It's unfortunate that the word "hobby" carries such negative connotations. A hobby is something that you do for the art, because you want to do it. The ability

It's unfortunate that the word "hobby" carries such negative connotations. A hobby is something that you do for the art, because you want to do it. The ability to engage in hobbies was once considered a mark of cultured aristocracy. My advice to my kids would be: if you want to pursue something like art, dance, writing, music, etc., get a practical no-nonsense job. Look for something with sane work hours and that's a seller's market labor-wise. "Boring" fields like accounting are a good bet. Then live below your means, save, and pursue your art seriously. Make a commitment to it above other things. Then, if someday you advance to the point that you can support yourself via your art, you can dump the day job. But even if that never happens you didn't sacrifice your happiness.