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Monetise all the things!!!

2023-09-04

Had a discussion with some friends tonight, about hobbies.

How everything has to be "monetised" and a "hustle" - when the reality is that it does not.

I repeat: IT DOES NOT.

I took on a paid gig with my photography once. I have sold images before from my site, from events, but that is different. I show up and shoot, and get what I get. If folks like them, they can purchase high resolution copies or just save the web resolution versions - minimal stress.

But someone asked me to shoot a car for sale, for an auction site. It was out of town, last minute.... pay seemed ok-ish... so I said yes.

It was horrible. I didnt know the area, things were diferent from google street view, and the owner had minimal idea for locations also. Obviously I knew this was a bad idea going in, but for some reason expected things would work out.

I am not usually this optimistic, and the experience reaffirmed my usual slightly more nihilistic world view.

It went "okay" and had the images we needed, but the entire exercise was stressful and underwhelming with the result. So I said never again. I will onyl say yes to taking photos if I actually want to do it, and not because someone wants to pay me. I have a day job, and this is suppsoed to be my creative outlet in my spare time.

Why do we do this to ourselves.

Why do we have it ingrained into us to make everything about its monetary value. Things can have value to us personally without bringing money into the mix. I would say far more rewarding value in fact. But we are told we have to live a certain way, make more money to pay for it, and on and on...

Don't be sucked in.

That thing you do just because you enjoy it? Keep doing it just for that reason. It will freak people out whenh they realise that thing costs you money. But that is why we work: to do the things that we want to, while being free from pressure.

I need to remember that more.