One of the nicest things about this video is that your hearing aid battery went out and you didn't cut it out, you just went and dealt with it. I'm slightly hearing impaired and it'll likely get worse, and I had hearing aids as a kid. You have no idea how much it means to see this not erased
Absolutely this, i had no idea about Adam's hearing loss before this video but it made me lookup his video detailing his congenital hearing loss and the destigmatizing of it.
Thank you so much for answering my question Adam. Since I asked it I've had the time to get started and I already recognize a lot of what you said. Fortunately I do have a full time job as a mechanical engineer(product developer/project manager) so I've got the luxury of being able to just say "No, I don't feel like it today" and not put in any work at all in my own company for a week. For me the balancing act of doing fun new things while thinking "What can I get income from soon?" is tricky. I've got so many product ideas and stuff that I want to do, but I've also come to realize that I need to focus on one thing for a while in order to get it to liftoff. I really feel what you're saying in that it's not the same kind of fun anymore, but it's still some kind of fun. Yes, there's a lot of tedious stuff but like you're saying it feels nice knowing that my hard work goes into my own account. It really reminds me of when I used to work as a carpenter, some jobs were really boring so I'd calculate how much money I made every minute and let that keep me going. Well, now it feels like I'm rambling on too. Thanks again and it was an honor having my swedish name butchered by you. :D (My international friends usually just call me Mike).
I love seeing and reading the follow up to this video. I've watched this video twice - once because I related to it and wanted to finish, and a second to absorb just how perfectly it captured my feelings on a lot of this same topic.
Every other old timer has said, “You’ll never work a day in your life if you enjoy what you’re doing” Such BS. Thank you Adam for the honest and insightful responses, as it’s still WORK. Being in the automotive fabrication field for over a decade, I’ve been moonlighting doing sheet metal restoration work and actually prefer the side hustle rather than the pressures to make ends meet. My customer base knows they’ll receive full dedication to a project when I’m motivated and inspired rather than trying to finish for the sake of a deadline. I say this loosely, “I’d rather have a day job I hate and come home to enjoy the hobbies that I love.”
I wouldn't say its bullshit. I think you are taking it too far. Like he said, work yes but it also comes with the good that you won't get when you have a boss. You can't have it all man.
Well said Greasemonkey. I'm a full time auto tech by day, then when I get home, I work on classic/antique vehicles. It's pressure all day, then it's more relaxed in the evenings and I enjoy it. But the evenings are different in that I get to do what I like to the vehicle in terms of putting my own "twist" on them. I've got a 66 vette and a 70 GTO at home that I'm doing custom work to. The vette is getting vintage air, and it's taking me too long, but it's a custom job that I'm making it look past factory looking. The GTO is getting engine upgrades but looks different from what anyone else would do. Can't do that stuff during the day
That's basic economics baby. You gotta find where supply meets demand to make the most money. Too much demand to meet the supply? Jack up the price till you can produce exactly what is demanded or expand, which is hard in trades because you can't always trust a new comer will meet the same standards. Too much supply not enough demand? Lower prices or find ways to increase the demand with advertising, higher quality, etc.
I started a videoclip buisiness in 2015, traveled a big part of the world with it and now I'm disolving the company, partly. Adam, you hit the nail on the head with this one a few times. Thanks for your wisdom ❤️
I think thats why a lot of makers, builders and cosplayers go to events like dragon con, wasteland weekend, and burning man. It's inspiring seeing people different spins on concepts and ideas.
Maybe set aside some time every week/month for new ideas, experiments. Maybe friday afternoons or one day every month are a tinker time, or a half day go prototype new things that will keep the excitement levels up for what it is you want to be doing.
@@CalderwoodPercussion I’m 💯 in agreement with you buddy, damn this makes it hard to go to work tomorrow 🤣 this really refreshed my thinking process, awesome. ✝️🇺🇸🤙🏻🅰️
Not entirely sure why, but this video brought me to tears. Thank you for making this :) I’ve felt so lost recently, and it’s so refreshing to hear someone actually be honest about life difficulties and still enjoying being alive. Nice to know it’s possible :)
I just started a chainsaw carving company this year and I feel this so much. It can get tedious but I love it. But there are deffinately moments at midnight when I'm sand and staining that I'm pulling my hair out lol. But it's worth it to be my own boss and make art. Sure I go through imposter syndrome midway on every single carving but I always pull out a great piece by the end. That's the process! This video was so on the button for me. Thanks Adam!
I do arcade maintenance. It's my dream job. But really my job is %50 filling/fixing tickets, %30 turning game off/on, %10 showing guest to how play/ use something, %10 actual fixing stuff. The days become the same and blend into one.
I am an aerospace engineer, and have a hobby of making swords and armor that I turned into a business. My enjoyment of making swords and armor started to decrease when I was taking commissions and making pieces that didn't excite me because I thought I needed too. I realized I didn't, and instead of taking any commission, I changed to making just what I want, and just what excites me. I only take commissions that I want to make. And since then, my enjoyment has gone back to what it was and I still love it and don't see it changing. So, make sure you do what you want to be doing! :)
I forget where I heard this, but something that's helped me in my self-employment journey is the reframing from "have" to "get". "I have to spend today collecting receipts for the accountant" -> "I get to spend today collecting receipts for the accountant". Good reminder that I'm in the privileged position of getting to do things my own way, even when a lot of the time is spent on drudgery.
The answer to your dilemma is simple young one. it is continuous GROWTH in what you choose to do. As for Adam's case, he constantly monitors his shop, improves his tools, his toolcases, his work ethics, his processes. That is how you keep the "fun" in anything that you do... you GROW with and in it.
One of the things I had to come to grips with when I was self-employed for 17 years was that when I was working, I was not selling myself and when I was selling, I was not working.
Two things to note about this, that Adam touched on: 1. Whether something becomes "a job" compared to "a hobby" can entirely depend on how much you depend on doing it. If your hobby was "I spend 3 hours painting something once a week" , and you can make enough money from that one session to not need another job, that doesn't really fundamentally change your hobby. If you have to increase productivity, in having to spend 3 hours a day painting, 7 days a week, to make enough to live on .. then that starts to feel like a job; because you've taken yourself out of your normal comfort level, and put it onto an assembly line to make money. Someone who can do something infrequently, or not have to worry about how much they make from it, will continue to see something as a hobby far longer than someone who lives day by day now doing it in order to barely get by. 2. Just because you do something frequently, doesn't mean it becomes tedious or boring. Some people love to drive, they probably also have to drive daily to work. The act of driving to work doesn't automatically ruin that experience. If your job is entirely to drive, you can still enjoy it just as much as you did before getting paid for it. What some people need is "the reason to drive" fulfilled each time. A drive out to the country side, into the mountains, along the coastline, etc.. If you can constantly give yourself that "new scenery" every time you drive for work, you've maintained your normal hobby / eagerness. A lot of the reason work is seen as monotonous / soulless is because its typically one dimensional, you do the same activity over and over without variance. If you made the same exact chair, or drove the same exact stretch of road, every day the enjoyment of it would wain; just like the pleasure factor of eating a peanut butter cup. The first time is extremely enjoyable, the second time about as enjoyable, and the 12th time you start to feel sick. If you had a different candy bar each and every time though, you could probably continue on for way longer, and even repeat candy bars on a rotation. This is why co workers end up being very social during a job; it's an inevitable experience because socializing is a very diverse and entertaining activity, and it's something that "breaks up the monotony". It's also why employers tend to dislike it since it can easily distract employees and reduce productivity if it gets out of hand. But that's the point, to find ways of maintaining your "job", while also maintaining your ability to break up the monotony of it; whether that's a different, but similar project, or a different way of doing it, or collaborating with someone on it. The job should be "eating candy" , rather than "eating only Reeses". And you're never prevented from doing something else at the same time, and seeing if you can get paid for that too. The whole idea is to get paid for what you want to do, so why do people think they have to stop trying once they get their first activity paid for? If you love to drive ...you can drive different vehicles. Adam has a good type of hobby / business because he very much has the opportunity to create so many different things, which means he can get excited / inspired / distracted easily, the process which lead to you have something as a hobby to begin with. If all he did was make Iron Man replicas .. it wouldn't be nearly the same thing for him.
