A fellow artist I admire mentioned that professional artists are now hobbyists for the time being. That statement took my breath away.
“Hobby” can be a triggering word for professional artists.
The conventional saying is that, if you aren’t making a profit, then you don’t have a business, but rather an expensive hobby.
If we view professionals and hobbyists on a binary - where hobby is associated with amateur quality - then calling professionals hobbyists is a soul-crushing statement.
The truth is that, even pre-pandemic, a very limited number of performance contracts paid a livable wage. Thanks to the pandemic, no artist - no matter how famous - currently earns a living through live performance alone.
Now that performing artists’ job prospects have disappeared for an entire year and continue to evaporate for the foreseeable future, it’s easy to feel discouraged.
So does this mean that all artists are now hobbyists?
My answer is: I hope so!
Here’s why:
I don’t believe that hobbyist means amateur, nor do I believe that hobbyists and professionals are mutually exclusive. The idea that professionals have become hobbyists again can be an expansive and freeing concept.
Perhaps thinking of ourselves as hobbyists once again is the gift of enthusiasm, inspiration and motivation we need to navigate these trying times.
A hobbyist:
Finds time for extracurricular pursuits
Tries new things
Adopts a beginner’s mindset
Embraces play and fun
Participates for the love of it
Goes down the rabbit hole of curiosity
Geeks out on their passions
Is open to adventure and exploration
Commits to fundamentals
Asks questions, rather than expecting to know all the answers
Sees potential in the unknown
What else would you add to the list?
How might you embrace the spirit of a hobbyist moving forward? Share your ideas in the comments below:
