Why Artists Need Hobbies That Aren’t Their Job

If you’re an artist, your life is your art. Your work is your passion. Your identity is your practice. And your “days off”? Let’s be real—they usually involve catching up on admin, prepping for another grant, or saying yes to a “quick little collab.”

But here’s the truth we don’t say often enough in the arts:

Your creative career should not be the only place your joy comes from.

In fact, having hobbies that have nothing to do with your art is one of the best things you can do for your mental health, creative longevity, and sense of self.

Here’s why.

When Your Art Becomes Your Job, It Changes

Most artists start creating because it feels good. It’s instinctive. It’s healing. It’s fun. But once your art becomes your livelihood, it also becomes about deadlines, funding bodies, public reception, self-promotion, and economics.

Your work is no longer just an outlet—it’s a product. A deliverable. A performance. And while that doesn’t make it less meaningful, it does make it harder to access pure joy through the thing you used to do “just because.”

Having a hobby that’s not tied to an outcome brings joy back into your life on your terms. It gives you space to be playful, imperfect, and unproductive. Which, ironically, can help you make better art.

Burnout Happens When Everything Feels Like Work

Burnout in the creative industries is often invisible at first. You love what you do—so how can you be burnt out, right?

But when every aspect of your creativity is tied to performance, income, or expectation, your nervous system doesn’t get a break. That’s when joy turns to dread. Flow turns to fatigue. Passion turns to pressure.

A 2024 report by Swinburne University and Support Act found that distress levels among creative workers remain significantly higher than the general population, with many citing limited job opportunities, difficulty in finding decent employment conditions, and securing adequate income as key challenges.

That’s where hobbies come in.

They offer rest, curiosity, and freedom from outcomes.

They remind you what it feels like to do something just because it makes you feel good.

What Counts as a Hobby? (Anything That’s Not the Hustle)

Hobbies don’t have to be cute or productive. They don’t need to feed your practice. In fact, they probably shouldn’t. They’re not about monetising your skills or building your brand. They’re about building you—the human behind the artist.

Some examples we love:

• Knitting while watching trash TV (hello, dopamine)

• Gardening, even if you kill most of your plants

• Baking chaotic cakes with no intention of photographing them

• Playing a video game where you don’t have to be “good”

• Going to a local trivia night as someone not in charge

• Learning to skateboard, dance, code, or do crosswords with no stakes

• Collecting rocks. Yes, seriously.

The key is not making it useful. Let your hobby be messy, mediocre, and unmonetised.

You Are More Than Your Output

One of the most healing things a creative person can do is remember that their worth is not tied to productivity.

In industries where your identity, income, and self-esteem are all wrapped up in your art, it can be hard to separate yourself from the work. That’s why hobbies are so powerful—they give you space to exist outside the gaze of funders, followers, and algorithms.

You get to be silly. Soft. Bored. Curious. Alive.

And when your art does come calling again, you’ll have more energy and perspective to give it—because you haven’t been pouring from an empty cup.

So No, You’re Not Wasting Time

Rest is not wasting time. Hobbies are not frivolous. Making time for things that bring you joy outside your career is a radical act of self-preservation in an industry that often asks for everything.

Your practice will thank you. Your body will thank you. Your future self will thank you.

And if anyone asks why you’re taking a pottery class, learning bird calls, or making cursed pasta necklaces at midnight? Just tell them:

“It’s for my mental health. And it’s none of your business.”

Need help figuring out how to rest, set boundaries, or build a sustainable creative life?

Hey Mate offers wellbeing support, burnout recovery, and peer guidance tailored to creatives. Explore our workshops, chat with our team, or start by reading more from the blog.

You’re more than your art. Let’s keep it that