As a fellow generalist, much of what Adam says here resonates with me. If I'm just "making the one thing", I too would get bored with it quickly and want to move on to something new. However, I've known some people that really enjoy "perfecting the one thing", making it better, making it more efficiently. If that is you, Mikael, then you may find longer term enjoyment in your pursuit. My advice would be: make a business plan. Figure out what you are making, how you are going to sell it, how many people might want to buy it, and what they will pay for it. Then figure out what your costs are in making that thing(s). Make sure to account for paying yourself a rate that you can be satisfied with.
If we're talking about prop making, my experience is A) make inventory and sell it rather than taking orders, as this lets you control your workload; and B) phase out projects and develop new projects to avoid getting bored of doing the same thing. Thanks for the great questions and answers!
As many others have commented, it does help if you can keep several different projects going at the same time. Change and variety keeps things fresh and fun longer. It's also OK to try new stuff and branch out. You don't have to continue doing the same thing forever and ever just because that's what you started with. People and life situations change, and businesses can be made to adapt.
I’ve worked for myself almost all my life (I’m 66). My take is that it’s stressful and rewarding in roughly equal parts. So, which is in the ascendancy for you? Some people love the freedom, others find the lack of a safety net is terrifying. Know yourself before you decide what to do.
I did that with furniture making. I work for a shop but I love what I do even more using other people's money to make amazing stuff that gets great acclaim!
I did it the other way around. Worked as an electronic engineer until my retirement and turned my work into my hobby: building modular synthesizer modules.
I tried my luck as a board game author. Spent lots of time and money for conventions and promoting my product - my super cool innovative fun game (or so I thought). But... It failed financially. Wow! That was frustrating! I'm happy that only my artist-ego took damage, not my income and financial security. I was suddenly very thankful for my (well, not really boring, but often thankless and stagnating) job as a teacher. After that excursion into self employment (light - without real risk ;) I realized that trying to make my hobby a business was a hobby by itself, in a certain way. The thing Adam talks about : always finding a new thing to do. For me it helps to see my excursion into making a business is the same thing like learning to 3d print, learning to paint or suddenly having a strange fascination for octopuses =). Seeing that helped a lot to make peace with not wanting to continue a business. Still, I'm looking forward to my next try - from the warm (sometimes wet and sticky) safety of my employment. =) Thanks for all the input fellow comment writers. Hope my contribution was a little bit helpful.
I started building websites as an "coding interest" in 1995. I started my business in 1999 and went full-time in 2001. After 20 years I concur with Adam that it all changes when you take a hobby and make your living at it. It's been a wonderful experience and has allowed me a life that regular employment would not have, but it's not without compromise. Think of having 100 points of motivation - in the beginning, it's 100 of interest and passion, but over time, 80 of them will morph into duty, responsibility, stress and concern. That said, I consistently want to take my motorcycle obsession and turn it into another business - but I stop myself and think, do we want to do that again or shall I keep this just for me? Time will tell ...
So useful! Phew have had to learn all that the hard way ugh. Got into wargaming minis 1/35 scale. Got decent at painting to where others offered me money to do theirs. Than suddenly had a small business with client's. Still have it but had to scale back/up pricing burnout and joy of it started to disappear. Going at my pace really has been what's kept me in the game in my side business.
Adam, you're one of the most wonderful, humble, and well spoken person I've seen. It often gives me confort knowing there's people like you out there. Thank you so much for being yourself, that is to say, being an inspiration.
Basically: Keep your curiosity alive. Once you find a way to do things differently, the results will be different. maybe that difference will be worth more money, or less. Making stuff, will always be a manufacturing job. But designing stuff happens mostly in your mind. Your mind is the only space where you are allowed to experiment with ideas. And once you are certain, the results of these ideas resembles the thing asked from you. You can experiment with manufacturing processes, or worksteps. You can do it as a self-employed business. The "boredom compensation" (money) will allow you to venture into new methods to make things, By buying new materials, or tools.That allow you do things easier (save time) and leave more time for the creative (fun) part. Templates for repetetive works make life a lot easier, and if you have to make a sizeable number of the same part, it might be worth investing time to make one. Or several. Saving time is of the essence for making a profit. And profit allows you to make more ideas viable.(or shorten the times of boredom). Every Item has its own intricacies, shape and function. And to explore them is a marvelous experience. Making them however, is a very strictly framed process. We do recognize Artists by their specific use of brush strokes, paint use and mixtures. Their applied method. We don't see Michelangelo, lying on his scaffolding, with hurting arms and shoulders in the 16 chapel while Leonardo da Vinci is screaming at him from below. When we look at the Pictures he painted on the ceiling.
A few comments to contribute: Even if aspects become less fun, it almost certainly feels better than working at a job you dislike. Find other ways to keep it fun. I like to do a few workshop modifications, upgrades, or even just adding decorations to my shop prior each project. The product you build may go to a client but your workspace is *yours*. Keep finding ways to improve your process & quality. Desire to build each project better than your previous ones. Keep looking for new design details to perfect.
I'm an illustrator and I was a game artist for a few years. I've been out of it for about 3 years and I've decided to go back to that so obviously I learnd how to weld so I could build a nice metal and wood workbench. It turned out really nice, actually elegant, and I've had a few requests about building some for others. I stumbled into something I really enjoy and I know some of it is because of the novelty but I am tempted to leave the artwork as something for personal enjoyment and orient myself towards designing and building custom workbenches and maybe other kinds of furniture.
Thanks especially for the tip on not doing your own taxes. At the point that you have about $300 a year to pay for tax prep this is great advice. I don't think I can do this every year but I've decided to go to a pro whenever anything changed and ask questions and look for deductions.
Thank you for your differentiation between creative work and Hustle Culture. Hustle Culture and Rise and Grind ideology is at its core corrosive to living. I'd love to hear your full thoughts on this.
I took my favorite hobby, photography, and turned it into a business. I had a blast for years but eventually it took its toll and the fun went out of it and I eventually closed it down. These days I find it difficult to pick up a camera. Great video that I identify with.
I dabble leather and kydex and I'm just good enough to makes stuff for myself when I need to. I almost always turn down opportunities from friends because I just can't do it fast enough to make a profit
My buddies grandfather is a small engine mechanic in his free time. He’s tired of doing it and has year after year raised his prices to the point that you’d think is far to much. Every customer he has still pays it because they know he’s the best. He wants to retire so bad but he won’t until customers finally give in and quit coming to him due to cost. Because he certainly won’t give them shotty quality work to scare them off.
Starting with a ten gallon aquarium, then step up to a 20-29-40-etc, etc, etc yet there is room for growth. May hobbies have room for change. So people work toward increasing levels and can keep some fun in your hobby.
If you are serious about your hobby, make your hobby fund itself. Do this before trying to live off it. Make 3-5 of that item at the same time, sell those other things to at least pay for that one thing you need, so you break even. If you can get a small + of cash each time, you can fund a very expensive thing you need in short time.
I concur. Don't go into debt to monetize something you love. I'll give another example: I used my main job to pay for my first professional camera and lens. Then, while still working the other job, used the equipment I had to get clients. I bought 2nd hand equipment and each time I had a photography job it went towards getting more pro-quality equipment and education. Then, when I had enough, I quit being employed by others and started a business with no debt, and all the equipment I'll need to sustain it.
