Hobby woodworkers need to hear this.

[@GregDermer-fb8ot]

I was an engineer for most of my professional life and a metalworker on the side. When I retired, people asked me if I was going to start machining for pay. My response (I think I invented this; maybe not) was always "There is no better way to ruin a perfectly good hobby than to make a business out of it."

[@mallninja9805]

Whoever first said "do what you love & you'll never work a day in your life!" was clearly looking to underpay a friend for wedding photos or something.

[@martink8080]

Retired civil engineer recycled into IT here. Always enjoyed photography since back when film was a thing and now doing digital. Can't remember how often friends and other people would comment "hey, that's good, why not go pro and get paid to do it?" Short answer was always, "because I enjoy photographing things that please me, when it pleases me." The minute someone pays me, I'm doing their wishes and wants - no thanks. Good advice Rex, don't lose that hobby or you'll just need to find a new one.

[@Broken_robot1986]

Constantly hear this when I show my interest in photography as well, to the point I don't even want to tell people 😂. Like I just like wasting my time this way.

[@stenmin1234]

Exactly. Friends, family, co workers love the wood working projects I make and ask if I can make them things. No. I'll make things I want to make, and sell what I want to. The moment I do more than that, it's no longer a hobby. It's work.

[@markluxton3402]

I have news Mr. Content Creator/Business Owner......you are still a TEACHER ;-)

[@petem6503]

A hobby, you own. A business owns you.

[@tarbucktransom]

This is much of what is meant by "alienation from your labor".

[@Kirillissimus]

There are ways to own a business without letting it to own you. But all the ways require you to mostly stop being involved in its operation and to basically become an investor. But that is only how big corporations are run, not small businesses. And for most people who started their business from scratch giving it away like that is just not acceptable even when they get old and would really like to retire. That is why 99% of successfull small businessmen end up stuck with their last operation until the end.

[@buzzpatch2294]

great way to say it and true

[@bear4263]

I'm 58 years old on 20 acres. I'm in Personal Security at a Veterans Hospital. I have built a small 14'x20' wood shop this year. I have built bookshelves, doors, kitchen cabinets, benches and tables. Recently, on a one-week vacation, I spent 4 hours just sitting in the wood shop doorway, drinking a drink, Watching the chickens do their thing just thinking about what to make next. That is my hobby

[@Wyman642]

Funny. I do the same thing in urban San Francisco. I build in my garage and then sit with the door open watching the many people walk around like chickens!

[@leemaynard-uh5yh]

Sounds great 👍

[@morefiction3264]

Having gone from programming as a hobby to professional I echo this sentiment.

[@Erik_The_Viking]

Me too - I took that path as well.

[@JacobLehman-ov4eu]

Exactly. And I idolize wood workers the same way I did coding. Ha!

[@MCsCreations]

My story is a bit different, because I was a hobbyist, was hired to work on an specific project that never happened... So I ended up working in the "sister company" doing digital forensic analysis for judicial cases... Man, that was a horrible job... I hated doing it and the stress was over the top... (It's a loooong story, but I ended even having heart pain because of it...) As someone who already had depression, it was horrible. I spent months having chest pain every time I tried to develop something... And I ended up abandoning it. (But I still miss it. As a hobby, of course.)

[@haqvor]

I got a few burnouts out of that particular career move. The last one really serious and far more than anyone should have to endure for a fucking job. The gift that keeps on giving...

[@haqvor]

@@MCsCreations As someone that is going towards security, I hear you. The things that you will have to look at while doing forensics I imagine is stuff for more nightmares than I care for.

[@andrewgalbreath2101]

I call myself a "proud amatuer" and I relish the fact that I can procrastinate on my projects as much as I want. I love the freedom to jump between whichever project grabs my attention at the moment, and I'm very thankful that I don't have to worry about selling anything, so I can build whatever I want to whatever standards I set

[@Jakep339]

I love being a trim. Carpenter most days

[@jackwaycombe]

I think that's why gifted amateurs are often so good - at almost every pursuit they choose. They don't need work when they don't want to, or against a clock. The possible exception being when a grandchild is due in 2 weeks and you're determined to have a cradle ready. And by gifted, I don't mean lucky. I mean learning and practising for years, even decades.

[@goosewithagibus]

I do this with all of my hobbies. I won't program for 8 months, then I'll take it up and learn a bunch for a few months, then set it down lol Same with everything else.

[@Raven.flight]

I used to play miniature historical war games. I always got compliments on my miniatures, and decided to try to go into a sideline painting people’s armies. It was horrible. I just didn’t want to paint. Half of the joy I got was researching something that I was interested in. After painting a couple of armies I came across an “ah huh!” Moment. I researched and painted the army that _I_ wanted to play. I played with that army a couple of times, then went to the next convention and played in the competition with the army up for sale. Usually they sold. I got the joy back, always had a new army to use, enjoyed every aspect of painting, and sold it all within a year.

[@vlarhellar]

Best way to still enjoy your passion: make or do something in your own time, that you want, or enjoy, then sell it. Doesn't have to make a profit, just cover some of the costs: it is a hobby, not a profession.

[@Raven.flight]

@@vlarhellar Yeah, in essence that's what I realised. I ended up 'making what I wanted to make, and enjoyed making' then sold it and did it all again.

[@tarbucktransom]

There's a Zoe Bee video this makes me think of called something like "grading is a scam and motivation is a myth" that describes this (and Rex's video) pretty well. Apparently the science is that extrinsic rewards like being paid for something make you want to do it less in provably reliable ways. This makes intuitive sense with her example: If I give you a sandwich you're like "hey, free sandwich!" but if I give you 5$ to eat a sandwich you get suspicious.

