9-5, 5-9: Why It’s Important to Keep Your Hobbies Alive
Recently there has been a lot of discussion around starting up your “5-9” after your typical “9-5”, especially if you’ve dreamt of becoming your own boss someday. I am inspired by the idea behind it, or at least my interpretation of the idea. That is, I agree that if you want something to change, you have to make some changes. Crazy, I know. That could include putting a few more hours a week into the side hustle. Or maybe it’s taking a Saturday once a month and getting your small business out on the market. For me, it’s easy to image because it’s just me and my fiancé at the moment. But what if we start to have kids and pets and extra responsibilities, either at work or taking care of our aging family? My biggest hat off to the people, especially my fellow women, who do it all. AND to those that try to do it all.
I’m currently studying for my ARE exams to become licensed, and that requires a lot of hours after work to either review or learn new content. There are more differences between architecture school and the world application, but that’s a soap box for another time. So not only am I working full-time and attempting to pull my own weight in my relationship, but I also need to take time to study. Any keep up with friends and colleagues. And make sure I’m taking time to visit my parents and grandparents. Oh, and cleaning the house, trying to drink enough water, walk every couple of hours I’m in front of the computer, dream about the future, on and on and on. Who has the time.
These past few month, though, I’ve been dedicating extra time towards something I really enjoy doing - figuring out how to maintain a small business AND drawing more (recently painting, too). And let me tell you, I think my mood has boosted from that. Dedicating even just a few hours a week to this hobby of mine not only has brought me more joy, but it’s also making me more motivated to strive for more. More learning, more breathing, more curiosity, learning new ways of thinking and meeting new people with different ways of thinking about life.
I encourage you to take even just an hour sometime this week and dedicate it strictly to your hobby WITHOUT thinking about what comes next. And who knows, next week maybe it’s an hour and half, or two hours. Maybe you start to think about how you can make this hobby a small side hustle and then next thing you know, you’re registering your business name with the state of Texas (or where ever you might be). If you do that, please let me know so I know I’m not alone. It’s a wild ride but I’m thankful for the random steps I’ve taken to get here.
I’d love to show you where my hobby has taken me! Come see me in-person at the next market where I’ve implemented some much needed advice! Check the homepage for the next event and mention you saw this blog, I’ll have a special gift for ya!
-Brittany
“Terracotta Pots”, 8×10, ink
(Available on Etsy!)