Thank you for making this video. I'm currently in the middle of a project that I really hope to one day productize and is my first experience in that space. I keep putting it on the back burner because of the fear of what if it doesn't go well, or what if people don't find it as useful/interesting as I do. I need to remind myself this is more about challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone, cause like you said it's complete different working on your terms than someone else's.
I'm totally with you. Being a generalist is the only way to enjoy work for me. Constantly switching between types of work keeps you enjoying it like a point and click game always tackling new puzzles instead of the same puzzle over and over. That's the crux of it. Modern henry ford model style hyper-specialized work took the enjoyment out of it. One person turning the same bolt might be more efficient, but it's depressingly boring for the worker.
My job as an engineer is design, CAD and 3D printing. My hobbies are design, CAD and 3D printing and often the two overlap. I don't mind though. I love engineering and all those things.
For Mikael or anyone else, Just my two penneth. You can still really enjoy parts of what you do, maybe not all of it, if you allow yourself playtime. I went from making and repairing jewellery for fun alongside working in retail to doing it full time when I was made redundant as the shop I worked for closed. Yes, the day to day came be a bit boring. The pieces you get really excited about might take ages to sell and the bills keep coming. As a release, I decided to make a few things for fun and keep them in my personal collection. I'm a big film fan and decided to make replicas (or my take if I didn't like what was in the film) or "inspired by" pieces of jewellery and small metal objects, just for fun. They will never see the light of day as they are my private thing, they would never be profitable as some take far too long to make, but they are an escape. Allow yourself some playtime, just for you, it helps. If you decide to go for it, I wish you all the best and hope you can find enjoyment in every day.
I know that when I started making money from a side hobby it did feel great, just like Adam is saying.....however, after a while the excitement started to fade and it turned into more of a job and I was starting to lose interest. Then all of a sudden that sparked another idea and I started focusing my new excitement on making that project the best I could and it made doing the first project much more enjoyable because the first project paid for the second project. I always have an issue with finding the next project and then somehow, someway the first project or just an idea will spark and then all of the other projects turn into fuel for the next. It's a great cycle to be in and keeps the income section much more enjoyable when the interest starts to fade. Gives it a purpose. :)
@@TravelingStacker: I was reminded yesterday of when Windows Vista was released and it was so heavy that a lot of businesses got rid of their fully functional desktops. A friend of mine had a van and we drove around picking them up for free. At some point, I had over a hundred of them, that I cannibalized and sold. When I think of "side hustle", that's the type of thing I think about. For it to be a second job, I would think it was more regular and predictable.
I turned my hobby into a business. It feels like work a lot of the time but some projects hit that fun spot still. A challenge to do something new or different feels great. I work 12 to 15 hrs a day but it goes by fast. Never enough time in a day. But I am blessed to do my art for a living. I grow every day. My skill grows with every blade.
Mikael, the way I address this is, I refer to my "Workshop" .............. as the "Funshop"! As a Mechanical Fitter-Machinist, Welder, Fabricator, Firearm Maker/Fixer, patented designer, etc, etc, I really can't believe I get payed to do what I do. This "Work" ...... is more of a Mind Set, until you find the things you like to do/make. This may change after a while, so you need to constantly keep an eye out, for the next "Trail to follow". Hope that helps JB
Before i even watch the video, i always like it, just to make sure it helps you out first :D I want to though, Adam i've looked up to you for years. you are practically my only inspiration now adays.
@Adam Savage’s Tested sincerely.... thank you, this.... is what I have been wondering ALL time, since appears that people like to scum or argufy the hobbies I DEFINATELY enjoy 🙂, and would make me the must humble, and yet happy man in my future, cause its what I REALLY love 😊, cause almost all of the time, I fantasize about not only making profit from them, but also sharing my experience and skills: I swear it for my life, it is 2:44 in the morning, and just 10 minutes of this video... lead me maybe to more than half an hour philosophizing about this, JUST because of people trashing my little enormous passions 🙂, I definately and without doubt would keep doing through my life; this....... is an eye opening realization, (jajaja,😅 I´m 19, sounds like an adult making philosophy. But seriously, the way Adam speaks, these are words filled with wisdom, from someone who took the best and the worst willing to not only succes, but while doing his passion, accept mistakes made from exhausting work, and learn from them), it is a great motivation to keep doing the things I enjoy, and to have the will to reach for the best of them, while fulfilling myself from learning and perfecting these humble stuff... painting, drawing, carving, sculpting, making jewerly, making bread, pastries.... you name it, these things... I have always desired with my soul to make them... they might not be a big deal, and... like the bread, I recently made it twice, I LOVED IT, made me learn no only the measurements (and fails in order to improve 😁), but also admire the laborious process that takes to make my favorite food in the world,🥰simple as freshly baked bread . I´ve been having a TON of issues lately with myself, and...taking the time to think about this, ....... really gives me strenght to keep looking forward and cope with calm, respect, awareness, maturity and determination 😁; with the best intentions to be able not just to realize myself doing what I enjoy, ... but also to lay the foundation, to be able to help every person within my capabilities to achieve it too. By this little things, or maybe by applying my studies as a civil ingenieer in service for the community.😊🤗👷♂️ As the love of my life once told me...♡ That your goal today is to beat your best excuse thank you for sharing your wisdom with us, you are... simply awesome, and I will be looking forward to meet you someday, someday!!!! It would be a dream Hugs from Guatemala🇬🇹☺️🤗
Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks, like asking Adam a question: th-cam.com/channels/iDJtJKMICpb9B1qf7qjEOA.htmljoin Milton Glaser interview: th-cam.com/video/CqkHigmtEEY/w-d-xo.html
You have made me so nostalgic for when I worked in freelance sound design for live theatre here in Australia... I've since moved on to study psychological science after a decade in the theatre, but I miss that challenging, invigorating way of living.
I love the term you used, "Generalist". I've always felt like I never really drilled into one particular creative outlet, and in some ways that has made me feel sad because I know that if I really stuck with one thing I could be so much better. But on the other hand, I love being a generalist. Sometimes I write, sometimes I draw, sometimes I program, sometimes I play music, etc. I can do whatever suits my creative mood at the moment and know that I'll be able to accomplish something. It might not be perfection, but it still makes me feel fulfilled.
There are times when not specializing in one thing is a benefit. It allows for more creative problem-solving. You are able to come up with ideas that no one else can see because you have been involved in so many different outlets.
That's how contractors work. Learn little bundles of each trade every so often and it builds up, Eventually you can become a one man building machine with equal practice in each thing to the point where it becomes second nature. I learned all kinds of things on repairing my house and items in it just from TH-cam, DIY books, service manuals, etc. One day I'm rebuilding dead laptops to resell, the next week I am snaking a clogged drain in the floor with rented tools, the next time I'm fixing the fan on the oven or the door seal on a washing machine, or sealing the foundation or refurbishing the lawnmower engine. Many people say a master of one trade/item is always better over someone that is average at several different tasks, but that is just all relative to the amount of experience each person has with those tasks. If you do each task in equal amounts it's not gonna be overwritten in your brain, you just know it. It just takes longer to get there because you're not hammering that skill into your head every day all day long.
@@MrWolfSnack I had to do that as a foreman for a small construction company. I made sure I knew a medium amount of each tradesman's job so that I could tell when they were doing it right or wrong, because MY boss would ask ME how the overall job was going.
Finding that work life balance is a big key as well, so many rich ass clowns that value money over everything and exploit workers to make a dime. I had a boss a few years back for a tile and grout company, she was the owner and customers and people regularly told her she should charge more, her reply was " I am just trying to make a living I am not trying to make a killing."