[@barongerhardt]

@@tarbucktransom And if you pay the person next to them, more to eat a sandwich, they get angry.

[@stringsalive20]

My choir teacher in high school once told me: if you make your hobby your career, you’ll need to find a new hobby. I continued on, got my doctorate in classical guitar, have taught music for the last 15 years. Mr. Perkis’ comment has always stuck with me. Woodwork and lutherie became my hobbies

[@eloscuro704]

As a teenager 40 years ago, I had 3 hobbies: woodworking, computer programming, and skateboarding. I was talking about becoming a pro skater and my dad asked: "Well, can you live off the money?" I never took that career path, but some other kid named Tony Hawk did and made out pretty well. I did take up a career in computer programming. Instead of making games I wanted to play myself on a Commodore 64, I was quickly writing COBOL programs for mainframes, doing work for the Army and NATO, and eventually managing a 500TB database with over 100,000 users. For some strange reason, I no longer write code as a hobby. Then there is the woodworking. Our high school had industrial grade equipment like Powermatic tablesaws and Oliver planers. We made things like kitchen cabinets. My dad probably still has the cedar dresser I originally made for myself. But after high school, I no longer had access to those high end machines, so I would have to make do with whatever the local Woodcraft had available. 20 years ago, I got married and purchased a house. I made most of my furniture at Woodcraft back then, both because it was fun, and because it was a lot cheaper. I no longer make things at Wood craft, but have a few consumer grade power tools and hand tools. These days, I make whatever I need. There are lots of times I need something in a certain sizes that I can't just buy, or I need to modify something I did. Woodworking is now both a hobby and a practical solution for things I need.

[@vanforsman]

Takeaways? A hobby without passion is just a job! Never let a job make the a dream of its skill a memory! The best hobby is evergreen in it’s applications and the connections it brings you!

[@rickgibson7876]

Totally agree, I used to enjoy ham radio and electronics as a hobby, worked as an industrial electrican in a nuclear power plant. Because of my hobby I got the opportunity to move into the electronics shop I jumped at it. Didn't take long and I lost interest in the hobby. A month after I turned 55 I got a chance to retire with earned pension and keep medical and dental benefits. I took up woodworking and have been enjoying it for 22 years now, friends tell me I should sell my stuff, I say no that would turn it into a business and take the fun out of it. I make what I want in my own time and if someone comments how they like something I will likely give it to them. I occasionally get asked to make something, my main rules are they supply the materials and not be in a hurry. Unless it is something that intrigues me because it's something new it could take me 6 months to get in the mood to do it. Keep your hobby your hobby and your job your job.

[@mattymattffs]

It's funny because I was going to say all of this applies to programming too. A hobby for me that led to a degree and a job. I love it, but I don't do hobby projects any longer

[@Fusion_Woodworking]

When I started my channel, I was aiming for 1 video per week. After work everyday, I sat in front of my computer, editing and color grading footages, narrating the content, typing subtitles, translate them into another language, fixing time codes. It was like another full time job after my full time job. I stopped doing that in about 3 months because one I was getting burned out, and two holiday season started and I wanted to spend more time with my wife. Woodworking, photography, running 2 youtube channels should be my hobby, not a job. Now when I get the chance, I repair and restore my tools, go to woodworking and photography events, record travel logs, smoke brisket, rib, salmon, lamb leg, or just wash my car. These stay as hobbies, and I am a lot happier.

[@MrBuyerman]

Something my granddad once said. 'It doesn't matter if you love or hate your thing. If you HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND DO IT DAY AFTER DAY, it's a job'. Having a passion just helps with the motivation.

[@fngrusty42]

I knew I was going to be a carpenter when I was 12, I'm 70 now. I believe I can build about anything. Love wood from the rough end till the finished end of it. Built 4 mansions in Palm Beach. Can and did all the different parts from cabinets to stair cases. All types of molding. It was a great life. Hard at times. Easy to get hurt. Back problems. But I made a very good life of it. Now I carve for pleasure and build chairs once in a while.

[@sonke5485]

I am a "professional" woodworker and do woodwork with hand tools as a hobby. To me, the two things have nothing to do with each other. Professional woodwork is just a job. And many people in my job are not good woodworkers. In fact, I rarely have real wood in my hands when I'm at work. I like to think that I learned most of the actual craft in my garage. But because it's so different, I can do woodwork as a hobby and enjoy it. I even started doing it as a hobby after I had been working in the industry for a while. Your videos played a big role in that. So thank you and I hope things continue to go well for you.

[@thegardenofeatin5965]

"I rarely have real wood in my hands when I'm at work" Particle board? Plywood? Southern Yellow Pine?

[@sonke5485]

@@thegardenofeatin5965 mostly particle board I install custom-made built-in cupboards

[@barongerhardt]

@@thegardenofeatin5965 That last one some kind of micro plastic?

[@sonke5485]

mostly particle board

[@leifhietala8074]

I'm a pro handyman. I can - and do - handle pretty much every level of work that keeps residential facilities operational. And when I get home after a day of doing all of that, the shower control that leaks when the water is on, the cabinets that need a new lick of paint, the light fixture with only two of the three bulbs working, they all wait. Because I do that all day. I'm not at work now.

[@mdburnem]

I couldn't agree more with this. People have asked if I want to make this a profession. They look at me funny when I say, not a chance. They ask why. I tell them, I don't have a deadline and I have the freedom of artistic expression and the big one, no pressure regarding paying the bills Good for you with this video.

