Hobbies for Happiness (And the Risks of Mixing Business with Pleasure)
- Words by Peppermint
Ever imagined quitting your desk job to spend your days stitching and crafting by a log fire? Tread carefully, my friend, because turning your passion into a profession can be a tricky business.
words NICOLE MCKENZIE
When I tell people that I make my own clothes, I’m often met with: “You should sell them!” or “Why don’t you start your own business?”. My answer is simple – because if I did that, sewing would no longer be a hobby. And I’m a hobby-aholic: I love hobbies and I really love talking about them (I absolutely adore seeing people’s faces light up as they share what they love to do with their time).
There’s a lot of pressure to turn any interest or skill into an income stream, but maintaining a hobby for joy can be far more valuable than the potential dollar value. Hobbies are scientifically proven to make you happier. A 2023 study of people aged over 65 found that those with hobbies had improved health and life satisfaction. In another study, focused on the benefits of crochet, respondents stated that it made them feel calmer, happier and more useful. They also reported a significant improvement in their mood after crocheting.
Tabitha Carvan’s book, This Is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch, reveals the positive impacts of finding a passion and valuing leisure time as a woman and a mother. She states that women have historically been without a culture of leisure and play, and adds: “When you don’t make that [leisure] time a priority there are huge consequences, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.”
READ MORE: Stitch, Please! Dabbling With Embroidery and Creative Connections
Scientist Kerri Duncan derives great rewards from her hobbies and has no desire to become an expert. Her job requires focus and precision, so she enjoys being mediocre at her hobbies. “When I focus too much on getting better at something, it creates room for failure,” she says. “I don’t want to fail in my relaxation time – I just want to go with the flow and soak in the fun. No pressure, only carefree, uncomplicated enjoyment.”
Marian Bull, who turned her pottery hobby into a business, says that in a world where “traditional careers are crumbling and side hustles are fetishised”, it’s no surprise that many people are monetising their hobbies. However, she adds, “this risks turning hobbies into an illusion, a mirage of leisure that quickly turns to obligation”.
What was once fun becomes bound by the pressures of time, market value and trends. You may be your own boss, but the market decides what you’re worth and what you’ll make. If you do turn your hobby into a business (or if you already have), it’s important to find something else to do for leisure, whether that’s looking at photos of Benedict Cumberbatch or making something for yourself. Marian manages her hobby-turned-business by having “a segment of my work that I make just for myself, without concern for the market – or at least with an attempted lack of concern”.
So, if you can do it, I say go ahead and resist the temptation to achieve perfection. Make a wonky mug, fall off that surfboard and dance wildly for no other reason than the joy it brings.
WANT SOME FUN SEWING PATTERNS TO GET STARTED ON? RIGHT THIS WAY!
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
