many very talented artists out there who share their clothing, eyes, sculpts, wigs, ... with us! Being a full-time artist is probably very difficult at some times and dealing with demanding customers can be challenging, so thank you to everyone out there who is able to persevere!

 

I don't think I could ever 'quit my day job' as it were, but I'd love to make a little extra money on the side so I can then, in turn, buy more doll things. Haha. I doubt i'd ever get good enough to sell doll clothes confidently, but it's a nice thought. I'll just have to see how my skills progress and just go from there. I envy people who can create in this hobby, sculpting my own doll...now, that's a dream!