How it all started
Back in my final year of high school in 2013 I published my first 'thing' on the internet. It garnered over 7,000+ downloads... (I've since stopped tracking downloads some years ago). Imagine if I had charged $1 per download - I could well have $7,000+. Ah well!
Now I would've liked to have kept maintaining on the project (updating it, porting it over to C#/AvaloniaUI and make it cross-platform, refactoring, etc). Throughout Uni I recall doing some UI sketches in class when a coursemate asked me what I was sketching. This project became one of those things my mind drifted off to in my idle & day dreams. Ok... so perhaps a bit nerdy - but it certainly captivated my aspirations!
Growing up
But alas, life involves much more significant things than maintaining some hobby project. Today I work full time (at a time when many people globally have lost their jobs due to Covid, so I really ought to be thankful). Work has been constantly & consistently busy.
Outside of work I also have to make choices on what I prioritise: life admin, people relationships: catching up with friends, spending time with family, etc. I also volunteer my time serving with my local church community.
It's also really important to find healthy rhythms of resting well (a whole other discussion).
Oh and did I mention long hours of screen time? 😬
So in considering all this, I've found it important to remember that a hobby is a hobby and not actual 'work'. (To illustrate this... my parents roll their eyes (so to speak) when I carry around my personal laptop during lunch breaks or dinner time 😅)
More than a hobby?
Perhaps if I put in more effort to my projects, it could become something more. Stories like this one. And for something with more real-world impactful there is Vladimir's story of creating Leaflet - impressive stuff. And the story of vMix's humble beginnings as just a small project for Martin's own use at church and today is one of the big name commercial livestreaming software packages.
Moreso, the most non-trivial story that's stuck with me is the founding story of Balsamiq Mockups.
(In my defense I was younger and didn't know as much back then, and was busy enough trying to pass all those Electrical Engineering Uni courses...😂)
To my point I recently came across this statement written by somone who is still (somehow) maintaining their software today -
"Over the years other programs have popped up but most of them disappeared, abandoned by their developers."
I am one of those very developers he is talking about. (I had a 'competitor' product so-to-speak). That's me. And abandoned I did!
Kudos to anyone able to maintain 'free' software in their spare time. It does actually cost - the time and energy of that person. (I now donate money to software projects I benefit from as a way of saying thanks.)
But what I did learn?
I love building stuff.
I'm not saying that its bad to spend time doing hobby stuff, its just that it becomes a problem when you spend an unbalanced amount of time and energy on it. I know for myself that I am certainly prone to over-achievement when I get too obsessed with my projects. Its also a problem when I use it as an excuse to be selfish with my spare time (e.g. and skip on household chores).
Keep building stuff!
Interestingly, from Christian perspective there is something inheritently good and right about being creative and creating things! God is THE ultimate creator - having made all things in the world. when we create, it pleases God, because He sees us reflecting his image.