Hobby or a Job?

 So it's been quite a bit since I last posted, and it's been quite a bit since I worked on the game.

Nothing in particular happened.  Just... life.  Busy with travel, activities with family and friends, holidays, household maintenance stuff, health issues.

And on a larger scale, the more I talk to people who have done this a lot and have some experience, the more it sounds like I need to treat this as a hobby, not a revenue-generating thing.  Like there's a very, very, very long tail of talented, dedicated people producing quality board games who can't make a living at it.

And this all led to a kind of epiphany on my end.  I went into this expecting it to be "job level intensity": instead of working 9-5 for some company 5 days a week, I'd put in the same amount of time making board games.

But... why?  I don't have to: there's no pressure, financial or otherwise, to put in a certain amount of time.  I could take more time to just take care of myself (insomnia/health issues), take time to hang with my family and friends, etc.

And if I take out "make board games" and put in some other hobby (e.g. playing XBox), it sounds a bit unhealthy.  Like I'm going to spend 40 hours a week playing XBox, even if I'm tired, missing my family, neglecting relationships, etc.  Nope.

So I am still sorting this out.  For now the plan is to try to block out 3-6 hours a day on weekdays to work on the game, but also to give myself plenty of grace if that just doesn't work out.  Giving myself grace is not at all a strong suit, so this will be interesting.

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 18, 2024 at 5:02 PM

    Giving yourself grace can be tough. I think Nuts is a great idea, but friends, family, and personal health are worthwhile for your time too.
    It's funny that a lot of life advice boils down to "just do what makes you happy" when that's easier said than done, but right now you have the time and space to examine what happiness means to you and how to achieve it.

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