[@TCoffman]

Rex, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this video. I'm a 58-year-old, full-time pastor of a small, rural church. To say my job is stressful is a large understatement. Years ago I took up photography as a hobby and ended up being a decent picture-taker. Enough so that I was convinced to supplement my income as a pastor with my photography. I did make some extra money, but it stole all the joy out of my time with my camera. Three years ago I started woodworking as a hobby to relieve stress and have fun. I LOVE it. I've been asked several times by family and friends if they could pay me to make something for them. And EVERY time, I've said, "no." I do make things for others, but I won't take money and I won't take on a project I don't think will be fun, because I don't want this wonderful hobby to get turned into 'work' and become stressful, like my photography did, which I rarely do anymore. Anyway, I love your channel and your teaching. Thank you very much for the content you put out. I rarely miss one. Tony

[@tomalealso]

I have been a pastor for almost 40 years, like you I serve in a rural community, people are amazed when I tell them I do wood working as hobby, as if my career should be enough but like you said it is super stressful and I need something completely different to break the stress.

[@jamesmoconnell]

Rex -- I didn't know about your experience at UC Merced. But it explains so much about your work as a 'content creator'. You've never stopped being a teacher. Thank you for that.

[@diablado]

It makes total sense that you started as a teacher. As a current prof, I keep noting how geat of an educator you still are! A real positive example.

[@sullyprudhomme]

I was 'trained' to do woodwork when I was 16 by a master worker that restored old Victorian homes in San Francisco. I worked for him for several summers and learned a ton. I pursued a career in biomedical research but still it is a hobby I love. When I work on projects in my garage and people walk by, I get all sorts of offers to do jobs. I have accepted just a few, but the best part is the massive amount of money I have saved by doing this and the pleasure of roaming through our old (Victorian) home and seeing all the details I have added in, from restoring old doors, custom shelves, floor repairs...I do like your videos and follow you regularly.

[@theeddorian]

The nearest I ever came to professional woodworking, I was asked to make a table that a woman with unusually short legs could sit at comfortably. Her husband knew I did a lot of finish carpentry and cabinet repairs around my house and had the tools to do it. She had a cut down chair so that her feet could touch the floor. I scaled the table to match her sitting height, and now it's her sewing table. When they, her husband and she, asked what the table cost, I said, "a case of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale."

[@Andyjpro]

Beer is the real currency of the passionate amateur

[@eriks2962]

You should have asked for a tailored shirt. I'm sure she'd have been happy to make it!

[@TheBottegaChannel]

A case of beer as payment? I appreciate that.

[@TomJavery]

This message is so important. People are always, with the best intentions, telling makers and creatives that they should sell their work, but they fail to realize that then it will become another job and suck all the joy out of it. My woodworking goes from cutting and milling the lumber from fallen trees to a finished piece, but it can take a year to get something done. As a job that would be a huge failure, but as a hobby it is a tremendous success and something I can take pride in.

[@mikoajp.5890]

Oh you're a former teacher, English teacher too? That would partly explain why your channel is so enjoyable!

[@skippylippy547]

Thank you Rex. This really needed to be said. People need to pay attention and reflect on this message.

[@mikedarr6968]

I totally agree with you Rex.Woodworking is my current passion but before I was seriously into Photography, and when I did become a professional photographer it was no longer fun. I will not allow my current woodworking passion to become my job. Great Video.

[@rickrudd]

I have been doing amateur woodworking for years and materials-wise, I still haven't graduated beyond running framing lumber through the planer and saying, "good enough."

[@lesfinney]

I started doing things with paracord as a bored private in the barracks. Years later, it became a huge hobby and I make all kinds of crazy stuff. As soon as I made it a business, I immediately stopped loving it. I went back to being a hobbyist that makes things for my friends, family, and sometimes the challenge of just trying to do it. The love of the hobby came back, and I've done my best work since.

[@Klarinet2011]

I once had an older lawyer advise me as a young law student: “You have to love the law to do this. Because if you don’t, you’ll hate it. You’ll quit.” Now, making money at law is difficult, it’s stressful, and it’s hard. But, that doesn’t mean you don’t love your profession. Hobbies are what we do to give us rest. You might still love woodworking as a pro, but loving it just means you won’t quit because of the difficult bits. Loving it won’t stop it from being work.

[@ex-nerd]

I learned this lesson a long time ago from a friend who was a professional blacksmith for over 40 years. His best income (which by his account was still pretty close to poverty-level wages) was making S-hooks to sell to fancy kitchen catalogs … the simplest most boring/repetitive task possible and it paid orders of magnitude more than fun projects like decorative wrought iron or even teaching classes about smithing. When he retired, he was so burned out that he basically stopped doing all metalwork for a few years. I'm glad to see him finally enjoying his retirement *and* his "new" blacksmithing hobby again.

[@johnjenkins4139]

Another aspect of this conversation , as a hobby woodworker , you are learning . People don't realize how much fun learning is . As a professional , the learning phase is mostly over . I whole-heartedly agree with your advice .

[@jamescampos8128]

I studied to be a professional landscape architect and it turns out that job suuuuuuuuuuuucks to do professionally. The corporate environment designing the same dead office frontage lawns and parking lots is soul-crushing, much more fun to do garden design as a hobby for friends and family. When I picked up woodworking as a hobby I did it knowing that the best tool I had doing this as a hobby was Time. If I'm making things for fun in my spare time with no expectation of being able to sell what I make for a profit if at all, I can take all the time I want making them so they're as good as I can do because There Is No Deadline.

