How to turn your hobby into your career
You have, for all your life, heard people saying a hobby is what you do for the sake of it and not for a job. But what if that belief is wrong?
The truth is that you CAN and maybe should find out how to turn your hobby into a career. Despite common belief, you don’t have to be a genius in a particular field to excel. You do want to master, or at least become proficient in a skill or faculty that gives you an edge over the rest, and allows you to make a career out of it.

Source: themuse.com
The process of mastering any skill or faculty can be broken down into three major stages: Interest, Attention, and Practice.
A hobby essentially starts with an interest. By taking a strong interest in developing a skill, be it playing the guitar, writing poetry or playing basketball, you’ve already started the process of gradually mastering it. Over time, the strong interest compels you to take actions to observe the people who are already skilled, in order to learn from them. From observation, you discover the techniques required to master the trade, and decide to take time and constantly practice to fine-tune your skills. Interest gives rise to attention, which leads to practice, and finally the mastering of a desired skill.
Have an interest?
So you have an interest. Maybe it’s sewing. Maybe it’s drawing repetitive patterns. Maybe it’s designing cartoon characters. Whatever it is, it’s important to review how much interest you really have in a particular trade, and how much time you are willing to dedicate to mastering it. Start asking yourself these questions again and again to keep you on track and grounded.
Do you have specific goals regarding your interest?
Try writing down goals for developing your interest into a skill. Do you want to learn five new songs in the course of one month? Do you aim to be able to perform a magic trick for an upcoming school event?
Having goals written down is the first step towards achieving them. And if you do achieve these goals, they are probably more valuable than you think! A school band competition can be much more than just a fun-filled event, it can earn you connections and recognition to push you further in the trade. I took part in a local band showcase in May this year with my bandmates, where we met a sound engineer who offered his most candid and helpful performance tips and advice. If it helps perfect your skills, no opportunity should go to waste!

Source: totaljobs.com
How much time are you willing to dedicate to fine-tuning this skill?
Maybe you’ve thought of learning how to turn your hobby into a career. But have you thought of engaging that activity everyday for the most part of your life? Does the thought of spending hours everyday practicing that same skill excite or sicken you?
If you can’t stand doing the same activity everyday, or if the thought of straining your muscles and mind trying to fine-tune a skill doesn’t appeal to you, maybe it’s best to keepp your career and hobby separate. But if you’re already spending two hours everyday practicing the keyboard and are totally immersed in the joy the process brings, maybe it’s time to do your research on how to monetize playing the keyboard and make it your career.
Are you compelled to return to this interest everytime other people try to convince you that it is not suitable for a career?
You’ve probably have been in that situation before. Your parents still think you playing the guitar or attending painting class is just another instance of youthful enthusiasm, the art being another innocent hobby. Your friends are awed by your elegant sticker designs and firmly believe it’s such a pity you can’t make a living with that talent. But you have more than once visualized yourself making money playing the guitar, making DIY stickers, designing notebook covers, writing game blogs, etc. Chances are, you keep returning to the activity nobody thinks you can make a living out of, and you’d rather be practicing your writing or drawing than do your more important homework.
This might be one of the strongest signs that you should turn that innocent hobby into your own trade. Begin by doing research on different ways to monetize a skill, and constantly reflect upon whether following your interest will truly give you the best career ever.

