I ruined my hobby…

How fun it used to be to buy papers and supplies. I was so excited to get to the pc to play around with different typography and invitation arrangements. Ribbons, beads, paper flowers, beautiful and tiny embellishments. Handmade Papers, Embossed Papers, Silk Papers, Trace Papers, Shimmery, Shiny, Matt, thick, meshy I loved every piece of paper I ever touched. Would buy them just for fun or incase I might need them…but that has now faded away.

I ruined my hobby by taking on too many orders and especially big ones which after the first 50 cards was no longer fun.

It's really great to have a hobby; we all need a distraction in life. Something you WANT TO DO and it's even better if you get paid for it or if all costs are covered and not from your own pocket. But if you really enjoy it and would like to do it for a long time then before considering turning your hobby into a business think about whether it is something you would like to do for hours on end, every weekend, in the evenings, after work, be forced to make things you would not normally make or even like and have to work according to deadlines. These are some of the factors that make a hobby no longer enjoyable.

So what do I do now? I think I'll be strict and selfish on what I decide to do. If you want me to make your invitations, I'll do it but only if I want to, if I like it, if it's only a handful and if I really have nothing else to do. Or maybe it's time for something else. Sewing, Photography, Knitting, Embroidery, Painting, Baking, Collecting …who knows what I pick as a new pastime all I know is that I will never ever ruin my hobby again or let others ruin it for me, it's not about them. It's your hobby afterall so don't feel bad to say no. It's not easy to find something you enjoy so keep your hobby fun and interesting and don't let it consume your leisure time…

"A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away."
~ Phyllis McGinley