Almost every business out there makes something totally different now than the thing they made when starting. Gillette had a good story about that. They're one of the very few who still make the original product. You have to be willing and good at changing up the game.
@8:21...sort of like being in the most popular, successful band in the word and suddenly it is no more. McCartney has spoken "words of wisdom" about this very topic.
People have to remember there are a lot of hobbies that are boring as heck. You don't realize it because you can put it down at any time My problem is I don't want to be a generalist I want to be an expert in everything that exists
By this explanation, I get why a lot of artists make “limited edition’s” or “limited run’s”. You don’t gets stuck in doing the same thing over and over, but also means you need to have some new idea to move on to whether it be a new version, new style, etc or you will put yourself out of business. And if it’s something that great, creating a limit could start a frenzy for your product making the decision to raise prices much easier. On the other side, if it’s not something like an art piece but more like Adams Sharpie example, you would need to start thinking about automation in some way. Your “fun” at this point is to come up with a solution or process that limits the work on your part while making it possible to increase production rates without sacrificing quality.
I'm not worried at all it'll remain fun. I more worry I won't make any money with it.... Never ever made any money with my 'making' hobbies, despite trying....
Turning a hobby into a business is hard. When you are being creative just to please yourself it's easy. When you have a customer, client or a boss to please, it's COMPLETELY different. I've been through that process. I was lucky, I found something that I could do that was a valuable and marketable skill. I made the transition to self employment 25 years ago. I don't regret any of it, but if I had known then what I would have to go through, maybe I wouldn't have taken the leap.
In short, if you make your hobby into a job, you'll find you need another hobby, because hobbies take you away from the grind of a job, and a hobby is your happy place.
Just in case no one has said this already. Your next book? I know there are a sqazillium books about working for yourself but your personal experience of this is valuable to us out here in the world. Thanks, you always pick me up when I'm thinking "what's the F*&@$%g point!?!". OK, deal, you write yours and I'll write mine.
I have a question. Can you trace your degraded eye sight and loss of hearing to lapses in your safety procedures? I've seen you be very diligent in the past, and I've also seen you go fast and dirty. I can't help but wonder if you cut some iron with no goggles or used some equipment with no hearing protection. Always good to see you and wish you well.
This is definitely good advise. I definitely would say the "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" is one of the biggest loads of hogwash in the popular conscience. It's probably a "grass is always greener" effect from people looking at what others do and hating their own drudgery, but as Adam said, every field is mostly drudgery. On the one hand, I'm burned out. I used to enjoy coming home and programming after programming at work. It's been so long I can't even remember when I stopped that, and now it's a struggle to be motivated at work. I no longer care if I get the greenfield projects that let me express my creativity. If anything, I'd rather the new people around me get them so at least someone can enjoy them. But on the other hand, it's solid work that I fit into like a glove. I can be half-asleep and productive because the logic involved is almost like muscle memory. I've paid my dues, I've gained the skills and institutional knowledge, and I can do things I couldn't before in exchange for the things I can't do anymore. As Adam said, you should do what you are good at, even if that means giving up a hobby you enjoyed and making it into a career to pay the bills you no longer get creative fulfillment from. But as the enjoyment fades, find a new hobby, a new outlet for your creative fulfillment. And make sure you balance your life in a way that lets you enjoy the non-work so you don't get burned out on the work.
This is one of the most helpful videos I watched in a long time. I'm currently in the process of becoming self employed and it's really scary and having a difficult relationship with my passion which is also my job its a big challenge. It's great to hear these thoughts from someone else who has a somewhat similar mindset and it really builds confidence to hear from someone who has made the experience with all its ups and downs
This is a really great follow up to your shark week commentary video- the bit about finding more information/what would you tell 30-year-old Adam. You have a lot of experience that I’m happily soaking up!
LISTEN everyone!!! Go buy an electric guitar, start a rock band and you will have fun if your makin money or spendin money. When your schedual gets cramped and feels like theres not enough hours in a day. And the wife and kids Uhh, But when you get to the practice studio all that stress goes away and your gonna kick out the Jams for several hours. Then comes friday night and ya gotta work,(Dont worry, ita a gig at a bar and youre the band on the Marquis and people will dance and scream at the sounds you make on that Instument that makes life fun. Naaaa, You should make customized Sharpees that say "Happy Bday Nick" Damnit , it was suppose to say Rick. There goes my $3.35 of profit for the day, wish they would pay me in drink tickets
As someone who is currently job hunting for a very stable professional job but considering turning to photography full time instead, this was a much needed pep talk. Especially with the way this was shot - intimate, personal and honest - it was really like receiving advice from an encouraging and wise father (sorry Adam xD). Some really useful nuggets in here, much appreciated Tested team!
@3:30 Exactly so! I recently took my martial arts hobby and started teaching. It's a new kind of enjoyable, the backend logistics make it "work" but I still get to further my knowledge through teaching and doing.
I disagree with work being boring, ive had the same job for 16 years and cant wait to get into work every day, i dont ever get bored of anything in life, if i dont like it i dont do it, Even my hobbies, one of which is rock polishing, sometimes i spend hours if not day polishing 1 piece of rock, but for me its not boring, its a journey, and if it starts to get mundane i stop it and start something else, but most often i end up drifting and thinking about other jobs, my brain never gets bored lol
Definitely did this, and I also found new hobbies lol. I love my damn job, and only certain parts get boring. However I very rarely ever do my job just for fun anymore.
Any time you can make ends meet while not working for someone else, do it. You're always working for someone's dream, it can be yours or it can be some CEO with 4 yachts.
One of the nicest things about this video is that your hearing aid battery went out and you didn't cut it out, you just went and dealt with it. I'm slightly hearing impaired and it'll likely get worse, and I had hearing aids as a kid. You have no idea how much it means to see this not erased
Absolutely this, i had no idea about Adam's hearing loss before this video but it made me lookup his video detailing his congenital hearing loss and the destigmatizing of it.
Thank you so much for answering my question Adam. Since I asked it I've had the time to get started and I already recognize a lot of what you said.
Fortunately I do have a full time job as a mechanical engineer(product developer/project manager) so I've got the luxury of being able to just say "No, I don't feel like it today" and not put in any work at all in my own company for a week.
For me the balancing act of doing fun new things while thinking "What can I get income from soon?" is tricky. I've got so many product ideas and stuff that I want to do, but I've also come to realize that I need to focus on one thing for a while in order to get it to liftoff.
I really feel what you're saying in that it's not the same kind of fun anymore, but it's still some kind of fun. Yes, there's a lot of tedious stuff but like you're saying it feels nice knowing that my hard work goes into my own account. It really reminds me of when I used to work as a carpenter, some jobs were really boring so I'd calculate how much money I made every minute and let that keep me going.
Well, now it feels like I'm rambling on too. Thanks again and it was an honor having my swedish name butchered by you. :D (My international friends usually just call me Mike).
I love seeing and reading the follow up to this video. I've watched this video twice - once because I related to it and wanted to finish, and a second to absorb just how perfectly it captured my feelings on a lot of this same topic.
Every other old timer has said, “You’ll never work a day in your life if you enjoy what you’re doing”
Such BS. Thank you Adam for the honest and insightful responses, as it’s still WORK. Being in the automotive fabrication field for over a decade, I’ve been moonlighting doing sheet metal restoration work and actually prefer the side hustle rather than the pressures to make ends meet. My customer base knows they’ll receive full dedication to a project when I’m motivated and inspired rather than trying to finish for the sake of a deadline.
I say this loosely, “I’d rather have a day job I hate and come home to enjoy the hobbies that I love.”
