The last year or so, I struggled with the concept of monetizing my writing and photography hobbies in a more direct way. It had been my original plan to share on social media and then use social media as a pull for sales of books, posters, prints, and more. As social media felt more and more distant from myself and packaging my full self into a sellable format felt more and more minimizing, I backed away from it. I then considered creating products again but only selling through in-person marketing and fairs. But the energy behind that faded as well.
I believe my struggle comes in the differentiation between play and performance. The difference between work and wander. Am I being myself or packaging myself for sale? Whenever I tried to think in terms of products and sales, I felt of less and less value. This is why I ended up asking myself why I craft. Why do I create? I had to ask because I wanted that answer to guide me in creating.
I do not think side hustles or monetizing passions are bad things to have and do, but I just could not quite find a way that aligned for me in this season. The more I packaged it, the more I felt like I was pulling away from my truth. The more I worked the less I wandered. The more I performed the less I felt the play.
I will probably revisit the idea of products at least a few more times. For now, however, I wish to keep the core of this thing intact. I craft to anchor, and if I feel I can create anchors that resonate widely with others, I will see what the best way may be to share them. For now, I am protecting my peace and truth. There is a time and a place for performance, but perhaps I do too much of that already. Play is what my spirit needs.
Taylor Ruby's 