You Can Be Shit at Your Hobbies and Still Like Doing It
I realized and now believe not everything you love needs to make money
As my usual reflection post, the photos might not related to the writings but I hope you can enjoy both 🙆🏻♂️
If you’ve read some of my recent posts, you might’ve noticed I’ve been reflecting a lot on how social media works for artists, how we value our own art, and how exhausting it can be when everything is measured by numbers.
That’s part of why I started writing on Substack in the first place, to slow things down, to enjoy creating without pressure, and to see the world differently through people’s writing.
Recently, I’ve been really enjoying making YouTube videos. It’s been a few months now, and I’ve been publishing almost every week. Last night, while editing my next video, I stopped and asked myself:
Why does this feel so easy? Why doesn’t it feel like a burden at all?
The truth is, every video takes a lot of work—ideation, outlining, scripting (if needed), shooting (this is, a lot of work tbh), and editing. One video can take a full week or more of effort after office hours and on weekends. Still, somehow, it feels light. And I realized: it’s because my relationship to numbers and making money has changed.
I’ve written before about how chasing numbers burned me out. So this time, I want to reflect on the other side of it: making money.
Maybe it’s just me, but I think capitalism has made many of us feel that our creative hobbies need to become side hustles. That if we’re not making money from them, they’re not worth pursuing.
And let me be clear, if you’re earning from your art, that’s amazing. But what I’ve come to believe is that numbers and money should be the impact, not the goal.
The goal, for me, should be joy. Creating something you love, and maybe connecting with someone who resonates with it. If that has a numbers and money impact for me? Great! But that’s the impact.
We can be shit at our hobbies and still love doing them.
That’s why making videos now feels easy. Whether a video gets 6,000 views or 300, I’m happy, because the joy comes from creating.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been on the other side. I used to chase numbers and try to monetize my photography too quickly. It drained me.
And yes, I still dream of one day living in the Japanese countryside, building a darkroom, publishing photobooks and prints, and making just enough to live off my art. Who wouldn’t want that?
But I’ve shifted my mindset. That dream is still there—but now, I see it as the impact, not the goal. The goal is to keep creating with joy.
Because we’re all inherently creative. That’s what it means to be human.
Thank you for reading! Let’s connect through some of my social media such as Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!
And if you want to support me on my journey, you can buy me a film roll, buy my photobook or my prints (ship worldwide)! ❤️
I’ll see you again next time!
Cheers,
Love this sentiment, and it’s something that is so hard to remember at times (which is silly) if you enjoy something that’s reason enough to do it, no matter the outcome or impact. Also, the images here are great!
100, buddy. That’s the move and when you got that down, which you clearly do, progression speeds up as well because you’re enjoying it. When someone is just doing something for the love of it, regardless of what it is, that always comes through in the work as well. Your photos and videos prove that out.