It’s definitely tempting to go down the hobby-to-job pipeline, especially right now because it’s really hard for me to find a job. The thought that I’m already doing it anyway and might as well make some money from it is there, but I’d still have to put in a lot of effort to even call it a side gig. But then there are days when I’m really tired and don’t want to do anything, and on those days, I’d feel bad if people gave me money and I didn’t deliver, so maybe it’s for the best not to monetise hobbies, at least in my case.

In addition to the gamification of social media and the constant desire to make “number go up,” it’s often kinda pushed on people, too. Payment providers specifically address small artists in their advertisement, and so do websites like Etsy or Redbubble. It’s important that full-time artists have the tools and options they need, but these websites’ adverts make it sound so simple and hide the mountain of work that lies behind having any significant amount of success.