Friday, June 30, 2006

Hobby Schmobby

hob·by n. pl. hob·bies
An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.
Do you have hobbies?

I have one hobby.

Pursuing moola.

This pursuit of the almighty greenback has little to do with what I consider to be my real regular occupation, the pursuit of all things creative, which currently is manifest mainly through the use of hook, needles and yarn sans monetary compensation. Unlike my regular occupation, my hobby neither provides me with much pleasure nor does it satiate my soul, whereas my regular occupation is my life’s blood.

Are you confused?

Well, let’s get some clarity, shall we?

I am an artist first and foremost. I always have been regardless of anything else going on in my life, including generating income. Now, there have been times in my life when income-generating activities have overlapped into my artful existence. For example, I taught the process of making art to children (K – 12) and to university students for several years, definite overlap. However, historically the majority of my "quest for cash" activities have mirrored my current “hobby” at the Cube Farm.

Can you say BOR-RING?

I sure can. And I say it often!

Which brings me to my next point. Artists remain artists whether stuck in a cube, digging thru mountainous reams of paper, waiting tables, punching keys on a cash register or repeating this acclaimed mantra day in and day out, “Would you like fries with that?”

This, my dear crafty ones, is a point lost on several of my fellow Cube Farm inhabitants, many of whom refer to my art as a “nice hobby”. Cube Farmers, we creative beings work because we need shelter, sustenance and yarn! Okay, I need the yarn…Ahem. We do not toil beneath piles of paper that could give the Swiss Alps a run for their money, duel with spreadsheets or click the button on our virtual timecards because it fills our souls with warm fuzzy goodness! No! We artists perform these acts because we must!

Further, knitted bologna is not my hobby! To that end, crocheted bacon (oh yeah, coming soon folks), yarn-y, fuzzy barbecues and crocheted guerilla vegetables are not my hobbies either! These creative expressions are what makes your Lady of the Linoleum, um, err, linoleum!

Whatever, you get the point.

Cube Farmers please take note, your nine to five is my five to midnight, for as you settle down for your evening respite, rear in the chair, remote in hand, snack bowl filled to the brim, I have only just begun to log hours at my regular occupation. Free from my daily hobbies, I enter the swinging doors of LabLinoleum, where the vegetables dance, the bacon sizzles and the yarn is always abundant…

Stick that into your spreadsheet and calculate it.

27 comments:

Bri Ana said...

Hear hear!!!

Anonymous said...

Boo-ya! Preach it, sister! I tend to think of myself as having two jobs. One that pays the bills and saps my soul, and one that does just the opposite. (Major sap on the bills when there's a good yarn sale.) :)

It's hard to get non-crafty types to understand. Screw 'em, more yarn for us.

Anonymous said...

YES Ma'am! I have to remember to tell people that when they see me slinging granola at the co-op on weekends..."oh, this is my weekend hobby."

Kare said...

: )

~drew emborsky~ said...

*holding head like Vinny Barbarino* I'm so confused....

lisa solomon said...

i'll second briana's hear hear!

can we tack this up for folks in cubicles across the land to see????

natasha said...

AMEN! praise the gourds!

Anonymous said...

Wow- you said it!

Annika said...

Yes yes yes!

Anonymous said...

Now THAT'S getting your priorities straight! Amen!

Anonymous said...

HELL yes! I actually just got one of those "isn't your "hobby" cute comments today....grrr....

Mandy said...

Ahhh, you rock my world!!
I totally, totally relate. It's weird when I have to do a bio for something professional, and identify myself as a job (tech editor, yarn pusher, whatever); it feels like a bit of a con.
Thanks for putting this so eloquently. :)

Miri Mack said...

You said it! Looks like I am on a hobby search now.

Unknown said...

Very WEll said!!!!

FinnyKnits said...

Thankyouverymuch! I might have a great work gig, but I spend the majority of my time in the cube mentally finishing whatever creative project I'm working on. No, people, I'm not staring lustfully at the laptop screen, I'm imagining it covered in the finest wool blend.

Gina said...

UNDERSTOOD fully hun!! *sigh*

Ellen Bloom said...

I'm waiting for the next book...."Essays on Yarn Stuff" by Lady Linoleum!

Anonymous said...

*sigh* hell yea.

Crafty Andy said...

I guess that sounds like eating or like sex, LOL. Believe it or not crochet is my hobbie nd I will like to make money from it eventually. I want to see the bacon soon. Thanks for sharing.

Yeah So said...

Amen sista!

Bologna Crocheters UNITE!

U-nion, U-nion, U-nion
(that's my Norma Rae impression)

JANNIKINZ said...

You have put into words many a thought.. :-)

Anonymous said...

Yes...oh hell yes!

barbe said...

A-flippin-MEN!!!

Nancy said...

I'm lucky, my occupation was also my hobby. It must have been a hobby 'cause professions are supposed to pay better.

I love teaching.

Susan Schwake said...

thank god you have things in perspective and your priorities correct. ... hopefully you have reached the thousands who just "don't get it"
bravisssssimooooooo LL.

Sus said...

Thank Jebus! Somebody gets it! Granted, I'm endeavoring to make my hobby more rewarding, but it will remain a hobby until I can get someone to pay me for my passions! You rock, LL.

diosaperdida said...

Amen