[@davidhull2060]

The diffeŕence is that a hobbyist can take the time to perfect their work and use whatever materials they choose. Working professionally particularly if you are your own boss, you have time constraints...if you want to make money.

[@XS69]

Not to mention the customer decides what you make, not you. Not feeling doing just normal kitchen cabinets but it happens that all your current customers are looking for this? Guess you're not going to have any income this month but the bills are still coming in. Not an option, so you're making kitchen cabinets instead of conversation starters no matter what you want to do.

[@michab4083]

Not only can you take your time to perfect your work (if you want) but you can also say "oh f*ck, I'll leave it as it is" - it's your decision (except if you're working on a project for your wife, that is 🙄)

[@soofihasan]

Cannot agree more with you, probably the best advice one can have. Thank you. I started my journey 4 years ago, listening and learning from to you, James Wright and Paul sellers, and i am glad i did. Thanks for everything, may you go from strength to strength. Regards and Greetings from Pakistan

[@BenjaminMellor]

🇵🇰

[@soofihasan]

@@BenjaminMellor thank you Sir. God bless wherever we live, Amen

[@BenjaminMellor]

@@soofihasan I'm American, but I respect all nationalities. I am just really good with flags, and I wish you well.

[@graydanerasmussen4071]

The root of "Amateur" is "amore", love. You do stuff because you love to do it. "Professional" explains itself: You do this as a profession, to make a living.

[@eoinmacantsaoir811]

The root of professional is profess, as in professor. I know plenty of amateurs who could talk for hours about their chosen field.

[@skippylippy547]

Exactly! Thanks for making that point, graydanerasmussen.

[@SebR-FR]

In french "work" is "travail" and it comes from the latin "trepalium" which is a torture instrument...

[@robertbamford8266]

I’ve always distinguished the professional as someone you could trust to do the job right. After you check references. I’ve encountered a fair number of people who get paid, but who have to be closely supervised.

[@ShortGrump07]

This is such an awesome way to look at the whole amateur/professional aspect. I absolutely love this lol

[@atchalak]

5 years ago, prior covid i was a tech engineer. I always loved working on a computer and the first years i loved working the job, but in the end, it became boring started driving me crazy, and in the end i had a full on breakdown with depression burn out and shit. the whole game... I had thought for a while about being a craftsman. I started woodworking as a young boy with my father and i had recently took on stone masonery. I was passionate about both but I had to make a choice and the thing is, I already knew something was going to be lost as I would become pro at one of these two. So i thought for myself that for nothing on earth i'd want losing woodworking, and as stone masonery doesn't really exists as an amateur hobby, I professionnalized in it. For the moment I still enjoy every bit of my days as a stone mason, and I hope it will remain so for a long time. And although I don't have as much time and energy as I had as a computer scientist (working on site is exhausting), on the few occasions I get to practice woodworking I enjoy it more and more. More over, I'm using my stone mason techniques to woodwork and it made me improve tremedously. Keep hobbies hobbies

[@leesass3602]

The real trick to life isn't getting all the things you want, it is finding a way to truly love almost everything you encounter using focusing your attention on it and finding positive aspects as well as challenges and THIS makes life one big adventure, it can be quite difficult at times but the great satisfaction achieved is absolutely worth it.

[@notreallymyname3736]

I consider myself a hobby wood worker; but I've spent some of my career in building material sales/estimation and grew up with a dad who loved woodworking. My childhood was spent in dad and grandpa's shop building stuff; and getting called in to help with everything from framing to trim carpentry. I've worked with contractors who are excellent craftsmen and some who can barely be considered lumber butchers. As was said here; professional just means that someone's getting paid.

[@haqvor]

From personal experience, when you get caught up in a bad career move hand tool woodworking is not a bad way to get some relieve from the stress. Just being in the shop and enjoying doing something with your hands without any outside demands or pressure. If it all ends up being nothing but creating sawdust and wood curls that is fine to.

[@Financial_Awareness]

Having gone from real estate to financial planning to construction…I appreciate these takes as I venture into small, diy woodworking as a hobby to do at home…for fun. Great video!

[@AuronJ]

This is exactly correct. I have had friends see stuff that I have made and ask me if they can pay me to make one for them and I always say no. I have worked in Manufacturing for my whole career and I know making stuff for money is just a totally different beast from making it for fun. If I really want to make something for someone else I will give it to them as a gift.

[@LyleAshbaugh]

That’s exactly what I do

[@breakingdog]

I worked in a wood shop for a while and completely agree that it drains your love of woodworking. It feels like selling your soul to make a buck. You create all these things for the client, and it has to be strictly to their vision that you have to guess. So many redos, and so much sanding....a lot of sanding. In fact it felt like i sanded three times as much as i did anything else.

[@JustinSeidler]

This is, without question, one of the best videos on any topic that I’ve seen in a long long time. Thanks for choosing to spotlight honesty and transparency.

[@Davebcbliss]

Thanks for that, Rex. You spoke to me, you really did. You have fed my enthusiasm over the last few years in a way that some of the folk you recommend, never have. Your honesty and personality are infectious. And your delivery over a twenty minute video was awe-inspiring… and I speak as a hobby woodworker who recently delivered a Father of the Bride speech ! I hope you retain the woodworking spark as you go forward. Very best wishes

[@kennethmiller2333]

Considering becoming a professional woodworker because my current job comes with an expiration date. I don't know when it will be, but there will come a time when the Navy says "thank you, but your services are no longer required." That being said, there are TWO questions to ask. The first is, as you said, do you enjoy WOODWORKING more as a hobbyist or as a pro? The second is do you like woodworking better as a JOB than the other jobs you might be able to take? Both are important to a person's life.

