Life is incredibly short and that’s a big reason why you’ve always been told to “do what you love.” Unfortunately, life circumstances being what they are, I’d say a good number of people are “stuck” in careers that they despise. And even when you do have a job that you love, you’re going to encounter your fair share of low moments. And that’s why it’s even more important to dedicate some time exploring personal interests.
Writing started out as a hobby of mine. I had a humble newsletter that I sent out to my friends, not to make money, but simply because I valued the catharsis of organizing my thoughts into something reasonably coherent. It was a personal interest that I’ve since been able to turn into a business. When you make that leap, you risk losing some of the joy of the hobby. You feel the pressure to produce (and to be profitable), rather than pursuing your personal interests for their own sake, on your own time.
And that’s partly how I’ve found myself back at square one in recent years, passively searching for other hobbies or areas of interest outside of work. Some of these have infiltrated my professional life and others have yet to be suitably explored. More specifically, there are three areas I’d like to experience further.
The Real Estate Market
Even before we commenced the active search for our first home, I was enthralled by real estate and everything that it entailed. I watched far too much Property Virgins and House Hunters, scoffing at the buyers in lower-priced markets with massive wish lists. Now, I’m not all that sure whether I’d really want to dive into this sphere as an investor or if I’d consider a career as a realtor. At this point, it’s just a thought and little more.
The Art of Filmmaking
It’s one thing to say that I have over a million views on YouTube. It’s another thing altogether to say that I know anything at all about making a “real” movie. It may be true that we’ve ramped up the production value on the tech-related videos we do with MEGATechNews, but another of my personal interests is to get some first-hand experience with “real” filmmaking.
While the ideal situation would be something akin to a Hollywood movie with a blockbuster budget, a more independent production could be really interesting. I’d want to know a little more about proper lighting, sound production, set design, stunt choreography and the rest of it. Just being “on set” would be an experience in and of itself.
The Webcomic Process
The Internet has facilitated my freelance writing career in a way that would not have been otherwise possible. The same has been true for many of the creative arts (including high production value videos) and this has paved the way for many a great webcomic too. Sadly, some say this has hurt the comic industry and it has led to the decline of the Sunday funnies.
But I view it as another opportunity. When I was younger, I thought I was going to be a cartoonist and I feel that I can still explore this as a hobby or side gig. I can make up for my lack of drawing skills with some great writing, right?
What Do You Want to Do?
For one period in my life, I tinkered with minor car modifications. As a young child, I was fascinated by dinosaurs. And today, I maintain photography as one of my personal interests, though it also plays a role in my professional life. Yes, there are only so many hours in the day and so many days in our lives, but if we must all endeavor to make the most of it. If you had the time and resources, what hobby would you pursue?
I would fear working on choreography with Michael Kwan. The insurance would be astronomical! LOL!
I’d work on the choreography. I wouldn’t do the stunts myself.
So stuntman AND choreography? What a DIVA!