18 People Who Turned Their Hobbies Into Work — And Some Had To Overcome Mistrust

Unfortunately, not everyone gets to work with what they really like to do. However, for some lucky ones, the reality is different: they manage to turn their skills and hobbies into work and a source of income. However, not everything is rosy and often these people end up receiving criticism and are misunderstood by others, including family and friends. The protagonists of our article today experienced this firsthand.

We, from awesome.club, we found 18 people whose stories prove that persistence and hard work are the key to success. It doesn’t matter what people say. Check out!

A friend of mine made puppetry her profession. She teaches puppet-making classes and has turned an ice cream truck into a puppet theater, used to perform at parties. © 02K30C1 / RedditMy dad makes a very good living selling remote control boat kits. He has always been obsessed with remote control planes and boats. Dad quit his job as an engineer about ten years ago to start his own business, and it’s doing great. © datboi1988 / Reddit

My wife was tired of working as an accountant and really wanted to bake cakes. At first I thought that in a few months she would get tired of standing in the kitchen for about ten hours every day. But not. In just three months, she learned to bake cakes very well, sold more than a hundred in a year, and shares all her creations on social media. With her earnings, she was even able to pay for all the equipment she bought. And I still have, almost daily, a delicious cake to eat with tea. © arenoros / PikabuMy husband is a bearded and heavyset athlete who works as an electrical engineer for a large company. Today, as a hobby, he started a manicure course, and all because he likes to create beautiful and subtle things. Once, when my friend was doing my nails, my husband tried to draw a design on them and it turned out really nice! We ignore the looks of surprise and sarcasm from the acquaintances. Soon I’ll have my own professional manicurist, and for free. My mother and his mother have already reserved their places in line. © Overheard / Idear

One day, my mother started knitting scarves, hats, sweaters and then selling her products at the fair. First, walking, standing at the entrance. Later, she started a company and rented space at the fair. After a while, in addition to selling her knitting creations, she started to resell clothes from an acquaintance. Later, she began to source clothes from large wholesale markets and then resell large wholesale lots to other micro-entrepreneurs. Here’s how her hobby helped her build a country house to relax in. © Elfiya / PikabuI love drawing cars, since childhood. I didn’t do well in school, I never dedicated myself to anything, and everyone said to me, “Why do you draw? Puff. You should dedicate your time to something useful. It’s time to think about the future. Improve grades. Which university are you going to take entrance exams for?” And blah-blah-blah. Nobody approved of my, so to speak, hobby. In the end, nowadays I’m an automotive designer and I enjoy my job. I can’t even imagine what I could work with if I stopped drawing. © Overheard / Idear

I work from 9am to 5pm and I’m also a drummer and singer. I perform with a cover band, and we manage to make a little extra money on the weekends by playing Friday and Saturday nights. © StanYelnats3 / RedditI thought my first wife’s work was “silly” — she made clay dolls and some animals, like mice and pigs. She didn’t give any money, she just got dirty and made dust. In the end, after ten years she became a famous ceramic artist, teaches classes, gives courses and earns her living doing what she loves. © Freakpower / Pikabu

I used to do graphic design and I liked to do it in my spare time. When I switched jobs, I didn’t stop my hobby and turned it into a successful side business. © ubiquitousbox / RedditI make mockups of buildings and complexes for commercial purposes, and this is my favorite activity. But when my mother comes home and sees the process of creating a miniature world, in the middle of a bunch of socks, papers, glues and various other materials, she is perplexed. That’s me, someone who creates order out of chaos. © Overheard / IdeerMy hobby is 3D modeling and animation. I started anyway and somehow ended up paying my entire college tuition thanks to it. Now, I’m thinking about a possible career in the area, although all I wanted before was to become a programmer. © zachtheperson / Reddit

Since I was a child, I have been passionate about writing. Sometimes I composed my own stories, but it was just a hobby. Once, I had a very unusual and most surprising dream: when I woke up, I remembered everything, down to the smallest detail. I decided this was a sign and sat down to write a short story. A friend convinced me to take it to a publisher and, miraculously, it was accepted and published in a magazine. It didn’t take long before they ordered another story, and that’s how it all started. Result: today, I am a writer! © Overheard / IdeerOnce, for fun, I launched a website to showcase some of my simple cartoons. People liked it and I quickly started getting orders. I’ve worked with people all over the world and I’m still amazed that anyone can become a client of mine. © angryshark / Reddit

What is your hobby? Have you thought about turning it into a professional activity? Tell us in the comments section!