Why I am now considering myself a “web hobbyist”

It’s Saturday evening, and here I am sitting in my office, “working”.

It’s scenarios like this that have led to my latest “aha!” — I don’t really consider myself a web designer – I consider myself a web hobbyist. I have read so many sales pitches for ‘how to turn your hobby into a business’ that I think I started believing that there was something almost not to be taken seriously in those who make money using their hobby. Like it wasn’t a “real” business. And in some cases, for some people, that may be true. But not for everyone… and not for me.

To illustrate my thought process, I’ve invented Joe Shmoe. Joe in an insurance man – he works his own hours and stays up on the latest insurance stuff. He has clients. He has an office. It’s a job. When Joe finishes up his day, he comes home to the family, dinner, a little TV – normal stuff. Joe is also a car enthusiast. He knows all sorts of what’s what about cars. He has a cool garage with lots of tools and gadgets, and fixes up cars on his time off.

Joe knows a lot about insurance. He knows the ins and outs, the whys, all that stuff.  He enjoys his job, and likes to take care of his clients. But Joe knows a LOT about cars. During his free time he reads car magazines, he surfs car blogs, he knows what’s coming out when, what kind of car is worth what, etc, etc…

Why is it that only Joe’s insurance knowledge is deemed of “value”. The only thing worth paying him for?  Doesn’t it seem like those who have hobbies are really experts in their chosen hobby? (It’s probably unlikely that his clients would consider Joe an insurance expert – but ask his neighbors, and I bet they’d say he was a car expert.)

Why do we put our noses up when we hear the word “hobby” when it’s connected with a business? Personally, I’d be more apt to pay Joe for something car related then to buy insurance from him. It’s all about passion — the more passionate about something we are, the more we have invested in it, the more we care, the more we know. And for me, I would rather deal with someone who is passionate then “professional”.

So, I am not a web designer. After my lovely (3rd) baby joins the world (20 days from the publish date of this post) websites are no longer my job. I’m not coming in the office 9-5, Monday thru Friday. Because in all reality, websites were never my job. I’ve always just done this because I loved it. Because I am a nerd. Because I read tech blogs, could sit for hours reading code, and I care more about the end result of design then I do about the paycheck.Because I can only redesign my own website so many times a year before people would start thinking me mad.

I don’t want to call the people I do work for “clients” anymore — although I have yet to think of a replacement definition.
I don’t want to be on Twitter anymore. It takes my time away from my family, my hobby and myself.
I don’t want to market myself. (which is partially b/c I hate that part)
I want to spend my free time either helping people with web stuff or learning about new web stuff.
I want to teach people what I know so that they don’t need me. Not because I don’t want to work for them anymore, but because I want them empowered.
I want to continue charging a fair amount for my expertise and one-on-one help – but balance that out with free advice, research and tutorials.

And most of all I want to hold on to the pleasure that nerding out on some code, finally solving that script problem, creating that fantastic logo… brings me. I want to continue to look forward to sitting here in my office, like I’m here because this IS leisure time for me. And so there it is – Victoria Keale is no longer a web designer.  I am from now on a web hobbyist. Maybe web hobbyist extraordinaire? Yeah.

What does that mean for this business? Not too much except some service and package changes, and a much different schedule for me. That stuff will be “announced” over the next few weeks, before my little bundle comes. In the meantime I am going to chew on this concept a bit and see where it takes me, wrap up the projects I have left with my “job” and get settled into my REAL job – being Mom. Cause no matter what, that’s the only true full time job I have. The rest of the things I do are really just hobbies!

~Until next time.

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