[@DeliriumTrigger2113]

Professional woodworker here, I couldn’t agree more with both of your sentiments in this video. Brad’s lament about timing and stress is very real. And your rediscovery of hobbies is very similar to what happened to me. I’m 30 and have spent over 10 years pursuing woodworking. After landing a job in a custom shop, I finally could let woodworking just be a job. That was such a gift to me. I started biking again after a hiatus of years. And I’m letting myself think about other things other than woodworking. It’s actually been a very good thing for me. But becoming a professional woodworker definitely takes some of the wind out of your idealistic sails. But I love what I do and still am passionate about my work work and my personal woodworking. Thanks for making this video and for making the distinction between woodworking as a hobby and woodworking as a profession. Both are valid, but one kills the other haha. Love your videos and approach.

[@SoakintheSchadenfreude]

It all becomes a grind in the end. I will say though that falling in love with the process and staying curious forestalls this.

[@stainlesssteellemming3885]

And that's key in any field. I've been a "programmer" for approaching 50 years and still get excited for new projects and skills. But I love the process, not just producing the product. I even love writing quality documentation.

[@danheidel]

Years ago in Seattle, there was a kite store near my house. I wasn't into kites but went there occasionally to get carbon fiber rods since it was easier to test exact fit in person than online. One day, the store was gone when I went there. Years later, I ran into a guy flying kites at a local park and the topic of that old kite store came up. I'll never forget what the guy told me. The woman that had owned the kite shop used to be a huge kite hobbyist and decided to make it her job. After several years, it completely killed any joy she had in the hobby and she ended up hating running that store. She eventually shut the store down because she didn't have the heart to do it anymore and had to try and figure out how to restart a career with a decade of 'running a kite store' on her resume. Ever since then, every time I've thought about turning an interest or hobby into a job, I've always reminded my self about that story before I let myself get too excited.

[@jeffjones8147]

This is the exact conversation I have with photographers all the time. I’ve been a commercial photographer for nearly 40 years. I love the craft but the most important skill I have is listening to the client and bringing their vision to life. The second most important skill is to not take change request personally. Finally is to make it good enough for what it is being used for. Knowing when it’s “good enough “ is critical to success.

[@JedReynoldsBitratchet]

Here here!

[@hartzogLovesScience]

I too am an educator, high school though. I like woodworking. I was asked if it comforted me, and I said “YES!” I’m still learning, but made many shelves, pushing and improving my method with each shelf. But beyond that, I learned one thing. The grass is NEVER greener, not when you are there! So, as a hobby, I work on what I what to work on, when I am inclined to work. I also love photography, and I am a serious science geek. As I approach retirement, I plan to do many hobbies, improving each as I can, enjoying each moment.

[@wwtrkr3189]

Wise words, Rex. I went the opposite ways around. Started making photography from my hobby to my profession. One day I went and modeled for a famous photographer from my area. Not so much for the modeling, but more to have the opportunity to pick his brains for an afternoon. His sage advice and observation was, that as the leading pro around Banff, he rarely got out to shoot any more. 40 hours a week, he's a salesman. Work is something we have to do when we'd rather be somewhere else. Otherwise, it's not work. I still have my camera gear, and now I have the makings of a fine woodshop with plenty of ambitions. I drive a truck on the oil patch for a living. I enjoy it, I live in the truck for a month or more at a time and I make pretty good money. Probably way more than I could building things I love. Maybe one day, somebody will offer me a ridiculous gy amount of money for something that I've built that speaks to them too, maybe one day, long after I'm dead, I'll be revered like Gaudi, as the genius unrecognised during his lifetime. But for now and the foreseeable future, it's mine.

[@orazha]

Rex, I've grown to enjoy your content more than most in this area. You seem to be best at drawing your audience into the experiences that you're going through. I've enjoyed reading a lot of the comments here about other craftspeople's experiences as well. I've been retired (for the 3rd time) for 3 years from a profession working with adults with disabilities. I've been a professional woodworker, had a career in designing and building orthoses for people with disabilities, owned several businesses that my wife and/or I ran. There have been struggles and pleasures in each thing I/we did. I wouldn't trade any of them. I'm glad you brought up my favorite woodworker, Sam Maloof. Sam talked about the times where he had lots of time to get things done, until his work became known (displayed in an art museum) and the struggles with both issues. But, if you've seen his home, he didn't just work on rocking chairs. His staircases are works of art. You can see his style in everything he does.

[@cbships5550]

It’s nice to hear rex in a way that’s not explicitly about the woodwork. Feels good to get to know rex in a way.

[@GhaleonEB]

This was a terrific video. I'm a hobbyist with no ambitions to go pro so I have nothing to add, other than to note that it reminds me that Paul Sellers refers to himself as an amateur woodworker, and always has, despite his decades long career. This video helped me to understand why. Because he's still learning, and still loves the work.

[@emerald1587]

Thank you for this honest and open consideration of what professional woodworking entails. What you say about woodworking applies exactly to me as a nature lover who has become a professional forest management expert for over 30 years now. I gained knowledge and insight (and stress and frustrations), but I lost the relaxation and fun of being in nature. I especially want to keep woodworking fun, so it's good that you pointed that out to me.

[@JacobLehman-ov4eu]

You have a wonderfully unique way to get right to the heart of your viewers! I really liked coding and it became my job. Now I've obsessed with woodworking, and for now I'll keep it a hobby. Thanks Rex Love what you do!

[@joshwhite2830]

My favourite part of hobby wood working or making things in general is figuring out how to make it. I know i will make mistakes and have to do rework, but that is part of the fun.

