Phyllis Mcginley has rightly said “A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away”. A hobby is nothing, but any activity that a person enjoys doing in his/her spare time. It not only boosts up our energy, but also relaxes our mind at the same time. It is the pursuit of happiness that adds colours to our life. We never get tired when we do something that makes us happy and hobby is one such thing. Living without a hobby is like eating food without salt and what would be more delightful when the activity of your interest becomes a source of earning too. George Bernard Shaw has also quoted that “Happy is a man who is living by his hobby”.
So, let us look into the list of 13 useful and fun hobbies that will not only spark your imagination, strengthen and your self-confidence, but it also provide you with decent income.
Art and craft
If you are creative enough that you can turn any waste product into a useful commodity or into a beautiful masterpiece of art then this fun and therapeutic hobby is for you. You can make beautiful candles, flower vase, jewelry, paintings, or showpiece from Quilling, origami, old newspapers and likewise and you can start selling first to your family and friends. You can also sell it on a small scale to local shops or online through Etsy. Once you have set yourself in this business you can build your own website and sell your handmade unique products through it. You can also make a video tutorial of DIY (Do It Yourself) crafts on YouTube and start earning a passive and reliable income once it is supported by Google Adsense or others.
Writing/ Blogging/ Proof Reading /Editing
If you are good at expressing yourself through words then be assured this is one of the best kinds of hobby that will not only give you fame, but also a sizable amount of money. There are a number of websites that pays well to good writers. One such site is the current one where you are reading this article Isrg KB — you can Join Isrg KB as a content writer for free of cost. You can start as a freelancer and once you are experienced enough, you can turn it into a fully fledged full time job. You can also start your own blog where you can write about any topic. You don’t require a specific degree or diploma in writing. The only thing that is required is your ability to pen down your views in a clear, simple, and aesthetically way that is not only easily understood by the readers but also interesting enough that they remain engaged with the write up. There are a lot many websites and blogging sites which also require proofreading or editing their work so if you feel you are good enough you can try your hand in proofreading and editing too.
Gardening
If you are the person who loves to spend most of the time staying close to nature then why not try your skill in gardening? You can grow your own lovely seasonal and perennial flowers or fresh completely organic vegetables and fruits. For selling in the market your produce should be of high quality and on a larger scale. You can also contact online stores and biggest five star hotels for selling your produce. Likewise you can also contact nurseries existing in your locality or set your own small nursery. Even if you are unable to sell them, relax, at least you would be able to save some amount of money by not buying fruits and vegetables from the supermarkets.
Sports – as a player, referee or coach
Most of us love to play one or the other game during our free time. Why not think about it seriously and make it a career? It can be any game – cricket, basketball, football, volleyball, hockey, badminton, tennis or Kabbadi. If you are hard working and lucky enough, you would not only get famous, but also earn an amount of money that would be high enough to sustain your coming generations too. And don’t get depressed if you aren’t chosen in the national or international team. You would be qualified enough to become a coach and can teach young children in a training academy. Not many prefer to do the refereeing so you can also opt of becoming one and earn a decent amount of money.
Music – as a musician, singer or music teacher
Music is one such hobby that not only gives you inner peace, but can also make you earn. Parents usually look for a music teacher who can teach their children about the basics of singing or playing any instruments like guitar, piano, tabla, drums or sitar. So become a music tutor today and get some bucks in your hands. You can also upload your piece of the song or music on YouTube. You can share your singing videos on Music.ly (now Tik-Tok) with friends and followers. If you are lucky you would start earning money from advertisements run by Google Adsense in your videos. And if you are luckier then might be some distributor or a TV channel personnel or a song recorder happen to go through your work on the internet and contact you for a better deal.
Cooking
Do you love to cook? Do people love to relish a delicious meal made by you? Do you spend long hours in your kitchen to invent a new recipe? Just polish your culinary style and get started and it’s not necessary to have a certification or diploma in this field. You can simply upload a video tutorial of your recipe in YouTube, or start a cooking blog, or cooking classes in your locality. You can also start a stall or food on wheels where you can provide your tasty meals to the customers and earn some good cash. For better performance you can link your stall with online delivery apps like Zomato or Swiggy so that your dish can reach out to a large number of people through home delivery service.
Dancing
Dancing as a hobby is one of the best thing that keeps you energetic and fit all the time. If making money by dancing is added to it then what a magical delight it would be? If you have a basic training in any dance form, then you can earn a decent amount of income by becoming a dance teacher in any school, college or a dance academy or you may open your own academy. You can also become a choreographer in events like wedding Sangeet or local area dance competition or in festivals like Durga Pooja where ladies perform Garbha or Dandiya. As in music, here also you can create your own channel on YouTube or Daily motion and upload dance tutorials and earn a consistent income through Google Adsense. You can also join various dance groups and can perform as main or background dancer too.
Professional gaming
You love playing video games, then why not as a professional gamer in online streaming sites like to twitch? Just like YouTube you can make money by sharing ad revenues. In addition to this you can also share your video game accounts on sites like eBay, player auctions or player up and earn money
Gym Instructor
If you are a person who loves sweating in the gym on a regular basis, then apart from getting a good physique you can add a few bucks in your account too. Once you get ripped you can join any gym and become a fitness instructor.
Photography
If you love clicking pictures and the clicks are as well as a professional photographer then it’s time to enter into the world of professional photography. Upload your catalogue in sites like Shutterstock and start earning right from the subscription only. You can also try photography, blogging in which you share your clicks and sell the prints through your own blog. The ad revenues that you would get will add to the income. The photos can be random or belong to a particular niche, like travel, food, beauty and fashion etc. You can also start the business by event photography like pre- wedding or baby shower or baby photo shoot or likewise. In the beginning you can give high discounts to your clients and as the business starts flourishing you can increase your rates. You can connect with wedding planners or event managers in your city too.
Baby sitting
Love being with toddlers and kids most of the time? Then why not think about being a babysitter or open a play group or day care in your area? This can be done in your own home too. No need to rent or buy a house or apartment for this. Yes, the job is tough and requires extreme patience, love and care, but nothing would be more satisfying to see a happy child grow under your care by your own hands. And wait.. You will be rewarded as the job will fill your pockets too.
Comedy
If you know how to tickle a person’s funny bone why not try your luck at stand-up comedy? You can also post funny videos on social media sites. In the beginning a drink, few claps or an appetizer would be the awards that you would get but if it works out and you manage to create an audience you would be flooded with loads of work and a handsome amount of money too.
Fishing
Love spending long hours near the banks of the river, a nearby lake or pond waiting for a good catch? Try connecting with local fish markets and beach side restaurants or stalls to sell your catch. You would get a handful of money for being so much patient in spending your time in fishing.
Last note: Hobby definitely makes a person happy and if it gives you an opportunity to earn a good amount of money if would make you happier. But let’s get into the reality, earning money is not that easy. You would require a great deal of patience, hard work, strong will power, good means of communication and a positive outlook. Even if you fail once just don’t stop… move on and try another one until you succeed. Remember the famous quote given by Thomas A. Edison– “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up!”
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