Several months back, my husband and I agreed that one night each week I should go out and do something for me. As in, without the kids.
Now, I’m pretty sure what my husband had in mind was that I’d go out with some friends. Maybe even make more friends. Instead, I got all wide-eyed and said, “I can go to the library and write!”
Hey, it’s my time. I can do what I want with it.
Tonight on my way out the door, my husband said, “Have fun!”
In my head I thought, “Fun. Yeah. Revisions are so not fun!”
And that’s when it hit me. I’m not going out for a night of fun every week. I’m not getting some relaxing time away from the kids. A night out with the girls.
No. What I’m really doing is working a second job.
I’m okay with that. It’s what I want.
My husband refers to my writing as “a hobby” which I suppose, technically, it is since I’ve yet to make any money from it. Somehow I can’t quite place it in the same category as sewing or scrapbooking or pumpkin carving, though. I don’t ever intend to make money from those things.
I’d like to think that maybe someday I’ll make a little money from my writing. Enough to make a decent hourly wage after all the blood and sweat and tears poured into each story? No, but money isn’t the main reason I write.
On the other hand, I don’t get paid to take care of our children or clean the house or make the meals, but those things certainly aren’t “hobbies.” They’re the primary tasks of my first job.
When I was writing fan fiction, that was a hobby. Now I’m writing with my own original characters and building my own plots and working with the intention to publish. I don’t think the word “hobby” fits anymore.
Nope. I can now consider myself working two jobs. Except that, of course, being a stay-at-home-mom is never considered a job. (But that’s a rant for another time.)
What about you? Is your writing (or something else you like to do) a hobby or a job? When did it change, or was it always a job?