[@Wyman642]

Yup. Causing and fixing problems is very satisfying.

[@WastingTime00]

I often daydream about getting more involved with woodworking while at work. Thanks for the reminder - I needed to hear it.

[@jamesmeader6539]

Yep. I got interested in photography back in high school. In college I got hired as a photographer for the PR department. Photography turned into a chore with deadlines and pressure to "get the shot for the paper" and stopped being fun. For many years I'd wanted to be a ham radio operator. I got my license, built equipment, then got a job as a radio technician for a state agency. My radio hobby turned into being on-call to fix an outage at a distant site on a weekend or to get 20 cars installed, and stopped being fun. In short, if you have a hobby you love, don't try to monetize it.

[@TheOriginalAndBestTim]

My father in law is a superb photographer, as good as professional wildlife and landscape photographers i see. Everybody used to say "you should sell these" and he did sell a few as a side hustle. He soon stopped when he realised he had turned his relaxing hobby into a job. He would sometimes gift prints to people for presents or housewarming gifts, but otherwise he went back to doing it for himself alone

[@25marcb]

I have a profession, it is being an pharmacist in a hospital; that's how I make my living. To me woodworking is a way to destress and have some fun. Most projects I make are end up mostly as gifts and then some that I sell them for near material cost at a few local craft fairs around the holidays. It lets me recoup some of the cost of the materials that then get sunk into the next project that catches my interest. What's nice to me about being strictly a hobby woodworker is no deadlines outside of self-imposed ones for things like gifts for the holidays. If I don't feel like going down to my shop for a week or two because I'm sick, too stressed out with other things, or I just don't feel like then that's fine. I'm not worried about losing customers and not putting food on the table. It also lets me build things I want to build and try out new techniques instead of worrying about maximizing profits and my time. I don't want to run a business being a woodworker, doing that would take any joy I have out of it and make me resent my time in the shop instead of looking forward to it. I like friends, family, and coworkers asking about what my next project might be because they know that I might be making shaker oval boxes one time and the the next project might be turned bottle stoppers or cutting boards, or whatever else caught my fancy. Right now I'm getting into bandsaw boxes but I also want to attempt make some 3D pattern end grain cutting boards.

[@pezulepbet]

Rex, I am from Nagaland, India. This is probably the best thing I learnt from your videos. You are a very good teacher and can articulate your feelings precisely and broken down to simple words.

[@OmegaGamingNetwork]

This is good advice across the board. There are lots of things I love doing on my own time, but would absolutely hate being a "professional".

[@McMonkeyful]

Tell me about it. I used to love womanizing but five years as a male gigilo & I'd be happy never to see another vagina as long as I live :p

[@adam03957]

I think Drew Witt nailed it when he passed on the saying, “A person who works with the head should rest with their hands, and vice versa” Woodworking is a great hobby when you are using your head in everyday life, the moment you turn it to work then you’re not resting, so you need a new hobby.

[@margaretkrantz1469]

Great advice! I've been a college career counselor for my career and do woodworking as a hobby. I tell my students that they are 24-hour-a-day people who can find important fulfillment from their avocations as well as their work. They don't always understand that they don't have to be paid for everything they do to be of value, for things to have meaning. But they should also look for and build meaning into their jobs in whatever ways they can.

[@Nick-iz9zo]

I'm a 40 year old engineer and have always wanted to do woodworking as a hobby ever since I started watching Norm Abram on The New Yankee Workshop. When I bought my first house, I started to slowly accumulate power tools, thinking that was the only way you could wood work. Then, when I actually started my first real project, I discovered that I really love using hand tools. Now I'm slowly accumulating hand tools and working on my hand tool skills. I wish I had more time right now to devote to my woodworking hobby but it is and will always be just a hobby for me, and I'm good with that. Love the content, Rex!

[@gordythecreator]

I'm a born and bred Custom Sign Maker. It's entertaining for me to watch your struggles. Majority of the population doesn't know that I design & make ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. My joy comes with every customer (entrepreneur) I help thru their process.

[@tomb7890]

This is one of the most informative videos I have ever watched on KZbin. Actually one of the most informative presentations/ talks period. High school and college graduates would greatly benefit from your story. It is not strictly woodworking advice at all. Just great career advice overall.

[@Vote4tiger95]

I am going to point to this video whenever someone asks me if I would like to go full time woodworking. This really lays out why I want to keep woodworking as a hobby. Thanks Rex and Brad

[@dantecoal7584]

Only a single minute in and I already agree. I wanted to be a chef originally, but quickly realized that my love for cooking would die with the repetition, or having to make things I don't enjoy. So now I make my wife happy with delicious food, do woodworking as a hobby / side gig, and make bank as an electrician for my day job. It's a win/win/win.

[@himynameisdavenicetomeetyou]

Coming from a blue collar upbringing, but being a white collar hobbyist myself, I've always seen the following as the (not so) "secret" recipe to being both successful and satisfied as a professional craftsperson: 1/ [successful] provide the expected level of quality/service as expediently as you can 2/ [satisfied] find a clientele that expects & will adequately compensate the level of quality/service that you innately find rewarding & enjoyable When you're a hobbyist, number 2 is typically built-in (as you, your family, your friends, etc., tend to be the clientele), but as a professional, can be very difficult to regularly find. That's why I personally have no real dreams of becoming a professional (although, there are certainly occasional daydreams about it).

[@munkytaint666]

Rex, you are 100% right about everything you said. I've personally ruined a few hobbies by doing them for a living, and now that i'm older, i'm wise enough to not be so delusional that i think doing woodworking for a living would be a nirvana. With a few lucky exceptions, most people who turn their hobbies into a career find that it drains the joy from the thing they love.