I wouldn't say its bullshit. I think you are taking it too far. Like he said, work yes but it also comes with the good that you won't get when you have a boss. You can't have it all man.
@@Rufio1975 Agreed.
This is spot on, "been there done that"
Nah, I have so much more time to do whatever I want. Working a set schedule every week for someone else does not sound cool at all.
Well said Greasemonkey. I'm a full time auto tech by day, then when I get home, I work on classic/antique vehicles. It's pressure all day, then it's more relaxed in the evenings and I enjoy it. But the evenings are different in that I get to do what I like to the vehicle in terms of putting my own "twist" on them. I've got a 66 vette and a 70 GTO at home that I'm doing custom work to. The vette is getting vintage air, and it's taking me too long, but it's a custom job that I'm making it look past factory looking. The GTO is getting engine upgrades but looks different from what anyone else would do. Can't do that stuff during the day
“Perspective is Everything.”
That is the best line ever and apply to more things than you think.
I think it was Peter Hurley who said that the way he determined his pricing was he kept on increasing it until he wasn't fully booked every month.
💯
I found every time i raised my prices, it was the clients I didn't like working with that went away.
That's basic economics baby. You gotta find where supply meets demand to make the most money. Too much demand to meet the supply? Jack up the price till you can produce exactly what is demanded or expand, which is hard in trades because you can't always trust a new comer will meet the same standards. Too much supply not enough demand? Lower prices or find ways to increase the demand with advertising, higher quality, etc.
This is absolutely so true 👌🏼
I started a videoclip buisiness in 2015, traveled a big part of the world with it and now I'm disolving the company, partly. Adam, you hit the nail on the head with this one a few times. Thanks for your wisdom ❤️
Feeling this way a lot lately, need to dive into new things to get me excited again.
I think thats why a lot of makers, builders and cosplayers go to events like dragon con, wasteland weekend, and burning man. It's inspiring seeing people different spins on concepts and ideas.
Maybe set aside some time every week/month for new ideas, experiments. Maybe friday afternoons or one day every month are a tinker time, or a half day go prototype new things that will keep the excitement levels up for what it is you want to be doing.
One of my favorite leather craftsman commenting on one of my favorite generalist makers...this is the kind of thing that makes me love TH-cam.
Yeah, man. Same. Somehow it helps to know I'm not the only one, ya know?
@@CalderwoodPercussion I’m 💯 in agreement with you buddy, damn this makes it hard to go to work tomorrow 🤣 this really refreshed my thinking process, awesome. ✝️🇺🇸🤙🏻🅰️
Not entirely sure why, but this video brought me to tears. Thank you for making this :) I’ve felt so lost recently, and it’s so refreshing to hear someone actually be honest about life difficulties and still enjoying being alive. Nice to know it’s possible :)
I just started a chainsaw carving company this year and I feel this so much. It can get tedious but I love it. But there are deffinately moments at midnight when I'm sand and staining that I'm pulling my hair out lol. But it's worth it to be my own boss and make art. Sure I go through imposter syndrome midway on every single carving but I always pull out a great piece by the end. That's the process! This video was so on the button for me. Thanks Adam!
I’m starting my adventure of selling my woodworking, I sold my first lamp the other day and it felt awesome
I do arcade maintenance. It's my dream job. But really my job is %50 filling/fixing tickets, %30 turning game off/on, %10 showing guest to how play/ use something, %10 actual fixing stuff. The days become the same and blend into one.
Wow, interesting job!
I now want a customized Sharpie for some reason...
Ha!
I am an aerospace engineer, and have a hobby of making swords and armor that I turned into a business. My enjoyment of making swords and armor started to decrease when I was taking commissions and making pieces that didn't excite me because I thought I needed too. I realized I didn't, and instead of taking any commission, I changed to making just what I want, and just what excites me. I only take commissions that I want to make. And since then, my enjoyment has gone back to what it was and I still love it and don't see it changing. So, make sure you do what you want to be doing! :)
I forget where I heard this, but something that's helped me in my self-employment journey is the reframing from "have" to "get". "I have to spend today collecting receipts for the accountant" -> "I get to spend today collecting receipts for the accountant". Good reminder that I'm in the privileged position of getting to do things my own way, even when a lot of the time is spent on drudgery.
The answer to your dilemma is simple young one. it is continuous GROWTH in what you choose to do. As for Adam's case, he constantly monitors his shop, improves his tools, his toolcases, his work ethics, his processes. That is how you keep the "fun" in anything that you do... you GROW with and in it.
I found when I was self employed, I had the worst boss ever. Every hand shake was a sales pitch. But when the money cam to you first, what a feeling.
One of the things I had to come to grips with when I was self-employed for 17 years was that when I was working, I was not selling myself and when I was selling, I was not working.
Two things to note about this, that Adam touched on:
1. Whether something becomes "a job" compared to "a hobby" can entirely depend on how much you depend on doing it. If your hobby was "I spend 3 hours painting something once a week" , and you can make enough money from that one session to not need another job, that doesn't really fundamentally change your hobby. If you have to increase productivity, in having to spend 3 hours a day painting, 7 days a week, to make enough to live on .. then that starts to feel like a job; because you've taken yourself out of your normal comfort level, and put it onto an assembly line to make money.
Someone who can do something infrequently, or not have to worry about how much they make from it, will continue to see something as a hobby far longer than someone who lives day by day now doing it in order to barely get by.
2. Just because you do something frequently, doesn't mean it becomes tedious or boring. Some people love to drive, they probably also have to drive daily to work. The act of driving to work doesn't automatically ruin that experience. If your job is entirely to drive, you can still enjoy it just as much as you did before getting paid for it. What some people need is "the reason to drive" fulfilled each time. A drive out to the country side, into the mountains, along the coastline, etc.. If you can constantly give yourself that "new scenery" every time you drive for work, you've maintained your normal hobby / eagerness.
A lot of the reason work is seen as monotonous / soulless is because its typically one dimensional, you do the same activity over and over without variance. If you made the same exact chair, or drove the same exact stretch of road, every day the enjoyment of it would wain; just like the pleasure factor of eating a peanut butter cup. The first time is extremely enjoyable, the second time about as enjoyable, and the 12th time you start to feel sick. If you had a different candy bar each and every time though, you could probably continue on for way longer, and even repeat candy bars on a rotation.
This is why co workers end up being very social during a job; it's an inevitable experience because socializing is a very diverse and entertaining activity, and it's something that "breaks up the monotony". It's also why employers tend to dislike it since it can easily distract employees and reduce productivity if it gets out of hand. But that's the point, to find ways of maintaining your "job", while also maintaining your ability to break up the monotony of it; whether that's a different, but similar project, or a different way of doing it, or collaborating with someone on it.
The job should be "eating candy" , rather than "eating only Reeses". And you're never prevented from doing something else at the same time, and seeing if you can get paid for that too. The whole idea is to get paid for what you want to do, so why do people think they have to stop trying once they get their first activity paid for? If you love to drive ...you can drive different vehicles.
Adam has a good type of hobby / business because he very much has the opportunity to create so many different things, which means he can get excited / inspired / distracted easily, the process which lead to you have something as a hobby to begin with. If all he did was make Iron Man replicas .. it wouldn't be nearly the same thing for him.
Taking the time to answer that question with that depth is what you makes you the best. You're the best.
As a fellow generalist, much of what Adam says here resonates with me. If I'm just "making the one thing", I too would get bored with it quickly and want to move on to something new. However, I've known some people that really enjoy "perfecting the one thing", making it better, making it more efficiently. If that is you, Mikael, then you may find longer term enjoyment in your pursuit. My advice would be: make a business plan. Figure out what you are making, how you are going to sell it, how many people might want to buy it, and what they will pay for it. Then figure out what your costs are in making that thing(s). Make sure to account for paying yourself a rate that you can be satisfied with.
