If you would indulge me to go on a personal ramble for a moment, I seem to have come upon a sort of crossroads in my life. Thus far I have been in a balancing act between a day job, and my two big hobbies: raising rabbits and making handmade paper and books. I think I’ve reached a shift in this balance.

For background, I have been casually looking (as most people do) for a “better” job. Better hours. Better location. Better pay. After months, I came to the conclusion that I don’t need something new in my life, but I need to change what I focus on.

Both of my hobbies have the potential to make an income if only I have the time to dedicate myself to them. After taking some time off to think about this, I have come to my decision. I’ve rescinded my applications to various companies and declined the offers that I had been awarded. I arranged with my current employer to cut back on hours, because thankfully I can do that with a retail job.

In the coming weeks I will be able to focus on spending more time with my rabbits, as well as more time creating and honing my craft. It is a terrifying prospect to realize the risk of what I am doing. I could fail miserably and end up in tons of debt….or I could succeed.

I’m not here to preach that everyone should pursue their hobbies to be their full-time careers. In many cases, hobbies are best left as they are. On the other hand, sometimes you are much closer to your dreams than you anticipate and all you really need to do is reach out to attain them. The coming months will tell how close my own aspirations are to my own grasp.