[@24.k.g.f.97]

Thank you for being who you are here on the channel. Your a good friend Rex. It's important to share you experiences like this I almost lost my taste for wood working stepping into pro.

[@shanksjeffcott8598]

Amen. I use to be a hobby blacksmith then turned it into a business for 22yrs i was dead inside. I now carve spoons and treen ware yes i sell them and doing really well but how i keep the fun. I only make what i want to, I don’t do commission, if someone asks me to make them something this is the response “ sure i can do that but ill make it from what i want it will look the way I want and it will be finished when it’s finished and it will be expensive “ so far no takers and carving is fun relaxing and it makes me happy.

[@barix9495]

I think that's one of the larger frustrations of having a hobby like Woodworking. So many friends and family see your skill from the outside and see it as a way for you to make more money. "Oh you could sell this! You could make a lot of money". No tool I purchase, or skill I hone within this space is done with making money in mind. There is a huge difference between making things then occasionally selling it, and cranking out items for sale as a job. I think down the road if I were to monetize my woodworking It would be holding classes occasionally teaching people how to woodwork - but it will never be something I do because I have to.

[@davidcharny]

Im an ophthalmologist (from Argentina), and find woodworking to be a very relaxing hobby. I couldn't imagine giving it up because it's my grounding.

[@philweis5621]

Im sitting here watching this on a desk I made out of an old door that I pulled out during a replacement at my job as an installer. The door is over 80 years old, and made a great desk. Its ugly, rough, mismatched, and to me, absolutely beautiful. I would never be able to sell this type of construction, but it makes me very happy to have built this desk. Making desks pell mell for clients would quickly become a grind, and the grind is not fun or happy making.

[@youngbloodbear9662]

I’ve found it’s actually pretty easy to get to a high level in almost any area given genuine interest and a good foundation- much higher than you actually need as a professional. As an aerospace engineer i mostly could get by with excel- people do more research, math, and planning to get good at video games than i need at work… heck I do more for video games than i do at work lol

[@simplesimon755]

As a professional photographer who is getting into woodworking as a hobby I can attest that your message is true no matter the hobby. The business end of it can really spoil what was pure joy.

[@honkoop68]

Same here. The fun was gone when woodworking was a job. I quit teaching and journalism to make furniture - about 12 years ago. Hired a shop, bought machines, made chairs and tables. I hated the noise and the dust, I hated the pressure. Finding out how to make chair no 1 was nice to make, making the same chair 50 times was dull. Four years later I sold everything and found a new job in another field of work. Woodworking is a hobby again. I started to really learn how to use chisels, hand saws and planes, drawing by hand and working with different kinds of local wood. Things I would never have learned being a pro.

[@passerbycmc]

Man 100%, i have already turned 1 passion into a career and burnt out and accidentally fell into a other career that used to be a hobby. I have always wanted to get into woodworking and my last career afforded me the space to do so, so i am protecting it and keeping it as just a hobby this time.

[@BrownR87]

I used to love writing code. Desktop software, websites, server side apps, you name it. Loved it. Started doing it professionally. Hated it so much I had to find a new job and don't even do it anymore in my spare time. Have to be very careful to not let a job ruin something you love.

[@eightsprites]

Did software for 25y. Scrum just took the fun out of it. Not sure if I will return to doing software or not. Still toying around with it sometimes, but not much.

[@123dannyboy100]

I love that you made this video Rex. I’ve been struggling with my career as I finish school and I feel like I’m taking the same approach as you are, as many of us here in the comments section. Separate your hobbies from work and your job doesn’t have to be your passion but it’s important to have some interest in it.

[@LeeWeiler]

Thanks to you, Rex and Brad. Appreciate the perspective on ‘going pro’ and the honest assessment of what that means for what used to be a hobby. I’m going to continue watching and learning from you. Grateful you went ‘pro’ on KZbin.

[@elained9591]

I had a Psych professor in a Cal State University. She paid for really nice vacations by using her 35mm camera and selling the best photos to travel agencies. A few years later I was in a molding division for a large company selling mostly to the UK. We worked 6 days a week/10 hours a day. One of the set up guys had been a professional photographer. The problem he said was when you’re a professional photographer you have to take hundreds if not thousands of photos just for that one “perfect” shot. Enjoy your hobby Rex!

[@albertmiquel6207]

I do woodworking as a hobby an built a big chicken coop for a friend. Now everyone is really happy with it and they ask me to become a pro. I don't want to lose the joy I had every second While doing that project and others. Thank you for the video!❤

[@Dave-kq7gv]

woodworking aside, the message of this video applies to so many people. My first thought is younger people who only aspire to be youtubers, but also myself because I just got a place with enough space to start a plasma or water cutting metalwork business, because that'd be fun, right?

[@NickSaccente]

Rex, you don't know how badly I needed to hear all this, and how much clarity you've provided me through this advice.

[@camperwoodworks]

This is exactly what I needed to hear! I gave up a career in production management to become a welder. It was fun but now it's just a job (one that pays the bills and has health insurance). I kept thinking of going pro with woodworking...but now, I'm going to keep it as a hobby and enjoy it. Thanks for this video! Always appreciated!