If we're talking about prop making, my experience is A) make inventory and sell it rather than taking orders, as this lets you control your workload; and B) phase out projects and develop new projects to avoid getting bored of doing the same thing. Thanks for the great questions and answers!
I want to print this video and put in on the wall above my desk. So many very encouraging and so, so wise words in this one.
As many others have commented, it does help if you can keep several different projects going at the same time. Change and variety keeps things fresh and fun longer. It's also OK to try new stuff and branch out. You don't have to continue doing the same thing forever and ever just because that's what you started with. People and life situations change, and businesses can be made to adapt.
I’ve worked for myself almost all my life (I’m 66). My take is that it’s stressful and rewarding in roughly equal parts. So, which is in the ascendancy for you? Some people love the freedom, others find the lack of a safety net is terrifying. Know yourself before you decide what to do.
I did that with furniture making. I work for a shop but I love what I do even more using other people's money to make amazing stuff that gets great acclaim!
I did it the other way around. Worked as an electronic engineer until my retirement and turned my work into my hobby: building modular synthesizer modules.
I tried my luck as a board game author. Spent lots of time and money for conventions and promoting my product - my super cool innovative fun game (or so I thought). But... It failed financially. Wow! That was frustrating! I'm happy that only my artist-ego took damage, not my income and financial security. I was suddenly very thankful for my (well, not really boring, but often thankless and stagnating) job as a teacher. After that excursion into self employment (light - without real risk ;) I realized that trying to make my hobby a business was a hobby by itself, in a certain way. The thing Adam talks about : always finding a new thing to do. For me it helps to see my excursion into making a business is the same thing like learning to 3d print, learning to paint or suddenly having a strange fascination for octopuses =). Seeing that helped a lot to make peace with not wanting to continue a business. Still, I'm looking forward to my next try - from the warm (sometimes wet and sticky) safety of my employment. =)
Thanks for all the input fellow comment writers. Hope my contribution was a little bit helpful.
I started building websites as an "coding interest" in 1995. I started my business in 1999 and went full-time in 2001. After 20 years I concur with Adam that it all changes when you take a hobby and make your living at it. It's been a wonderful experience and has allowed me a life that regular employment would not have, but it's not without compromise. Think of having 100 points of motivation - in the beginning, it's 100 of interest and passion, but over time, 80 of them will morph into duty, responsibility, stress and concern. That said, I consistently want to take my motorcycle obsession and turn it into another business - but I stop myself and think, do we want to do that again or shall I keep this just for me? Time will tell ...
So useful! Phew have had to learn all that the hard way ugh. Got into wargaming minis 1/35 scale. Got decent at painting to where others offered me money to do theirs. Than suddenly had a small business with client's. Still have it but had to scale back/up pricing burnout and joy of it started to disappear. Going at my pace really has been what's kept me in the game in my side business.
Adam, you're one of the most wonderful, humble, and well spoken person I've seen. It often gives me confort knowing there's people like you out there. Thank you so much for being yourself, that is to say, being an inspiration.
I'm way more humble than he is!
Basically: Keep your curiosity alive.
Once you find a way to do things differently, the results will be different. maybe that difference will be worth more money, or less. Making stuff, will always be a manufacturing job. But designing stuff happens mostly in your mind. Your mind is the only space where you are allowed to experiment with ideas. And once you are certain, the results of these ideas resembles the thing asked from you. You can experiment with manufacturing processes, or worksteps. You can do it as a self-employed business. The "boredom compensation" (money) will allow you to venture into new methods to make things, By buying new materials, or tools.That allow you do things easier (save time) and leave more time for the creative (fun) part. Templates for repetetive works make life a lot easier, and if you have to make a sizeable number of the same part, it might be worth investing time to make one. Or several. Saving time is of the essence for making a profit. And profit allows you to make more ideas viable.(or shorten the times of boredom). Every Item has its own intricacies, shape and function. And to explore them is a marvelous experience. Making them however, is a very strictly framed process. We do recognize Artists by their specific use of brush strokes, paint use and mixtures. Their applied method.
We don't see Michelangelo, lying on his scaffolding, with hurting arms and shoulders in the 16 chapel while Leonardo da Vinci is screaming at him from below. When we look at the Pictures he painted on the ceiling.
A few comments to contribute:
Even if aspects become less fun, it almost certainly feels better than working at a job you dislike.
Find other ways to keep it fun. I like to do a few workshop modifications, upgrades, or even just adding decorations to my shop prior each project. The product you build may go to a client but your workspace is *yours*.
Keep finding ways to improve your process & quality. Desire to build each project better than your previous ones. Keep looking for new design details to perfect.
Hearing Adam being excited were one will not be excited about earning on the hobby becoming work.. should be exciting 😁
I'm an illustrator and I was a game artist for a few years. I've been out of it for about 3 years and I've decided to go back to that so obviously I learnd how to weld so I could build a nice metal and wood workbench. It turned out really nice, actually elegant, and I've had a few requests about building some for others.
I stumbled into something I really enjoy and I know some of it is because of the novelty but I am tempted to leave the artwork as something for personal enjoyment and orient myself towards designing and building custom workbenches and maybe other kinds of furniture.
Thanks especially for the tip on not doing your own taxes. At the point that you have about $300 a year to pay for tax prep this is great advice. I don't think I can do this every year but I've decided to go to a pro whenever anything changed and ask questions and look for deductions.
I like Sheffield tape measures, i like how they stay out automatically. Its not necessary but i think its my favorite measure i ever used
Thank you for your differentiation between creative work and Hustle Culture. Hustle Culture and Rise and Grind ideology is at its core corrosive to living. I'd love to hear your full thoughts on this.
I took my favorite hobby, photography, and turned it into a business. I had a blast for years but eventually it took its toll and the fun went out of it and I eventually closed it down. These days I find it difficult to pick up a camera. Great video that I identify with.
I dabble leather and kydex and I'm just good enough to makes stuff for myself when I need to. I almost always turn down opportunities from friends because I just can't do it fast enough to make a profit
Good advice... Thinking of turning a hobby I like into a job as well... Thanks Adam!
My buddies grandfather is a small engine mechanic in his free time. He’s tired of doing it and has year after year raised his prices to the point that you’d think is far to much. Every customer he has still pays it because they know he’s the best. He wants to retire so bad but he won’t until customers finally give in and quit coming to him due to cost. Because he certainly won’t give them shotty quality work to scare them off.
As someone who transitioned fully into working in my hobby a couple years ago, this is 100% correct. Work is work. It always sucks.
Starting with a ten gallon aquarium, then step up to a 20-29-40-etc, etc, etc yet there is room for growth. May hobbies have room for change. So people work toward increasing levels and can keep some fun in your hobby.
If you are serious about your hobby, make your hobby fund itself. Do this before trying to live off it.
Make 3-5 of that item at the same time, sell those other things to at least pay for that one thing you need, so you break even.
If you can get a small + of cash each time, you can fund a very expensive thing you need in short time.
I concur. Don't go into debt to monetize something you love.
I'll give another example: I used my main job to pay for my first professional camera and lens. Then, while still working the other job, used the equipment I had to get clients. I bought 2nd hand equipment and each time I had a photography job it went towards getting more pro-quality equipment and education. Then, when I had enough, I quit being employed by others and started a business with no debt, and all the equipment I'll need to sustain it.
Hit the nail on the head.
