When Every Hobby Becomes a Brand
Ever start a hobby that was supposed to be relaxing, then immediately start branding it?
I signed up for a ceramics class with the intention of bringing more balance into my life with hands-on, off-screen creativity, just for the sake of it.
By week three, I had a domain name, an Instagram handle, and was vetting illustrators for a sick logo idea. I may or may not have been researching textured stickers and high-quality branded totes as well.
Anne Helen Petersen called it: “barely keeping the impulse to optimize and monetize at bay” in her article about millennial hobby energy.
The second something sparks joy, we ask, is there an audience for this? How quickly could I spin this into an ecomm side hustle to support my other side hustle “just in case” life throws another curveball? I’m trying (really trying) to resist.
As much as I believe and write about how graphic design in B2B SaaS needs to convert, not everything creative needs a KPI. Some things just need to exist.
Have you felt the pull to monetize/brand every hobby? I want to hear about it.
Ready for the CTA?
If this got you thinking, let’s keep the conversation going. I share more on design for B2B SaaS over on LinkedIn, and I’d love to hear your perspective. Follow me there and let’s swap ideas on what’s really driving revenue.