[@justsomeawesomeperson6396]

I’m a carpenter in construction. That’s something i’ve been enjoying for 8 years now. And at home woodworking is also my hobby, just a bit more precise with furniture and stuff. But that’s a bit rare at the moment while i’m renovating my entire house, but that’s also a lot of woodworking. One thing i really enjoyed was redoing my 3 big timber trusses that were ruined in a 1960’s remodel. It’s fun making traditional trusses while at the same time facing a lot of challenges, like needing to support the roof, not being able to get long enough beams so needed to figure out the right joinery and a lot more. It’s probably not just the woodworking i enjoy, but also the challenges that come on my path at home and on my job that i really enjoy.

[@hollo9571]

Thank you for making this video: I think it is a really important message. The biggest problem with being professional is that you have to do what you're being paid for, not what you want to do. I'm an amateur musician, and I love making music. I have friends who are professional musicians, and they do start finding it lovely, and then it becomes "just a job". I'm not close to being a professional musician, but I do enjoy making music. I've never been close to being a professional woodworker, but I enjoy making stuff as a hobbiest. I'm lucky enough to have a job that gives me the funds (if not always the time) to pursue these hobbies. This is absolutely what I plan to continue doing, I think a lot of these hobbies would be ruined for me if I had to do them for a job.

[@zentothaarveleth6498]

Down to Earth, differentiated, informative. Being pro meaning "giving people what they want in a timely fashion" perfectly nails it. Whether it is your experience as an English teacher that influences the way you express yourself, or whether it is a natural commitment to communicating honestly, discerningly and to the point, it is what makes your video a gem.

[@johnwei5954]

Thank you for this video - very thoughtful provoking. The ideal is to have a job that you can work part time, make enough money, and also have time to do your hobby on more than just the occasional weekend.

[@markbernier8434]

The greatest satisfaction comes from being in a place where you don't need an income from woodworking (or anything else for that matter) Then you can choose your goal. Do you want to make something beautiful to sell? Do you want to make life easier for a friend or neighbour? Does an artist or designer want you to make real what they imagine? All of these can be professional and even profitable. The ability to say "no thank you" to any job and not be concerned about making rent makes all the difference.

[@kazinix]

This video is profound. I'm a software engineer and I enjoyed my job like a hobby for more than a decade. During the pandemic it becomes a drag and found woodworking as a hobby. I will keep this lesson in mind Rex!

[@armandpruijmboom3533]

Very well said. I am an engineer in the high-tech industry and have woodworking as a hobby. Woodworking helps me to relax from the daily stress and allows me to use my brain in another way when I am carefully marking, sawing or chiseling a workpiece. When friends see my work which I sometimes give away as a gift, they tell me that the world lost a professional woodworker. I always answer them that I would never be able to make a decent living out of woodworking, because I am too slow at it. And that it wouldn’t be relaxing anymore because as soon as you have to do it for a living, it would give me the same stress as my job as an engineer, which by the way is fun and provides me with fulfillment, besides a salary, because I am really good at it. Glad to hear that Rex can confirm may statement from his own experience.

[@0ddSavant]

Really appreciate the honesty & the mental ‘behind the scenes’ of your guys’ experience. KZbin especially, if a creator puts out a 20-minute video twice a week. I’s easy for viewers, especially those with no background in video, to assume that creator works just 40 minutes for the entire week. 😂 That just ain’t the case. It’s not overtly covered in this video, but for content creators specifically: the filming/editing/uploading can eat a lot of hours [and $$] out of an already tight schedule. That’s assuming a dedicated A/V staff & everything working. Someone attempting it as a solo operation with technical issues? There’s not enough hours in the day, and those paydays will be so far apart it would drive you crazy if you could afford the gas. I appreciate you going through all of that just for us. Keep being awesome! Cheers!

[@jakeborish3597]

I don’t do any woodworking, but I watch this channel because it’s interesting. This is great advice that goes way beyond woodworking.

[@freezemanrjbr]

Precious video. I worked as an International Trade Analyst for almost 20 years, and then I had a heart attack. I had to go working with anything less stressful than International Trade, so, I decided to make my hobbies (welding and woodworking) my job. Now I make furniture using steel and wood. (Hardwood... I hate to use MDF or MDP) I did it knowing that all the joy, the pleasure, the fun I have welding would disappear on the first day. I was right. It is impossible to keep having fun on something you need to do to pay your bills. When you start WORKING with something you love, you stop loving it. Sorry my terrible English, it is not my country language. I'm Brazilian and I speak Portuguese.

[@user-cy4bo2ys5p]

It is great to hear this information being discussed. I happen to be a self-employed drafter/designer. And, like you said what you do professionally stops being fun, it is work. I do woodwork for fun. Thank you.

[@parkercombes]

Thanks so much for a heavy dose of realism to keep us (at least some of us) focused on the needed "fun" that woodworking brings. Great work as always.

[@mrki412]

This is what every woodworker will tell you, if they know how to talk, but you see it on their face, you come to shop as an enthusiast with 1000 of questions and they are working on deadline. I subed because of this video, I'm no woodworker, I'm hobby DIY home carpenter and photography is also my hobby.

[@aaronmitchell614]

This. Is. Good. Such a well spoken perspective that’s real but doesn’t kill the dreams of those who still want to chase an artistic career.

[@johnthompson3462]

Great video.Wise words from two honest people.I am 73 and have been a "woodworker" for a good 50+ of them. I love going on you tube and seeing what all you guys make and then making it with my spin on it. If I make something,I will make 10 - 15 of them and give them to people as once I have done it I am over it. I never charge anyone for anything they ask me to make (except for exotic woods) as I want to always be in charge of what I do.I invariably get more reward for the work than I would charge. Plus, I have always said being charitable is both selfless and selfish. I get most pleasure out of helping people than making money.And as to what you guys said. When people say (when I have made something for them) you should make them and sell them. NO, because then it becomes a job