Thank you for making this video. I'm currently in the middle of a project that I really hope to one day productize and is my first experience in that space. I keep putting it on the back burner because of the fear of what if it doesn't go well, or what if people don't find it as useful/interesting as I do. I need to remind myself this is more about challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone, cause like you said it's complete different working on your terms than someone else's.
I'm totally with you. Being a generalist is the only way to enjoy work for me. Constantly switching between types of work keeps you enjoying it like a point and click game always tackling new puzzles instead of the same puzzle over and over. That's the crux of it. Modern henry ford model style hyper-specialized work took the enjoyment out of it. One person turning the same bolt might be more efficient, but it's depressingly boring for the worker.
I greatly appreciate your rambles
"I can tolerate a lot when I'm making my own living", seems like the Maker's Mantra some days.
My job as an engineer is design, CAD and 3D printing. My hobbies are design, CAD and 3D printing and often the two overlap. I don't mind though. I love engineering and all those things.
For Mikael or anyone else,
Just my two penneth. You can still really enjoy parts of what you do, maybe not all of it, if you allow yourself playtime. I went from making and repairing jewellery for fun alongside working in retail to doing it full time when I was made redundant as the shop I worked for closed. Yes, the day to day came be a bit boring. The pieces you get really excited about might take ages to sell and the bills keep coming.
As a release, I decided to make a few things for fun and keep them in my personal collection. I'm a big film fan and decided to make replicas (or my take if I didn't like what was in the film) or "inspired by" pieces of jewellery and small metal objects, just for fun. They will never see the light of day as they are my private thing, they would never be profitable as some take far too long to make, but they are an escape. Allow yourself some playtime, just for you, it helps.
If you decide to go for it, I wish you all the best and hope you can find enjoyment in every day.
I know that when I started making money from a side hobby it did feel great, just like Adam is saying.....however, after a while the excitement started to fade and it turned into more of a job and I was starting to lose interest. Then all of a sudden that sparked another idea and I started focusing my new excitement on making that project the best I could and it made doing the first project much more enjoyable because the first project paid for the second project.
I always have an issue with finding the next project and then somehow, someway the first project or just an idea will spark and then all of the other projects turn into fuel for the next. It's a great cycle to be in and keeps the income section much more enjoyable when the interest starts to fade. Gives it a purpose. :)
I never thought about the raising the prices thing! 🤯
Next question: What is Adam's feelings about "hustle culture"?
Right!!! This inquiring mind wants to know…
My irk with it is the phrase. This is my side hustle. No, it isn't. Its a second job. You have a second job, not a side hustle.
@@TravelingStacker: I was reminded yesterday of when Windows Vista was released and it was so heavy that a lot of businesses got rid of their fully functional desktops. A friend of mine had a van and we drove around picking them up for free. At some point, I had over a hundred of them, that I cannibalized and sold. When I think of "side hustle", that's the type of thing I think about. For it to be a second job, I would think it was more regular and predictable.
Thanks Adam, real wealth of knowledge 🙏🏻🌟
Plot twist: Person asking the question actually does have a custom sharpie hobby.
If it is rambling, it is the most erudite rambling. Something I have always wondered and you make total sense.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing - great question and an awesome answer!
I wish this was a 360 cam just to look at all the cool things in the shop
Volumetric!!!!!
Volumetric!!!!!
I turned my hobby into a business. It feels like work a lot of the time but some projects hit that fun spot still. A challenge to do something new or different feels great. I work 12 to 15 hrs a day but it goes by fast. Never enough time in a day. But I am blessed to do my art for a living. I grow every day. My skill grows with every blade.
I've seen your work and it's fantastic! It's inspired me to try something way outside my skill-set for a costume I'm working on!
Thank you for that video. I needed to hear this today.
I just let my mind do what it will to pass the time while doing tedious tasks, kinda like multitasking...
I've been building cabinets for nearly 20 years and it is FAR from boring. There are plenty of jobs that never get boring.
Mikael, the way I address this is, I refer to my "Workshop" .............. as the "Funshop"!
As a Mechanical Fitter-Machinist, Welder, Fabricator, Firearm Maker/Fixer, patented designer, etc, etc, I really can't believe I get payed to do what I do. This "Work" ...... is more of a Mind Set, until you find the things you like to do/make.
This may change after a while, so you need to constantly keep an eye out, for the next "Trail to follow". Hope that helps JB
This video is insanely helpful to me on so many levels. Thank you Adam, you are my role model :)
this was so so soooo good! enjoyed every moment of it. gave me a sense of reassurance. thanks adam! please do more like this
I love the work at my job, apart from the paperwork at the end of each job. It’s probably 70/30 good to boring.
Before i even watch the video, i always like it, just to make sure it helps you out first :D I want to though, Adam i've looked up to you for years. you are practically my only inspiration now adays.
“Customizing Sharpies” is now my go-to expression for any semi-creative activity.
@Adam Savage’s Tested
sincerely.... thank you,
this.... is what I have been wondering ALL time, since appears that people like to scum or argufy the hobbies I DEFINATELY enjoy 🙂, and would make me the must humble, and yet happy man in my future, cause its what I REALLY love 😊, cause almost all of the time, I fantasize about not only making profit from them, but also sharing my experience and skills:
I swear it for my life, it is 2:44 in the morning, and just 10 minutes of this video... lead me maybe to more than half an hour philosophizing about this, JUST because of people trashing my little enormous passions 🙂, I definately and without doubt would keep doing through my life; this....... is an eye opening realization, (jajaja,😅 I´m 19, sounds like an adult making philosophy. But seriously, the way Adam speaks, these are words filled with wisdom, from someone who took the best and the worst willing to not only succes, but while doing his passion, accept mistakes made from exhausting work, and learn from them), it is a great motivation to keep doing the things I enjoy, and to have the will to reach for the best of them, while fulfilling myself from learning and perfecting these humble stuff... painting, drawing, carving, sculpting, making jewerly, making bread, pastries.... you name it, these things... I have always desired with my soul to make them... they might not be a big deal, and... like the bread, I recently made it twice, I LOVED IT, made me learn no only the measurements (and fails in order to improve 😁), but also admire the laborious process that takes to make my favorite food in the world,🥰simple as freshly baked bread .
I´ve been having a TON of issues lately with myself, and...taking the time to think about this, ....... really gives me strenght to keep looking forward and cope with calm, respect, awareness, maturity and determination 😁; with the best intentions to be able not just to realize myself doing what I enjoy, ... but also to lay the foundation, to be able to help every person within my capabilities to achieve it too. By this little things, or maybe by applying my studies as a civil ingenieer in service for the community.😊🤗👷♂️
As the love of my life once told me...♡
That your goal today is to beat your best excuse
thank you for sharing your wisdom with us, you are... simply awesome, and I will be looking forward to meet you someday, someday!!!! It would be a dream
Hugs from Guatemala🇬🇹☺️🤗
Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks, like asking Adam a question:
th-cam.com/channels/iDJtJKMICpb9B1qf7qjEOA.htmljoin
Milton Glaser interview: th-cam.com/video/CqkHigmtEEY/w-d-xo.html
You have made me so nostalgic for when I worked in freelance sound design for live theatre here in Australia... I've since moved on to study psychological science after a decade in the theatre, but I miss that challenging, invigorating way of living.
I love the term you used, "Generalist". I've always felt like I never really drilled into one particular creative outlet, and in some ways that has made me feel sad because I know that if I really stuck with one thing I could be so much better. But on the other hand, I love being a generalist. Sometimes I write, sometimes I draw, sometimes I program, sometimes I play music, etc. I can do whatever suits my creative mood at the moment and know that I'll be able to accomplish something. It might not be perfection, but it still makes me feel fulfilled.
