Hey folks!
First, are you on Twitter? If no, what are you waiting for? It is the supreme social media site in my opinion (@TimeswTempestt). I have probably learned more there than all of my schooling combined LOL!
But no, the reason I ask is because the conversations there are typically really informative, entertaining, or thought-provoking. Recently, there have been conversations about the need to protect our hobbies and not get sucked up by “hustle culture.”
That post, and others like it about the need to normalize having hobbies and play-time for our enjoyment stopped me dead in my tracks. Have I sacrificed the joy crafting brings me to make a buck or two?!
Honestly, I don’t completely have the answer to that question. I am reflecting on it for sure, but what I do know is this:
I want to spread the joy of crafting with others.
This was the reasoning behind wanting to focus more of my business on the DIY kit offerings. I hope to be able to expand that into hosting craft parties too but all of this is intentional. When you see a good movie or read a good book you tell other people about it right? That’s what I hope to do with crafting. I want to inspire people to try new things, see beauty in what they make without comparing it to others, and to trust their ability to create; no matter what is being created! This is what I want out of my crafting business. I want to dare and inspire.
I make for me and those I care about.
I still honor the joy crafting brings me by making things for myself and for people I care about. No doubt about it folks, your birthday gift, Mother’s Day gift, Christmas gift and the like are probably going to be personalized and a DIY. This brings me joy! It will probably cost me more to do this than to grab something cute from Target too!
I am setting boundaries.
This one is hard for me in all areas of my life but if you check out my Etsy shop, you’ll notice that I only have a few things in there. If you follow me on social, you have seen tons of things I have made but they do not all go in the Esty shop. This is a result of me setting boundaries. I cannot handle loads of customization requests right now so this is a boundary. There are some things I could make that will sell like hotcakes but I won’t make them because they don’t bring me joy. There are things I used to make that I won’t make anymore because they don’t bring me joy. I think boundary setting is key because we get to draw a line in the sand for when, where, and how our hobbies can be protected.
So now that you have read this, I ask: Is your hobby a business? If so, how are you managing? If not, what are some of your reasons? There is no right or wrong answer to the question posed in the title. I just hope you will honor yourself, however that may look, when you choose.
Until next time,
Tempestt
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