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Many people pursue clicks and likes for revenue, but many people don't. If I put one of my songs on youtube, I don't really expect to make any money on it, or e

Many people pursue clicks and likes for revenue, but many people don't. If I put one of my songs on youtube, I don't really expect to make any money on it, or even to get likes or whatever. But a few people do see them, and like them, and apparently enjoy them. I'm OK with whatever here. And that is the mistake the author makes. Sure, many people are trying to game their side hustle into revenue and careers, but many, many more people aren't. They just do it for fun, and if something comes out of it, great. The former may be more visible than the latter, but there are plenty of the latter out there.

anarbadalov 5y ago
I'm with you. I've been releasing records for almost two decades, happily selling through a hundred copies of a release and moving on to the next project. But I don't think the author is seeing that and assuming I'm trying to turn my hobby/passion into a side hustle because I'm putting out albums. And I think there are plenty of people doing exactly the same thing with their art — putting it out there, occasionally finding an audience but not counting on feedback or looking for recognition or extra income. It took me a while to be comfortable with this. At the core of the issue the author is addressing, I think, is status anxiety, which he briefly mentions. I've certainly felt it. It's easy to envy someone with a similar hobby, who's making a living doing it. It does seem like a different kind of pressure these days, at least for those of us with anxiety, to succeed, so it can be hard to slow down and find meaning and joy in a hobby. And it must be especially difficult for someone younger who grew up in this noisy environment.