As a generalist, I always hark back to Heinlein's quote about "specialization being for insects" :)
There are times when not specializing in one thing is a benefit. It allows for more creative problem-solving. You are able to come up with ideas that no one else can see because you have been involved in so many different outlets.
That's how contractors work. Learn little bundles of each trade every so often and it builds up, Eventually you can become a one man building machine with equal practice in each thing to the point where it becomes second nature.
I learned all kinds of things on repairing my house and items in it just from TH-cam, DIY books, service manuals, etc. One day I'm rebuilding dead laptops to resell, the next week I am snaking a clogged drain in the floor with rented tools, the next time I'm fixing the fan on the oven or the door seal on a washing machine, or sealing the foundation or refurbishing the lawnmower engine.
Many people say a master of one trade/item is always better over someone that is average at several different tasks, but that is just all relative to the amount of experience each person has with those tasks. If you do each task in equal amounts it's not gonna be overwritten in your brain, you just know it. It just takes longer to get there because you're not hammering that skill into your head every day all day long.
@@MrWolfSnack I had to do that as a foreman for a small construction company. I made sure I knew a medium amount of each tradesman's job so that I could tell when they were doing it right or wrong, because MY boss would ask ME how the overall job was going.
Finding that work life balance is a big key as well, so many rich ass clowns that value money over everything and exploit workers to make a dime. I had a boss a few years back for a tile and grout company, she was the owner and customers and people regularly told her she should charge more, her reply was " I am just trying to make a living I am not trying to make a killing."
Everybody should have the experience of doing nasty work so the appreciate that boring is good.
Preach...! 🖖😎💨
Master Adam San, you're a maker-rockstar....awe-inspiring.....thanx for always sharing your wisdom so honestly.
Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who tells you different is selling something.
Almost every business out there makes something totally different now than the thing they made when starting. Gillette had a good story about that. They're one of the very few who still make the original product. You have to be willing and good at changing up the game.
@8:21...sort of like being in the most popular, successful band in the word and suddenly it is no more. McCartney has spoken "words of wisdom" about this very topic.
People have to remember there are a lot of hobbies that are boring as heck. You don't realize it because you can put it down at any time
My problem is I don't want to be a generalist I want to be an expert in everything that exists
By this explanation, I get why a lot of artists make “limited edition’s” or “limited run’s”. You don’t gets stuck in doing the same thing over and over, but also means you need to have some new idea to move on to whether it be a new version, new style, etc or you will put yourself out of business. And if it’s something that great, creating a limit could start a frenzy for your product making the decision to raise prices much easier. On the other side, if it’s not something like an art piece but more like Adams Sharpie example, you would need to start thinking about automation in some way. Your “fun” at this point is to come up with a solution or process that limits the work on your part while making it possible to increase production rates without sacrificing quality.
I'm not worried at all it'll remain fun. I more worry I won't make any money with it.... Never ever made any money with my 'making' hobbies, despite trying....
Turning a hobby into a business is hard. When you are being creative just to please yourself it's easy. When you have a customer, client or a boss to please, it's COMPLETELY different. I've been through that process. I was lucky, I found something that I could do that was a valuable and marketable skill. I made the transition to self employment 25 years ago. I don't regret any of it, but if I had known then what I would have to go through, maybe I wouldn't have taken the leap.
Bored on my own time. Love that!
In short, if you make your hobby into a job, you'll find you need another hobby, because hobbies take you away from the grind of a job, and a hobby is your happy place.
Just in case no one has said this already. Your next book? I know there are a sqazillium books about working for yourself but your personal experience of this is valuable to us out here in the world. Thanks, you always pick me up when I'm thinking "what's the F*&@$%g point!?!". OK, deal, you write yours and I'll write mine.
I have a question. Can you trace your degraded eye sight and loss of hearing to lapses in your safety procedures? I've seen you be very diligent in the past, and I've also seen you go fast and dirty. I can't help but wonder if you cut some iron with no goggles or used some equipment with no hearing protection.
Always good to see you and wish you well.
I love this Adam, thank you for this video... It's really helped me with my thinking on starting my motorcycle repair and customization company...
This is definitely good advise. I definitely would say the "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" is one of the biggest loads of hogwash in the popular conscience. It's probably a "grass is always greener" effect from people looking at what others do and hating their own drudgery, but as Adam said, every field is mostly drudgery.
On the one hand, I'm burned out. I used to enjoy coming home and programming after programming at work. It's been so long I can't even remember when I stopped that, and now it's a struggle to be motivated at work. I no longer care if I get the greenfield projects that let me express my creativity. If anything, I'd rather the new people around me get them so at least someone can enjoy them. But on the other hand, it's solid work that I fit into like a glove. I can be half-asleep and productive because the logic involved is almost like muscle memory. I've paid my dues, I've gained the skills and institutional knowledge, and I can do things I couldn't before in exchange for the things I can't do anymore.
As Adam said, you should do what you are good at, even if that means giving up a hobby you enjoyed and making it into a career to pay the bills you no longer get creative fulfillment from. But as the enjoyment fades, find a new hobby, a new outlet for your creative fulfillment. And make sure you balance your life in a way that lets you enjoy the non-work so you don't get burned out on the work.
This is one of the most helpful videos I watched in a long time. I'm currently in the process of becoming self employed and it's really scary and having a difficult relationship with my passion which is also my job its a big challenge. It's great to hear these thoughts from someone else who has a somewhat similar mindset and it really builds confidence to hear from someone who has made the experience with all its ups and downs
This is a really great follow up to your shark week commentary video- the bit about finding more information/what would you tell 30-year-old Adam. You have a lot of experience that I’m happily soaking up!
LISTEN everyone!!! Go buy an electric guitar, start a rock band and you will have fun if your makin money or spendin money. When your schedual gets cramped and feels like theres not enough hours in a day. And the wife and kids Uhh, But when you get to the practice studio all that stress goes away and your gonna kick out the Jams for several hours. Then comes friday night and ya gotta work,(Dont worry, ita a gig at a bar and youre the band on the Marquis and people will dance and scream at the sounds you make on that Instument that makes life fun. Naaaa, You should make customized Sharpees that say "Happy Bday Nick" Damnit , it was suppose to say Rick. There goes my $3.35 of profit for the day, wish they would pay me in drink tickets
Loved this, thanks for making it! :)
Amazing communication, Adam. IMHO this is one of the best videos you've ever made. Thanks for taking the time!
pretty good Advice
As someone who is currently job hunting for a very stable professional job but considering turning to photography full time instead, this was a much needed pep talk. Especially with the way this was shot - intimate, personal and honest - it was really like receiving advice from an encouraging and wise father (sorry Adam xD). Some really useful nuggets in here, much appreciated Tested team!
Thank you for the comment! Means a lot to us.
@3:30 Exactly so! I recently took my martial arts hobby and started teaching. It's a new kind of enjoyable, the backend logistics make it "work" but I still get to further my knowledge through teaching and doing.
I disagree with work being boring, ive had the same job for 16 years and cant wait to get into work every day, i dont ever get bored of anything in life, if i dont like it i dont do it,
Even my hobbies, one of which is rock polishing, sometimes i spend hours if not day polishing 1 piece of rock, but for me its not boring, its a journey, and if it starts to get mundane i stop it and start something else, but most often i end up drifting and thinking about other jobs, my brain never gets bored lol
If you find a 5'2 sleeping bundle of a woman at any point in your shop, just let me be. Your shop is my Disneyland. 🤷🏻♀️
Definitely did this, and I also found new hobbies lol. I love my damn job, and only certain parts get boring. However I very rarely ever do my job just for fun anymore.
Any time you can make ends meet while not working for someone else, do it. You're always working for someone's dream, it can be yours or it can be some CEO with 4 yachts.
I crave the novel...