Recently my partner sent me a video by YouTube comedian Ryan George. In the video, a man who likes to doodle cute little birds for fun in his spare time is bullied and pressured by a #hustleandgrind bro into creating a side hustle-to-full-time business with products, employees, and a full on corporate structure. By the end of the video, both men are older and ready to retire. The hustle bro comments that the artist can now go paddle boarding with son in his free time, which was what the artist enjoyed doing before he started his bird drawing business. The artist is angry and frustrated at time lost. It harkens back to the parable of the fisherman and the businessman. The fisherman, like the man sketching birds, was content with his life. The businessman couldn’t understand why the fisherman wouldn’t follow his promptings to expand his production.
Sometimes a hobby can just be a hobby.
On more than one occasion, well-meaning people, usually coworkers, have asked me if I want to open my own taekwondo school. When I’ve said no, they don’t seem to take my “no” seriously. “But, but don’t you want to??” they’d ask. No. I don’t want to.
Being a black belt is just that–I’m a black belt. I’m a taekwondo practitioner. I’m a hobbyist. I’m not necessarily a great teacher, and by no means am I a savvy businesswoman, which is ultimately what it would take to run a successful dojang. Muggles don’t seem to understand that running a martial arts school successfully requires the same skills and know-how running any other business would.
This isn’t the first time someone has assumed what I like to do needs to translate into a job. I did theater all four years in high school. I never wanted to “be” an actress, which some adults in my life assumed. I just did it for fun. Recently I published a short children’s book for my family based on holiday paintings my dad did of my niece. More than one family member asked if I wanted to sell copies to gift shops. Almost offended by the idea, I declined. It was only meant to be enjoyed by my family, and besides, my niece can’t give consent for her image to be copied and sold. Even if she could I wouldn’t.
I had a taste of my own medicine a few days ago. My partner showed me a picture of a really cool drawing his brother had posted online. I started to say, “Maybe he should become a tattoo artist or put it on a t-shirt or…wait…” I stopped myself, laughed, and sheepishly said, “Maybe he can just enjoy drawing in his downtime.”
People are usually well-meaning and complementary when they suggest you monetize an interest or talent. We naturally want to support and help each other. But we also need to realize being happy for someone who does something purely for fun or relaxation is possibly even more supportive. My mom doesn’t want to sell the items she knits on Etsy, and my dad doesn’t paint on commission anymore. (I do want to sell more books, but that’s a different story.)
It’s okay if your martial art is just a hobby that you do for fun, exercise, mental health, whatever. You don’t have to teach or open a school or even compete. You’re not less of a martial artist if it doesn’t encompass your whole life. Becoming too dependent on anything, whether it’s a job, interest, or relationship, for validation and fulfillment, can set you up for a crash. You can just go to class, get in a good workout, and go home to the rest of your life.
2 thoughts on “Yes, Your Martial Art Can Just Be a Hobby”